Silver purification methods. Professional cleaning of silver. Other acids for cleaning silverware

Silver items can be found in any home.

It can be cutlery, souvenirs or jewelry.

Over time, these things dear to the heart become covered with a dark coating (patina).

Patina coats silver items by oxidizing copper, which is often found in the alloy.

How to clean silver at home: the necessary tools and accessories

To effectively clean silver at home, you need to purchase some tools. Ideally, it is better to use special cosmetic products for the care of jewelry.

The main advantage of special products for precious metals is that after application they continue to repel dirt and protect against oxidation for some time.

You can buy them in the department with household goods or in jewelry stores.

If there is no desire to spend money, then ordinary toilet or laundry soap and a soft cloth will come in handy.

How to clean silver at home: cutlery and utensils

Cutlery can be cleaned most effectively with special detergents for silver and gold items. Moreover, large items (trays, teapots, candlesticks) should be treated with sprays, and forks, spoons and knives with pasty substances. Blackened areas and enamel must be protected from the cleaner.

If in a short time it is required to remove dark plaque and dirt from a large number of utensils, then folk methods are quite useful.

This method should be used if the silver is not blackened. Boil the potatoes in a saucepan, after the potatoes are cooked, do not pour out the water. The tubers need to be pulled out, and lay foil on the bottom of the container. Then we put dirty products in the broth and bring to a boil. After the broth boils, reduce the heat and leave on the stove for another 15 minutes. Let the liquid cool down and then pour it out. Rinse boiled appliances with cold water, wipe with a soft dry cloth.

You can also use a wonderful tool - ordinary baking soda. We take a container in which all homemade silver that needs cleaning will fit, lay aluminum foil on the bottom. How many liters of water you plan to use, so many tablespoons of soda need to be poured onto the foil. Then we pour boiling water, and after the soda is completely dissolved, we lower the silver items into the hot water. When the water has cooled, remove the silver from the solution, wash the instruments with soap, rinse in running cold water and wipe dry.

How to clean silver at home: jewelry

The most convenient and fastest way to remove patina and dirt from jewelry is to wipe it with a ready-made napkin with a solution. They are universal, and sometimes differ in purpose. Some are made for gold and others for silver cleaning. Special liquids and wipes can be used to clean any silver with stones of various types.

In emergency cases, dirty and not very refined jewelry can be dispensed with toothpaste and a brush. This method is convenient because everyone has toothpaste, like an old toothbrush.

You can try to clean a smooth ring or any other silver item that is simple in shape with an ordinary stationery eraser. I have not tried this method before, and in vain. The other day I was sitting, watching a series and at the same time rubbing a small ring with an eraser. Surprisingly, it turns out this method works! But it is easy to guess that ornaments with patterns or large massive items with patterns will not become completely clean, no matter how many three.

If the jewelry is inlaid with stones, then the use of 10% ammonia percentage, which can be bought at any pharmacy, is effective. The product to be cleaned is lowered into it for a quarter of an hour. We take out the jewelry and determine the degree of purity, if it does not satisfy you, you can re-leave it for soaking for another 15 minutes. After you take out the silver, do not forget to rinse in clean water and wipe dry. Another type of cleaning silver with ammonia does not require dipping jewelry in it. You can simply take a piece of cloth and moisten it with ammonia. This cloth is required to wipe silver items to a shine.

I will present you a recipe for a more aggressive cleaning solution containing ammonia. It takes about 200 ml of water, a teaspoon of ammonia, also half a teaspoon of liquid toilet soap and hydrogen peroxide. Mix all these ingredients thoroughly and dip dirty jewelry into the resulting solution. From time to time, you need to take out silver items and evaluate the degree of purity. If the result satisfies you, then rinse clean things and dry.

Table vinegar is also one of the favorite home remedies for cleaning silver at home by many housewives. In general, it is very often used for other purposes, and very successfully. To remove dirt and patina from silver jewelry, a small amount of vinegar must be heated to 40-60C on the stove. After removing the dishes with vinegar from the tile, lower the darkened product into it for 15-20 minutes. If the jewelry is not clean enough, you can return it back to the vinegar. Do not forget to rinse clean things with clean water after the procedure and wipe dry.

Citric acid helps to get rid of dark plaque on silver. Take an enameled bowl or pan and pour water into it. Add citric acid to it in powder form. Put the bowl with the solution on the stove and wait until it boils. While the water is boiling, you need to string rings, earrings, pendants on the copper wire, which you are going to wash from dirt. Jewelry, along with wire, must be dipped in a boiling liquid and kept in it until the dirt comes off. It usually takes 20-30 minutes for complete cleansing.

