How and with what to clean a silver chain at home

It's hard not to love silver items. Refined, with a unique shine and suitable for any wardrobe - this is why silver jewelry chains, bracelets and rings are valued.

But, nevertheless, many of us neglect silver for one simple reason - blackening. Of course, it’s a shame when your favorite silver chain quickly darkens and loses its elegant shine. As a result, the jewelry is sent to a distant drawer and is retrieved only in moments of nostalgia about the past radiance and splendor. And, unfortunately, rarely does anyone wonder how to clean a silver chain.

But in vain.

Yes, silver is a wayward metal, and over the years this makes itself felt. Dust, dirt, impurities of cosmetics and even air - together this causes significant damage to the appearance of silver items. But it's not fatal. Caring for silver is no more difficult than washing dishes. You just need to carefully read our article and use the advice in practice.

Let's find out how to clean a silver chain at home simply and effectively.

Causes of darkening of silver

The main problem that owners of silver jewelry face is their tarnishing. The appearance of patina on silver is a natural process of metal aging, sometimes this process is enhanced by a chemical reaction to human sweat or drops of perfume.

However, in addition to the scientific explanation, there are a number of pseudo-scientific theories that explain the change in the color of silver, tarnishing, and the appearance of a dark or green coating:

• The darkening of silver is associated with the presence of serious diseases in its owner. Part of this theory may be true, since the rate at which silver jewelry develops tarnish is affected by exposure to sweat, the more frequent and intense the exposure, the faster the jewelry will darken. And excessive sweating is often a sign of endocrine imbalance.
• The darkening of the chain is associated with the presence of cancer in its owner, but practice shows that there is no relationship between the change in the color of silver and the presence of tumors.

Whatever the beliefs of the owner of the jewelry, any darkening of silver lends itself perfectly to gentle cleaning at home with commonly available means.

Silver chain

Many people think that the most difficult thing is cleaning a silver chain, because there are small links or a spiral. However, by applying the knowledge gained about silver purification methods, you can easily cope with this problem. You will need vinegar and 3 hours of time:

• Soak the chain in acid, without diluting it with water, and hold for the specified time.
• Perhaps the process will go faster if the silver is not too neglected.
• Vinegar does a great job of removing very strong stains.

Dry cleaning

Dry cleaning silver items requires special care as silver is a fairly soft metal and the abrasive particles from the cleaner can leave small scratches on the surface which will dull the shine of the item.

How to clear the chain yourself? The following products can be used as the main methods of dry cleaning:

• GOI paste is not the most common household product, but it is the most effective for dry cleaning of silver surfaces. The paste is a greenish substance somewhat reminiscent of plasticine. To clean the chain you will need a very small amount of it. An additional advantage of using the paste is that it not only cleans, but also polishes the metal surface. The paste must be applied to the surface of the chain and rubbed; all manipulations must be carried out with a soft cloth. This method is good for massive jewelry, since the paste can get stuck in small gaps and it will be difficult to remove it from there.
• Tooth powder or toothpaste - all actions can be carried out by analogy with the use of GOI paste, the only difference here will be the ability to wash off the remaining powder or paste that has clogged between the links of the chain.
• Baking Soda – Fine baking soda also works well for cleaning silver, but not when used in powdered form. It must be wetted with water to a paste-like consistency. Dry powder will inevitably leave micro scratches on the surface.
• Polishing with cloth does a good job of removing minor deposits and darkening on the surface of silver, but it will not cope with intense stains and oxidation. Polishing will be an excellent final part of cleaning the chain after pre-treating the dirt with soda, tooth powder or paste.

Cleansing with baking soda

How to bleach silver jewelry if it has just begun to darken? In this case, soda is considered the best remedy. It does not have an aggressive effect on the metal, but cleaning the chain with this product will return it to its former shine.

To do this, you need to mix soda with water in a ratio of 2:1. The resulting mixture should be put on a cloth and rubbed on the cross. Then it must be rinsed and wiped dry with a soft cloth.

It is important to note that only baking soda has a cleansing effect. Since every housewife has it in her kitchen, it can easily be used as a preventative cleaning of the product to prevent the decoration from becoming too dark. And then the question of how to whiten outdated blackness will not be a problem.

