How to Clean Sterling Silver Jewelry
If you are anything like me, you may ask yourself, how will I clean silver jewelry to make it look fresh and shiny when I’m ready to wear it? Is your silver jewelry tarnished, dull, or lacking shine? If you see tarnish or grime on your pieces, looking to reinvigorate their shine, or preparing them for storage, then this blog is for you as it has everything you need to learn how to clean your sterling silver jewelry!
The silver tarnish you wish to avoid may initially appear as a yellowish tinge before it turns light purple and then black. This is caused by chemicals, such as sulfur, interacting with silver. Many chemicals are common in our environments: bore water, chlorine, soaps, perfumes, and even foods like eggs and onions. You can take steps to prevent the inception of tarnishes in how you store and wear your jewelry. For now, let’s catch that coloring with some simple cleaning care!
HOW TO CLEAN SILVER JEWELRY WITH DISH SOAP
What you’ll need:
- Dish soap
- Sodium-free seltzer OR warm water
- A medium bowl
- Soft-bristled brush
- Soft cloth
What you’ll do:
- Add a couple of drops of Dawn dish soap (without an added moisturizer) to a bowl of seltzer (without sodium) or warm water.
- Submerge the jewelry in the soapy solution and let soak for 15-30 minutes.
- Scrub jewelry with soft bristles, such as those of a baby toothbrush or adult soft toothbrush, to get into the cracks, crevices, and gem settings.
- Rinse the jewelry with warm water, removing any soap suds.
- Let air dry or pat dry with a soft cloth.
HOW TO CLEAN SILVER JEWELRY WITH ANTACID
What’ll you need:
- Denture cleaner or antacid tablet
- Warm water
- Q-tip
- Soft cloth
What you’ll do:
- Per package instructions, place a tablet of denture cleaner or antacid into warm water.
- Add jewelry and allow a fizzing effect to help scrub the jewelry. Let soak for 5-10 minutes.
- Use a Q-tip to remove grime from cracks, crevices, and gem settings.
- Rinse the jewelry with warm water.
- Let air dry or pat dry with a soft cloth.
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HOW TO CLEAN SILVER JEWELRY WITH BAKING SODA
You can use household items such as baking soda to enact an iron exchange that will clean your sterling silver jewelry! If you choose to incorporate aluminum oil, the tarnish on the silver (silver sulfide) is released and essentially transferred to the aluminum foil as an aluminum sulfide. Be careful of pieces with patina, as this method can remove so much that ornate patterns are lost. What you’ll need:
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Small or medium bowl
- Aluminum foil
- Boiling water
- Soft cloth
What you’ll do:
- Line a bowl with aluminum foil and place jewelry in.
- Add one tablespoon of baking soda and one tablespoon of salt to the foil-lined bowl holding the jewelry.
- Pour boiling water into the aluminum foil-lined bowl to fully submerge the jewelry.
- Let the jewelry sit in the water for about as long as it takes the water to cool.
- Replace water and refresh baking soda and salt, and foil if it appears yellowed by the transfer of tarnish. Repeat as needed.
- Rinse the jewelry with fresh water.
- Pat dry with a soft cloth (link here) and buff to improve shine.
HOW TO CLEAN SILVER JEWELRY WITH AMMONIA
Use ammonia for the occasional deep clean or if your silver jewelry has begun to tarnish. What you’ll need:
- Ammonium
- Water
- Soft-bristled brush
- Soft cloth
What you’ll do:
- Add 1 part ammonium to 6 parts water or a few drops to a soapy solution.
- Submerge jewelry and let it soak in the solution for 10 minutes.
- Gently brush the jewelry with a soft bristled brush.
- Rinse the jewelry with warm water.
- Let air dry or pat dry with a soft cloth. (link here)
HOW TO CLEAN SILVER JEWELRY WITH A SILVER CLEANING CLOTH
If you have a silver cleaning cloth, this leads to a simple cleaning method that alleviates having to submerge your jewelry in liquid. Methods that invite you to soak the jewelry should not be done so with jewelry that has glued-on gemstones or gems that are porous. Instead, take a clean cloth and dip it into the concocted solution. Then, dab and rub jewelry, particularly in areas with more grime or tarnish.
HOW TO SAFELY RINSE AND DRY YOUR JEWELRY
To safely rinse and dry your jewelry, plug your drain and put jewelry into a strainer to prevent losing your precious jewelry piece. Take extra care to dry your jewelry by giving it plenty of time to drain excess water and air dry or by patting it with a soft cloth. You don’t want to wear jewelry when wet, as it can trap moisture against your skin and cause minor irritations. You also do not want to store jewelry wet as it creates an environment for tarnishing.
HOW TO PREVENT JEWELRY TARNISH
Get them out of the hot seat (i.e. direct sunlight). Avoid having your jewelry containers in direct sunlight. Heat speeds up the chemical reactions creating tarnish. Minimize Moisture. Ensure your jewelry is dry before you put it into storage. While this extra step ensures no excessive moisture is introduced to your jewelry, the humidity lingering in the air can still wreak havoc on jewelry pieces.
Try tossing a silica gel in the jewelry box or cabinet to remove the inevitable moisture. A wrap on wraps. Don’t wrap your jewelry in tissues or other soft papers as they often contain acids that jewelry will be reactive to. Enjoy your silver jewelry, and follow us on Instagram or Facebook for more style stuff!
IT’S FOR THE TEETH
No matter what people say, toothpaste is for your teeth…and that’s it! Toothpaste can scratch gold jewelry and gemstones, so let this bathroom product hack stay in the bathroom.
Now that you are well versed in the cautions and care of gemstone cleaning, choose your jewelry type to learn about the safe, at-home cleaning methods you can use to get your pieces shining bright like a diamond, no matter the jewel in the setting.
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