At worst, you can turn to table salt for help. It can't be that you don't have it. For every 200 ml of water, pour a teaspoon of ordinary salt and mix until it is completely dissolved. Place a bowl of salt solution on the stove. When the water boils, put silver jewelry in the container for 15-30 minutes. After this procedure, your silver should shine like new.

Table salt can be used as one of the ingredients to make a solution that perfectly cleans silver at home. To do this, you will need aluminum utensils (saucepan or large deep bowl), water, any liquid dish detergent, baking soda and regular table salt. For about 1 liter of water, take 1 tablespoon of liquid detergent, add 1 tablespoon of table salt and baking soda there. It is necessary to bring the solution to a boil, and abundant foam may form, then it is necessary to reduce the power of the fire and put the contaminated silver jewelry into the boiling liquid. Boil on low heat for 15-30 minutes. Do not cover the container with a lid and check the boiling liquid from time to time.

The method of cleaning silver at home with the help of tooth powder or soda has long been known. First of all, we take powder (more) and water (much less). The consistency of the prepared cleaning agent should be mushy. You can rub with baking soda or tooth powder with your bare hands or with a rag. If some areas are not cleared, then take a brush.

On the Internet, you can find various folk ways to clean silver from patina. For example, using chicken eggs. After boiling the eggs, all you need to do is lower the silver items into the remaining water and take them out after a while. As planned, the dirt should be removed. In fact, this turned out to be not a particularly effective way, but perhaps I was doing something wrong.

How to clean silver at home without ruining it

If the silver product has come into contact with a wet surface or damp skin, it must be thoroughly wiped immediately with a dry, clean cloth.

When you are doing housework, gardening, always remove your silver jewelry. This simple rule will keep your rings and bracelets clean and shiny for a long time.

Before carrying out cosmetic procedures or applying skin products, do not forget to remove all jewelry made of precious metals. Creams containing sulfur contribute to the oxidation of silver and the loss of its beautiful appearance.

Store items that you use infrequently in a dry place. It is necessary that various silver things do not come into contact with each other. Therefore, take any foil or ordinary cling film, and individually wrap decorations or cutlery in them.

Products with pearls are contraindicated in cleaning with ammonia.

Practice shows that tooth powder and soda, not completely dissolved, scratch the surface of silver. The resulting small scratches and cracks accumulate dirt inside them, which will be very difficult to clean. Ammonia, toothpaste and vinegar also do not benefit silver products. It is better to use these substances for their intended purpose, otherwise you can lose the presentation of your favorite jewelry and family utensils.

Folk wisdom - as you know, tested by our grandmothers and great-grandmothers, but in our time we know that eggs contain sulfur, so it will not work to effectively clean silver at home with eggshells.

To be calm about your favorite silver jewelry, dishes and coins dear to your heart, it would still be better to entrust them to professional means.

Vinegar

A dining room heated to 40–50 ° C will help to cope with darkening. Dip the jewelry in it for 15 minutes, and then rinse them and dry them with a soft cloth.

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toothpaste

Toothpaste, a brush and your perseverance will remove plaque from a silver chain or ring. A few minutes of careful polishing will make the metal shine.

ammonia and hydrogen peroxide

In a liter of water, dissolve two tablespoons of ammonia and the same amount of peroxide. Dip the jewelry in the solution for 15 minutes. The silver will react with the ammonia and the dirt will disappear without a trace.

Citric acid and copper wire

Pour half a liter of water into an enamel saucepan, add 100 grams of citric acid, and then put everything in a water bath. Put rings and earrings on the copper wire, wrap chains around it (contact of copper and silver is important). Boil the liquid for 15-20 minutes, periodically checking the cleanliness of the jewelry.

Soda

Add water to the baking soda until you get a thick paste. Rub the resulting mixture on silver items with a toothbrush or sponge. Then rinse the jewelry with warm water to avoid streaks.

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Vinegar, salt, baking soda and foil

To clean silver with a spa treatment, you'll need half a cup of boiling water, half a cup of vinegar, and a tablespoon each of salt and baking soda. Place a sheet of foil on the bottom of the container, pour in the dry ingredients and fill them with liquid ones. Decorations are placed in the solution so that contact with the foil is maximum. Silver will become perfect in just 5 minutes.

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How to clean silver jewelry with stones

Sapphire, emerald and aquamarine are high density gemstones. Cleaning will not harm them, whichever method you choose.
Opal, malachite, turquoise and moonstone are not so dense: abrasive substances can scratch their surface. Therefore, choose mild detergents or baths.
Ruby, topaz and garnet cannot be cleaned in hot water: they can change color from high temperature.
Give items with amber, pearls, coral or ivory to specialists for cleaning. These materials are very sensitive to acids, alkalis and any solvents.