Wet cleaning - standard means

Wet cleaning of silver items is the most gentle care option. For products with small parts where cleaning agent may remain, wet cleaning will be the most effective option. How and with what means can you clean a silver chain at home? Here are the most common methods:

• Cleaning silver with raw potatoes - one of the most effective ways. To do this, you need to pour fresh potatoes grated on a coarse grater with cold or room temperature water and put the product in the same container overnight or for a day, although with slight tarnishing, even an hour is enough. After cleaning, the chain should be rinsed in clean water and wiped dry. After this treatment, the silver acquires a matte shine, and the chain looks like new.
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• Citric acid also copes well with all types of stains on silver; a solution in the proportion: 100 grams of product per 0.5 liter of warm water is especially effective.
• Table vinegar is a remedy that has proven its effectiveness in past times, when wealthy housewives used it to clean silver cutlery. Depending on the degree of contamination, prepare an aqueous solution of 1:1 or 1:2 parts vinegar; pure concentration should not be used.
• Household dishwashing detergents are excellent for cleaning silver from organic contaminants . Detergent diluted with water, soda and toothpaste returns silver chains, rings, and bracelets soaked overnight to their original appearance. Small parts and grooves can be further treated with a toothbrush.
• A soap solution with vodka is effective for soaking contaminated items to soften dirt that has clogged up in the recesses, but it will not cope with the clouding of silver.
• The saline solution also acts as a softener and solvent for strong stains, but to restore the shine of silver, you should use other recipes.
• Olive oil is an effective way to polish a product, but it cannot be used as a cleaning agent.
• Ammonia - briefly soaking silver items in a solution of two tablespoons of alcohol per liter of water can cope with severe stains.
• Ammonia and hydrogen peroxide are an enhanced version of the previous recipe. These two products should be mixed in warm water, and the silver should be soaked in the resulting solution for a period of time ranging from 15 minutes to 1.5-3 hours. Using undiluted hydrogen peroxide can lead to a reverse reaction - clouding and the appearance of a matte film.
• Food foil and baking soda and/or citric acid are a great way to return the chain to its original appearance. For this you need: food-grade aluminum foil, baking soda, although if this is not available, it can be replaced with calcined soda, clean water and an enamel container in which these ingredients will be boiled. Place soda in a proportion of 50 grams per 1 liter of water and a piece of aluminum foil in an enamel container and bring to a boil. After waiting for it to boil, pour this solution into the chain for a maximum of 20 minutes.
• Coca Cola – even schoolchildren know about the ability of this drink to clean the most complex and long-standing stains on hard surfaces. Contaminants that appear on silver also cannot resist the cleaning properties of Coca-Cola. To clean the chain, just soak it in a glass of drink for 1-2 hours - shine and the absence of organic contaminants are guaranteed.

Unexpected ways

Chemistry experts recommend three more ways to clean silver. They may surprise and cause mistrust, but their effectiveness is scientifically explainable.

1. Lipstick. It contains titanium dioxide, which cleanses impurities. And also fat that polishes the surface.
2. Egg yolk. Creates a protective film on the surface and prevents oxidative processes. Apply the yolk using a cotton pad, wait until it dries and rinse.
3. Aluminium foil. The blackness disappears due to the reaction of silver with aluminum and sodium bicarbonate. You need to put foil on the bottom of the pan, then silver items. Separately, boil 1 liter of water and add 50 g of soda. Pour the decoration for ten minutes. You can use salt instead of baking soda in this recipe. To achieve maximum effect, use salt and soda (a tablespoon each) at the same time, as well as half a glass of vinegar.

Using the life hacks listed above, you can also clean gold-plated silver.

Special means

Special products for cleaning jewelry metals and alloys, including silver, available in stores and suitable for use at home, include:

1. Aladdin solution , sold complete with a brush and a bowl where products are soaked. For high-quality cleaning, 10 minutes of soaking is enough.
2. Flat is a broad spectrum cleaner suitable for precious metals and alloys, as well as nickel silver, brass, copper and bronze.
3. Centralin Silberpflege is a paste cleaner and polisher for silver jewelry, effective on copper, brass, aluminum or nickel surfaces.
4. HG Silver is a spray that perfectly dissolves any dirt from the surface and hard-to-reach places of silver jewelry, suitable for both modern and antique products.
5. Talisman is one of the most famous professional products that restores silver or gold products to their original shine.

How to clean silver yourself - general rules

To restore an attractive appearance to a silver item, you can use various means. The choice of a specific method depends on several factors:

• metal sample or alloy composition;
• the presence of coating or decorative inserts (stones, enamel, etc.);
• pollution levels;
• dimensions.

Subtleties of cleansing

If you have no experience in cleaning silver, it is better to use the simplest and most gentle means possible. Expensive jewelry, such as filigree or items with high carat and stones, should be entrusted to professionals and taken to the nearest jewelry workshop.

Important!

Aggressive agents are used exclusively for silverware without inserts and for cutlery.

Simple items and dishes can usually be cleaned independently. The stores offer professional series for metal care. It is also permissible to use folk recipes that have been tested for centuries.

General recommendations:

• Radiant silver is treated with a soft cloth so as not to be scratched;
• when using the foil method, the clean product must be thoroughly rinsed with running water;
• use lemon juice or hot water to add shine;
• dry cleaned items with a paper towel or hair dryer;
• for polishing use flannel, wool, suede, or eraser;
• After cleaning, leave the jewelry untouched for 2-3 days to form a protective layer on the surface.