How to clean matte silver

The only caution for owners of jewelry made of such metal: do not use abrasive materials or acids. They will spoil the appearance of the product. Soap shavings dissolved in water are an ideal gentle agent.

When cleaning such products, be careful and delicate so as not to damage the unique top layer. Soap and soda solution will help you: soak silver in it for 20-30 minutes.

And here is another effective way. Peel a few potatoes, put them in a bowl of water and add your decorations to the same. After 3-4 hours, remove the silver and rinse with water. If the plaque from the metal is not completely removed, erase it with a rubber eraser.

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What to do so that silver does not darken

To make your silver shine brighter than the sun, follow these simple yet effective guidelines:

Remove rings and bracelets before cleaning or applying cosmetics.
If your jewelry gets wet, wipe it dry as soon as possible.
Store jewelry in a dark, dry place, ideally wrapped in foil.

Did these tips help you? Tell us in the comments about your experience of cleaning silver at home.

Every home has at least one piece of silver. It can be a teaspoon, which was given to the baby "by the tooth", and a silver ring, which passes from generation to generation by inheritance from one mistress to another. Not to mention silver cutlery sets in the form of spoons and forks or small piles for spirits, which are taken from sideboards and secret places only on great holidays. And then there (meaning secrets) are carefully removed.

But no matter how you take care of these silver things, over time, silver loses its original silvery luster and darkens.

Of course, now in any jewelry store you can buy a cleaner for silver products. But it's not always profitable. Some people just don't have the money for it. And someone needs to clean only one chain ...

And then the owners of silver products are trying to find other ways to clean silver, which would be affordable not only in price, but also in ease of use. Moreover, there are many such ways.

How to clean silver with baking soda and salt

Method 1. Very often silver darkens. To give it its original appearance, you need to prepare a thick mixture from 50 g of baking soda and two tablespoons of water. Gently clean the products with this mixture, and then rinse them with clean water and dry well.

Method 2. Immerse silver items in boiling water mixed with a small amount of soda. Then rinse them well and wipe dry.

Method 3. Dilute a teaspoon of salt in a glass of hot water, dip silver jewelry into it and soak for two hours. Soaking can be replaced by boiling for ten minutes.

Method 4. If there are a lot of silver items (for example, spoons), they are placed in a basin, poured with soda, poured with hot water and waited for half an hour. Then the products are thoroughly washed and wiped dry.

What you need to know about cleaning silver

By the way, in this and subsequent recipes, you can not use rough brushes or sponges so as not to scratch a valuable thing.

Soft sponges, soft cloths or soft toothbrushes are best suited for cleaning or polishing.

All these methods can be used without fear only when cleaning silver items without precious stones and jewelry from other materials. After all, it is not known how another alloy or stone will behave.

It is useful to know about the quality of silver jewelry. After all, very often they use not pure silver, but an alloy or only silvering.

It is advisable to clean silver jewelry with precious stones only with special products that are sold in jewelry stores. Such products will definitely not ruin your silver. Better yet, entrust this mission to professionals. After all, before starting work, the jeweler carefully examines the silver product in order to determine its exact composition and not spoil the thing. This is especially true for antiques or expensive jewelry.

Polishing silver with starch

To give silver its original luster, you need to mix starch with a small amount of water to form a thick paste. Apply a layer of paste on the product and leave for a while. When the paste dries, wipe it off with a soft cloth or gauze.

Cleaning silver with ammonia (ammonia)

Mix chalk with a small amount of ammonia and rub silver items with this mixture. Then rinse them in clean water and dry well.
Mix tooth powder and ammonia until a pulp. Apply the mixture to the product and let dry. Then wipe clean with a soft cloth.
Dark plaque from silver products is well removed with soapy water and a small amount of ammonia.
Mix tooth powder, ammonia and water in a ratio of 1:2:5. Soak a soft cloth in this solution and wipe the silver items thoroughly. After fifteen minutes, rinse them well and wipe dry.

Cleaning silver jewelry with stones with ammonia should be done very carefully. After all, it is not known how this pebble will behave if ammonia falls on it. For example, ammonia is contraindicated for pearls!

How to Clean Silver with Vinegar and Baking Soda

Shine silverware will return a mixture of 100 ml of vinegar and 50 g of baking soda. To do this, the products are immersed in the prepared solution and incubated for two hours. Then the products are rinsed with cold water and wiped dry with a soft cloth.

An effective way to clean silver jewelry used by jewelers

Silver jewelry and a small piece of zinc are placed in a glass container.

Make a solution of a tablespoon of laundry soda and half a liter of hot water.

Pour this solution over decorations.

Cleaning silver with cream of tartar and salt

Option 1. Clean silverware should be placed in the oven and ignited. Prepare a solution of 400 ml of water, 10 g of cream of tartar and 25 g of salt. Boil the dishes in this solution.

Option 2. You can also prepare a hot solution from one cream of tartar, put silver items in it for a few minutes, then take it out and rub it well with a piece of suede.

How to clean heavily oxidized silver

Prepare a solution: mix sodium sulfate (hyposulfite) with water in a ratio of 1:3. Wash the product with warm water and soap and immediately lubricate with this solution. After a few seconds, wipe thoroughly with a dry cloth.

If there is plaque or mold on silver products

Wash silverware in warm vinegar, then rinse and dry with a dry cloth.
Boil potatoes. Put silverware in the broth and leave for an hour. Then remove the products from the pan, rinse with clean water and wipe.
Pour water into the container and put the sliced \u200b\u200braw potatoes. Silver items are also included here. Leave for a while. Then rinse with clean water and dry well with a soft cloth. Thanks to the starch that is in the water, silver items are freed from plaque.

Cleaning silverware with aluminum foil

Option 1. Cover the pan inside with foil, pour two teaspoons of salt and pour water. Then put silver items in water for three minutes. Then rinse with clean water and dry.

Option 2. Put aluminum foil on the bottom of the dish and pour the potato broth. Immerse silver items in the broth. Leave for a few minutes. Take out the products, rinse in clean water and dry with a soft cloth.

Instead of potato broth, you can pour ordinary water and put soda in it (take five tablespoons of soda per liter of water). The rest of the steps are the same as in the version with potato broth.

Polishing silver with a banana peel

To do this, the inside of the banana peel is cleaned of fibers. And silver objects are rubbed with the same side. After that, the products are polished with a dry soft cloth or paper towel.

Removing dark spots with ash

If dark spots appear on silver spoons, for example, from eggs, then you need to wipe the spoons with ashes, and the spots will disappear.

Cleaning silverware with toothpaste

If the toothpaste is not gel and without extraneous inclusions, then silver jewelry, such as a chain, can be cleaned with this paste. To do this, use a soft toothbrush, the bristles of which easily penetrate into all holes. After soft cleaning, the jewelry should be washed with water and wiped dry.

Cleaning silver jewelry with ketchup

This method is only suitable for products with a smooth surface. If the silver jewelry is tarnished, they can be dipped in ketchup poured into a small cup for a few minutes. Then remove the remnants of ketchup with a toothbrush or cloth, rinse thoroughly and wipe dry.

Polishing silverware with milk

This method is well suited for the care of silverware. You need to take sour milk, grease objects with it and leave it in this state for half an hour. During this time, an oxide film will come off the surface of the products, which makes the silver tarnish. After this procedure, silver items are washed in warm soapy water, wiped and polished well with a soft cloth.

Instead of sour milk, you can take fresh and add vinegar to it.

Polishing silverware with flour

To do this, take a small amount of flour and the same amount of salt and vinegar. Mix everything well. Apply this mixture in a thin layer on silver items and allow to dry well. Using a soft, dry cloth, carefully polish the silver. Of course, this method is not suitable for chains or other jewelry, as it will not be possible to clean them well from flour.

In the box where silver is stored, it is enough to put a few pieces of chalk. The chalk will keep the silver from tarnishing.
Place a piece of aluminum foil inside the silver box. It will protect silver from oxidation.
If silver items need to be removed for long-term storage, then they are individually folded into cellophane, air is removed from it, and then everything is packed tightly in foil.
So that silver jewelry does not change color, it must be removed before taking water procedures, during cleaning or washing dishes (especially for rings), because the aggressive composition of detergents can adversely affect the appearance of jewelry.
Silver items are stored in a dry place, as they darken from moist air.

If a silver object or jewelry has lost its radiance over time, darkened, then you need to learn how to clean the product at home with improvised means or using a special solution, and feel free to get down to business. There are a lot of recipes to restore shine to silver, but are they all really effective?

How to clean silver at home

Most silver items turn black after a while, become dull. Superstitious people say that the reason for this is damage to the owner or illness. According to scientists, the composition of human sweat affects silver products: if there is an excess of sulfur in the body, then the metal is more likely to darken, and if there is a lot of nitrogen, then silver will not darken. However, it happens that the products just lie in the box - for example, cutlery, crockery, figurines - and still covered with bloom. This comes from interaction with air containing hydrogen sulfide.

To know how to clean silver jewelry at home correctly, you need to take into account the alloy of silver, impurities, and the presence of stones. An alloy of silver happens:

matte;
coin;
blackened;
filigree;
sterling (925 test).