Is it possible to boil silver?

Some recipes involve heating or boiling. Silver products are boiled only in a glass container in a water bath.

Important!

Heating speeds up any reaction, so you need to be very careful when boiling silver.

Recipes suitable for boiling:

• citric acid solution (100 g per 700 ml of water) with the addition of copper wire: boil for 20-30 minutes;
• baking soda solution (1 tablespoon per 500 ml of water) with the addition of foil: boil for 10-15 seconds;
• Coca-Cola: boil for 3-5 minutes;
• salt solution (1 tablespoon per 1 liter of water) with the addition of chicken egg shells: boil for 15 seconds;
• washing powder solution (1 tablespoon per 500 ml of water): boil for 2 minutes.

What to soak silver in to clean

Soaking silver items is an effective but time-consuming method.

Soaking Recipes:

• salt solution (1 teaspoon per 200 ml of water): keep for several hours;
• water with chopped raw potatoes: keep for 2-3 hours;
• 5% sulfuric acid solution: keep for several hours, to speed up the reaction, heating is permissible;
• 10% formic acid solution: hold for 10 minutes.

What to do if silver is darkened by water

With frequent contact with water (visiting the pool, washing dishes, swimming in a pond, etc.), jewelry suffers. Darkening and black areas appear on the surface, and the shine and attractiveness disappear. The easiest way to avoid this is to remove all jewelry before coming into contact with moisture. And if the products have already darkened, you can use any suitable cleaning method.

Features of cleaning small links

The main way to properly clean a chain with small links is to use a special brush with thin bristles or a simple toothbrush. The preliminary step should be soaking in a cleaning solution prepared according to one of the current recipes. Next, mechanical cleaning with a brush until dirt is completely removed from the links.

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Cleaning a chain with a cross

The procedure for cleaning a silver chain with a cross is practically no different from cleaning jewelry without a cross or pendant. However, it is better to remove the cross from the chain so that the surface underneath is as clean as possible.

Cleaning silver with professional compounds

You can clean a silver chain at home without preparing special solutions. To do this, you don’t need to be a jeweler, just buy a special product. As a rule, it is offered in jewelry stores along with the purchase of a product. Otherwise, it will not be difficult to purchase it separately.

Also, ordinary household chemicals, for example, dishwashing detergent, are ideal as ready-made products. To wash a chain or cross in this way, you need to place it in a glass and fill it with detergent. You can dilute it a little with water in a ratio of 1:2 (1 tablespoon of water per 2 tablespoons of product). The product should lie in this solution for about 15 minutes, then it should be rubbed a little with a brush and rinsed under running warm water.

You can also clean your silver chain with special wipes; you can also purchase them in jewelry stores. Such methods are very easy to use and do not require the help of specialists.

General care recommendations

It is impossible to avoid turbidity, loss of shine and the formation of plaque on a silver product, since silver can change its appearance even in the absence of contact with skin, water, or creams.

Prevention of darkening

How to clean a silver chain? The answer is simple - it is better to minimize all the factors that lead to contamination of jewelry, so as not to ask this question.

The main reason for the darkening of silver chains is secretions from the skin glands, perfume and cosmetics. The presence of unabsorbed cream on the neck leads to the fact that dirt begins to accumulate between the links of the chain.

If drops of perfume or eau de toilette get on silver, dark spots may form on its surface, which can only be removed with a special product. Rinsing under water will be of no use.

It is not possible to completely eliminate the impact of sweat and other skin secretions on the chain, but it is not difficult to reduce the impact. It is important to remove jewelry when playing sports, going on a beach holiday, sunbathing, or sleeping.

Dubious and dangerous advice

Cleaning silver chains or other jewelry at home is an activity that does not require special skills or large financial or time expenditures. The only problem that may arise when carrying out these simple manipulations may be the use of the wrong recipe. One of the most absurd and dangerous pieces of advice is the recommendation to clean silver with household cleaning products, such as Domestos. The surface of a silver chain after treatment with chlorine-containing agents will completely darken without the possibility of restoration; the only option will be to abrasively remove the damaged areas.

Only proper and timely care of jewelry will allow the jewelry to look attractive and aesthetically pleasing; negligence and carelessness can spoil the impression of the jewelry, no matter how exquisite it may be.

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Why does silver jewelry darken?

A silver chain around the neck darkens for several reasons:

• interaction with air, which contains sulfur and nitrogen compounds that negatively affect silver;
• frequent contact with water, so it is recommended to remove jewelry while taking water procedures;
• interaction with human sweat, and for each person the oxidation process occurs at a different rate;
• contact with cosmetics, household chemicals and perfume.

Rapid darkening of silver jewelry, such as a chain or cross, may indicate a small amount of silver in the composition - the faster the oxidation process occurs, the less of this metal was used.