So, how to clean silver at home? Before you start cleaning silver jewelry, dishes, degrease the product using any detergent. Rub indentations and curls with a soft toothbrush. Let the item lie in soapy water for several minutes, and then rinse the jewelry and proceed to drastic measures. There are many ways to clean silver, including cleaning with:

hydrogen peroxide;
baking soda;
salt;
ammonia (ammonia);
foil;
citric acid;
coca-cola;
toothpaste or powder;
special means (liquids, pastes, napkins);
mechanical method of cleaning with an eraser.

hydrogen peroxide

The use of hydrogen peroxide to clean silver items is very controversial. Cleaning silver with hydrogen peroxide can both remove blackening from a precious metal and start the reverse process. Hydrogen peroxide donates oxygen atoms to reduce or oxidize the substance, depending on its composition, so the reaction to silver can be unpredictable if the silver alloy contains foreign metals. In this case, there is a risk that the surface of the decoration will become mottled or completely black.

It will be difficult to remove such pollution at home. You will have to turn to a jeweler, and his work will result in a solid penny. There are recipes for cleaning silver at home using combined solutions based on hydrogen peroxide and ammonia. However, before putting the entire piece of jewelry into the composition, make a test - check the reaction on the chain clasp or the inside of the ring. If the place of contact has brightened, then boldly apply the solution to the entire surface of the jewelry using a cotton pad.

Soda

Housewives have long known the power of soda in the fight against pollution. She may be able to wash silver objects as well, but she must act without fanaticism so as not to scratch the shiny surface. The method is suitable for small items, as scratches on plates and spoons will be too conspicuous. How to clean silver with baking soda:

Mix baking soda and a drop of water until a slurry is formed.
Apply the gruel to the surface of the product with your fingers or a soft cloth, lightly rub until it shines.
Difficult places are best cleaned with a toothbrush.
Rinse the jewelry with water.
Wipe dry.

Salt

Another quick, easy way is to clean silver with salt. You will need ordinary salt, large or small, which is available, it does not matter. In a small bowl or mug, the bottom of which is lined with foil, pour, without sparing, salt, baking soda, pour dishwashing liquid. Jewelry should be placed in this substance and boiled for 10 minutes. Then rinse the products under the tap and dry. This method is suitable for small items such as rings, crosses, earrings, chains, coins. Plates, spoons, candlesticks, other kitchen utensils must be cleaned by other methods.

ammonia

There are several ways to clean silver with ammonia. You can use both pure alcohol and its combination with other substances. Two ways using only ammonia:

Take one part of ammonia and 10 parts of water and prepare a solution. Immerse the product in it to soak. If the silver is of medium contamination, then the treatment lasts from half an hour to an hour. You should not keep silver in ammonia for too long, you need to follow the bleaching process. Slightly cloudy products can simply be wiped with a cotton pad moistened with ammonia.
For too blackened silver items, you will need pure ammonia. Processing time 15 minutes. The silver is then rinsed and dried.

foil

citric acid

To brighten antique items and jewelry, cleaning silver with citric acid or vinegar will help:

It is necessary to dilute 100 grams of acid in 0.5 liters and put the solution to heat in a water bath.
Dip a small piece of copper or wire and silver into the container. Boiling time from 15 to 30 minutes.
Then, as usual, rinse and dry the item.

coca cola

The cleaning properties of Coca-Cola are already legendary. What this drink does not clean: tiles, plumbing, dishes! For home life, this is an expensive and irrational way, but cleaning silver with Coca-Cola is quite affordable and will not hit your pocket. It is necessary to pour a small amount of Coca-Cola into a glass and lower silver items there. The process is long, it will take about 12 hours, but the silver will shine like new.

toothpaste

Cleaning silver with toothpaste works well on slightly clouded jewelry. Smooth products can be wiped with a toothpaste cloth, and jewelry with many embossed details can be cleaned with a toothbrush. Choose a paste without additives and dyes so that impurities do not lead to an undesirable reaction with the metal. After cleaning the product, rinse thoroughly so that a white coating does not form, polish with a soft cloth.

Silver cleaners

In any jewelry store you can find special products for cleaning silver products. Voice the problem to the consultant, but rather bring the jewelry with you - he will recommend the appropriate cleaner: wipes, liquid or paste. Check if a particular cleaning agent can be used for products with stones: some do not tolerate aggressive cleaning, they are easy to damage.

Cleaning liquid

A special solution for cleaning silver consists of organic solvents, phosphates, surfactants, fragrances, water. This is a strong cleaner, so it is not recommended to use it to lighten silver jewelry with pearls, amber, corals. For example, Aladdin liquid is a convenient container with a special basket and a brush: the product is placed in the basket, then it must be immersed directly into the jar, held for 30 seconds. Then rinse the silver with water and polish with a napkin. The effect is visible from the first time, but there is a drawback - an unpleasant smell.

Special liquids can be sold in the form of a spray, such as the Chinese remedy Sunlight. Comes with a small brush for cleaning hard-to-reach places. As stated on the packaging, Sunlight Spray is safe for all types of precious metals and stones. The product is transparent, without a strong odor, easy to use. It is only necessary to sprinkle silver, hold for a few minutes, and then rinse with water.

Napkins

To clean slightly darkened or lost their luster of novelty, it is recommended to use silver cleaning wipes. There are wipes made from microfiber that are chemical free so as not to harm metal and stones. In addition, in stores you can buy disposable wipes with special impregnation for polishing jewelry, separately with impregnation for polishing jewelry with pearls or other organic stones. One such napkin is enough to rub a small table service to a shine.

Cleaning paste

A thick cream or paste for cleaning silver effectively cleans old black deposits on jewelry, cutlery, antiques. The paste has a delicate structure and does not leave scratches on the product. Before cleaning, degrease silver by washing it in warm water with soap or detergent. Then apply a little paste on a napkin, rub the product and leave for a while, then polish the surface with a dry napkin.

How to clean silver from black

Cleaning silver at home is troublesome, you can scratch the product or ruin the stones. Most of the well-known ways to clean silver at home have been discussed above. It remains to figure out which of the considered methods is best used for jewelry, products with stones, and which one for dishes, cutlery, antiques and other items:

Silver utensils, which will show scratches from soda, are best cleaned with toothpaste. It is just right for items that are not badly affected by blackening. However, you do not need to use the paste too often, it can provoke the formation of microcracks on the metal. Spoons, forks, knives are cleaned with soda, salt and foil. With this method, it is not necessary to rub objects, the dirt leaves when boiled.
With small jewelry or coins, the eraser can easily cope, but you have to work hard. Instead of an eraser, some advise using lipstick, putting a little on a soft cloth and rubbing the silver. The lipstick will not leave scratches and can be easily washed off with soapy water. For small jewelry, a gruel of chalk and ammonia is also suitable, which is applied to the product and then washed off with water.
Blackened silver should not be cleaned to a shine at all, trying to wash off the noble patina, depriving the decoration of charm and sophistication.

silver chain

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

Soak the chain in acid, without diluting it with water, and hold for the indicated time.
Perhaps the process will go faster if the silver is not too run.
Vinegar does a great job with very strong browning.

Silver with stones

If you are afraid to ruin silver jewelry with stones with household chemicals, it is better to clean it with special liquids for professional cleaning. You can buy them in a jewelry store. They will not only carefully clean the silver, but also cover the surface with a protective film. It is important to know the features of the stones in your jewelry:

Turquoise does not tolerate moisture, it is absolutely impossible to lower it into water.
Pearls do not tolerate ammonia and hydrogen peroxide, they are washed in a soapy water solution.
Amethyst and topaz easily tolerate the effects of alkalis and acids of low concentration, but will not survive high temperatures - they will fade.
Zirconia, quartz are not capricious, they can be washed in soapy water.

Video

Why does silver turn black at all?
Oh, yes, everything is simple: the evil eye, damage. Joke. Sulfur is to blame, or rather, hydrogen sulfide, which leaves a sulfide coating on silver products. There is always a certain concentration of hydrogen sulfide in the air - in particular, due to car exhaust gases - so collectors keep silver coins in sealed boxes and albums.
The main sources of sulfur in an apartment are ordinary natural gas, certain foods (onions, eggs, fish roe) and substances such as rubber or plastic. Silver can quickly darken due to cosmetics or medicines containing sulfur, such as sulfuric ointment, olimethin, mozolin. Even if there is no direct contact with sulfur, the metal will receive its portion with sweat.

The reasons for darkening can be different. Not every plaque on silver is necessarily sulfide, it can be copper oxides contained in the alloy, and exposure to ozone. Finally, the usual dirt, densely “sat down” on a fatty base. Dust and soil are cleaned with water and soap. Soot, wax and grease are removed with solvents such as ethyl alcohol or white spirit. What is left is already chemical compounds: sulfides, oxides, chlorides, etc. Here you can try folk remedies or professional chemistry like sodium thiosulfate or thiourea.

But you need to start cleaning silver with a thorough wash in warm soapy water. For efficiency, you can add a few drops of ammonia and a spoonful of soda.

Why can spoons turn black sharply?
Indeed, we don’t wear them around our neck (what kind of contact with sweat can we talk about), and in general we can not use them for years. The cause of darkening can be improper storage, improper care, and a changed environment.

Perhaps the cutlery was lying on the plastic for a long time, next to the gas stove, household chemicals, and the trash can. Or you washed them in the dishwasher and did not even notice how the silver darkened, because the patina in this case will appear in a day or two. Or, after cleaning with aluminum or special chemicals, they did not wash the devices with soap in distilled or at least running water. High humidity also speeds up the patination process.

READ ON THE TOPIC…

The silver has turned black. How to clean in five minutes?
So, the silverware has darkened indecently over the year, and the guests are already on their way. What to do? There are several quick ways to clean blackness from silver. All of them are suitable for not very valuable products, since they involve the use of abrasives, albeit soft ones. The most effective material is white toothpaste without additives. We squeeze it onto a silver product and gently rub it with our fingers or a soft toothbrush. Wash in warm running water with soap.
Powders clean silver wonderfully - for example, toothpaste or soda. But along with the plaque, they also remove a layer of metal, leaving micro-scratches on its surface. Such devices are more difficult to polish, and they will now darken faster. It is especially unpleasant to wipe a silver-plated or gilded product to the “holes”.
If the devices are not very sorry, you can remove blackness from silver and soda, but not dry, but wet (slurry) - this way you minimize damage.
Do not use bleach or other products with chlorine: they will only speed up the tarnishing.

READ ALSO…

How to clean silver from blackness in 10-20 minutes?
If time permits, it is better to use milder liquid products - ammonia and hydrogen peroxide. Weak blackness on silver leaves after five minutes of soaking in a 10% solution of ammonia and a couple of drops of detergent. But remember that ammonia fumes are dangerous to health, so it is better to carry out the operation on an open balcony.

Instead of ammonia, a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution is also suitable. Or like this: two shares of peroxide (3%) - one share of ammonia.

You can also clean silverware with a solution of citric acid (100 g per 0.5 l of water) or a 6% solution of vinegar. They act on various pollution (oxides, mold) - try it, it won't get worse. The principle is simple: we moistened a cotton swab, wiped it, if necessary, soaked the product for a minute.

Tip: If using an acid, dip the silver into a baking soda solution after cleaning to stop the reaction.

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I do not want to rub, vinegar does not help. What's next?
The best way to clean silver at home without harming the metal is to boil it in a soda solution (2 tablespoons of soda per 1 liter of water) with baking foil balls. This is where aluminum comes into play, taking the sulfur from the silver. The procedure can take from two minutes to half an hour. We take out the silver and wash it with soap.

You can not boil, but simply line the bottom of a glass container or an enameled pan with foil, add soda, put silver things there and pour boiling water. After 10 minutes, it is worth checking how the raid departs. Repeat until victory.

Another long but effective method on how to clean silver is to use the power of starch. If you replace the boiling water in the previous recipe with potato broth, things will go faster. You can even put silver overnight in a pan with finely chopped raw potatoes, filled with water. This is the most gentle way, it can be used even for antiques.

Is it possible to clean silver at home with special products?
Certainly. Jewelry and numismatic stores sell a lot of chemicals for cleaning silver and silver-plated items - solutions, pastes, sprays, wipes, etc. Popular brands are Leuchtturm, Silver Clean, Flurin, Danialis, Talisman, Silbo, "Aladdin". Manufacturers promise that in addition to cleaning, these products create a protective film on the product. But there are also disadvantages. With all the variety of the range, finding a suitable cleaner is not easy - most of the "special" products do not differ much in efficiency from a washing powder solution. In addition, most of them are designed for cleaning jewelry: the kits include small jars, and it is not clear how to soak, say, a half-meter vase.

And if without chemistry? Can silverware be ultrasonic cleaned?
Jewelry workshops will be happy to clean your blackened silver not only with chemicals, but also with “gentle” ultrasound. The cavitation method (instantaneous formation and collapse of bubbles) and vibration wash not only jewelry, but also cutlery and even parts of mechanisms. You can’t do without chemistry at all: at best, dishwashing detergent or ammonia will be added to the bath, at worst, stronger products. You can control this process if you purchase such a device for home use. Devices are actively sold by both European and Asian manufacturers. The reviews are contradictory: dirt is cleaned well, sulfides and oxides are so-so.

I got an A in chemistry. And if reagents?
Why not. Silver sulfide dissolves thiourea (thiocarbamide) - a substance used in pharmaceuticals, radio electronics and other fields. It is inexpensive, sold in radio parts stores. To clean the darkened silver, you need to dissolve 2 tsp. thiourea and 2 g of citric or orthophosphoric acid in 0.5 l of warm water. If the devices or jewelry are completely black, increase the dose of thiourea (until it dissolves), add a spoonful of acid, pour 50 ml of vodka into the solution. However, do not forget that the solution is still poisonous, so you should not breathe it and you need to work with gloves.

After such cleaning, the devices should be washed under running water and put in a cool solution of soda (alkali quenches acid) for 5 minutes. Then rinse again with water and wipe dry.

After processing, a white coating may remain on silver - this is chloride, which is removed with ammonia (a solution of ammonia).

Also, strong solutions of sodium salts - hyposulfite or thiosulfate (3 parts of water to 1 part of salt) are used to purify silver. Wet a swab with this solution and wipe the blackened products. Salts are sold in pharmacies.

And my cupronickel turned black - how to clean it?
For cleaning cupronickel appliances, the same folk remedies are suitable as for silver. But only if we are talking about pure cupronickel - an alloy of copper (up to 75%) and nickel. Modern "cupronickel" is most often made of nickel silver - an alloy of copper, nickel and zinc (look for the letters MNTs on the spoon). Such devices are necessarily silvered to get rid of the metallic taste. Any powders are contraindicated for them, means with chlorine are harmful. It is better not to boil gold-plated and silver-plated appliances - neither with soda, nor with foil, or with anything else. Such a procedure can damage a thin layer of precious metal. He, of course, is recovering, but why feed the jewelers?

To clean nickel silver from blackness, it is recommended to wash the devices in a warm soapy solution, and then put them in a galvanized bucket of salt water for 3-4 hours. Plaque will begin to move away due to the work of a galvanic couple: zinc is oxidized, copper is restored.

Cutlery made of cupronickel and nickel silver must be thoroughly dried after washing - then they will remain as shiny in a month. And no household chemicals nearby!

My silver not only turned black, but also turned green. How to clean?
The lower the sample, the less silver in the alloy and more copper - oxidizing, it gives a green color. Copper oxide can be removed using Trilon B solution (10%) - a powder that is used in many industries - from medicine to battery recovery. After the green leaves the metal, you can use the entire arsenal of gentle products for silver.
Sometimes on silver utensils found somewhere in the attic there are brown spots - this is cuprous oxide. It is removed using 10% solutions of acids - acetic or citric, as well as immersed in an ammonia solution (5–15%). It is better not to do the last procedure without experience and understanding of the process.

Achtung! On the Internet you will find a lot of interesting ways to clean silver with hydrochloric and sulfuric acids, sodium sulfate and even hydrogen. We warn you: the use of these substances without skill and at home is dangerous!

Should blackened silver be cleaned in the same way as regular silver?
Much more delicate. It is undesirable to boil blackened silver devices, especially with soda: this harms the blackening. Neither ammonia, nor acids, nor abrasives are suitable for cleaning them. Such silver cannot be washed quickly and carefully; it will have to be soaked in a soap and soda solution or potato broth several times. It is permissible to clean with a soft toothbrush in soapy foam.

Another thing is that, under the guise of blackened silver, they often sell products that are cheaper to manufacture and coated with an oxide film. It fades over time, erased and there is nothing to be done about it.

When to go to the jeweler?
Before cleaning silver with ammonia and boiling it in eggshells with toad skins, look at the year of manufacture and cost. Antique appliances and decor, especially those with stones and filigree, should be taken to a jeweler right away. The maximum that can be done at home is to wash them with baby soap and clean them with a soft brush (squirrels, speakers). And the point here is not so much in piety, but in the incomprehensible state of the subject. Old does not mean strong, and if you can be calm for pure silver, then how the rest of the impurities (and there can be up to 50%) react to acids and chemistry is not clear.
If the coating on silver-plated devices is worn out in places, it can be updated in a jewelry workshop. From a financial point of view, it will only make sense if the thing is very valuable to you.
Perhaps you should not experiment at home with 925 sterling silver unless you are on the Forbes list.
Finally, it is worth looking into the workshop if you are not satisfied with the result, but you don’t know how else to clean silver. They have their own methods - firing, bleaching in a solution of sulfuric acid, passivation (application of a protective film), etc.

Is there a method to clean silver once and for all?
You can completely stop the patination procedure only if you block the access of air to the silver product. For spoons and forks, this method is available only in the Hermitage. You can delay the appearance of blackness on silverware if you store it correctly - separately from other appliances, cosmetics, medicines and household chemicals. Ideally - in a case or box. To prevent blackened washed silver, keep it in a dry place, wrapped in cloth, foil or parchment. If you are not going to use cutlery for several months, wrap it in cling film. But in this case, patination is a matter of time.

If you regularly use silver cutlery, then at least a couple of times a month wash them in a warm soapy solution with a few drops of ammonia, wiping dry with a soft fleecy cloth. Do not like the smell of ammonia - use a hot solution of baking soda (50 g per 1 liter of water).