Cleaning silver: caring for silver jewelry, how to clean a silver cross. Silver Cross Cleaning Methods

Found in every home. Silver tends to darken and become coated. You can give it to a jewelry store, but you can quickly and inexpensively clean silver at home with improvised means.

Most often, the problem occurs with body silver crosses and chains, since the crosses have various engravings and protrusions, which makes it difficult to wipe and clean it properly.

Silver begins to darken due to contact with cosmetics and perfumes.

Any silver will darken over time. Only a special alloy does not darken, which looks like silver, but is much cheaper. Real silver can darken from improper care.

Before cleaning a silver cross, you should understand what caused the darkening and change in its appearance so that you do not have to resort to cleaning silver too often.

superstition. Some believe that the silver cross darkens if a person is sick or because of the evil eye, exposure to negative energy. It is difficult to find confirmation of this, but in any case it is necessary, and regularly, and not as it gets dirty.
high humidity. Often silver jewelry darkens if it is stored in high humidity conditions. So it is not recommended to store silver in the bathroom, as well as wash in it, go to the bathhouse, pool, etc.
Due to contact with cosmetics and perfumes. Silver jewelry darkens faster when in contact with various body lotions, eau de parfum, creams and other cosmetics.
Skin type feature. Owners of oily skin, which sweats often and profusely, becomes covered with sebum, more often face problems with the darkening of silver.
Improper storage of silver. Silver can darken when stored with various medications, in boxes with rubber elements and other metal jewelry that can react with silver.

You can buy a special tool for cleaning silver in a jewelry store. It will safely and quickly clean jewelry, but it is not cheap.

Silver needs to be cleaned every 1-3 months, even if it seems to be clean and has not darkened.

In order to save money, you can safely and effectively if you follow the rules of cleaning.

The best ways to clean silver at home

You can clean silver at home

Cleaning silver is pretty easy. There are many ways to use home remedies. In every house you can find at least one of them:

Vinegar. Cleaning silver with vinegar is almost a tradition. A solution of 6% vinegar not only perfectly cleans jewelry, but also restores their shine. It is worth remembering that you do not need to dip the cross or chain in a solution of vinegar or keep it for a long time. It is enough to moisten a piece of cloth in the solution and wipe the jewelry, and then wipe them dry.
Baking soda. Soda can be found in every home. To prepare the solution, you need to carefully dissolve 1 teaspoon of soda in 50 ml of clean water. Silver jewelry is placed in this solution and left for an hour. After that, the jewelry is removed and wiped with a soft cloth. Sometimes it is recommended to clean silver with a gruel of soda and water, but this method is quite aggressive and can scratch the metal. You can also use plain table salt instead of baking soda. However, it is better to boil such a solution along with decorations for greater effectiveness.
Ammonia. Ammonia very effectively removes dirt even in those places of silver products where a cloth or brush cannot be reached. In clean water, you need to add a tablespoon of ammonia and a little soap suds. Stir all this and put silver there for a while. After such cleaning, silver things look like new.
. A good way to clean silver if nothing else is on hand. You need to take the paste and the old brush and rub the cross well. However, the chain will be difficult to clean in this way. A toothbrush can scratch jewelry, so you need to clean it carefully, without strong pressure, it is better to choose a brush with soft and thin bristles. This method is good because it does not require waiting and can effectively remove dirt even on a cross with a convex surface.

Silver cleaning: mistakes and rules

It is better to entrust the cleaning of silver with precious stones to specialists.

Cleaning silver requires some care. If you do not follow the rules of cleaning, you can ruin the appearance of jewelry forever:

You can not clean silver along with gold. These are different metals with different reactions to substances. Gold does not darken, it can become slightly cloudy and lose its luster. Even if the cleaning products are the same, it is advisable to put silver and gold jewelry in different cups so as not to ruin them.
You can't clean silver. Cleaning with hydrogen peroxide is considered the most risky. Pure silver will not be adversely affected by hydrogen peroxide, but it is never known exactly what impurities are in jewelry. Some of them can react with peroxide, and the appearance of the jewelry will deteriorate irrevocably.
Care should be taken to avoid cleaning with abrasive substances. Abrasive cleaning refers to substances with large particles that can scratch the surface. Such means include soda, salt, brushing with a toothbrush. These products should be used only in extreme cases, and it is advisable not to resort to such cleaning frequently.
Use only soft cloths for cleaning. You can wipe silver jewelry only with soft tissues and, preferably, dry. If you leave polished jewelry wet, they will quickly darken again.
Do not clean if there are stones and impurities. If silver jewelry has impurities of other metals and precious stones, it is better not to take risks and take them to a jewelry salon. Professional cleaning is expensive, but still cheaper than buying new jewelry.

After cleaning, silver jewelry can be worn as usual, but protected from moisture and. If properly stored, silver should not darken for at least a few months.

How to clean silver at home, the thematic video will tell:

In contact with

Silver is an attractive but rather vulnerable metal. Over time, jewelry made from this noble material acquires a dark coating and loses its original appearance.

Causes of darkening

The main reason for the blackening of the silver cross is the reaction of the metal with hydrogen sulfide contained in the air, as well as its interaction with nitrogen and sulfur emitted by the human body. Since a silver cross is often used as a body cross, the most common are biological reactions that occur on the surface of the product when it comes into contact with the body. The presence of sulfur and copper atoms in the silver molecule contributes to the oxidation of the metal, which occurs when it interacts with water vapor and oxygen atoms.

The rate of the oxidative reaction depends on external environmental factors, the composition of the sweat of the human body, the frequency of contact of the product with various cosmetics.

Regular visits to the pool with chlorinated water also contribute to the rapid darkening of the cross.

Cleaning methods

To clean a silver cross from blackness, you can use folk and professional methods. Professional cleaning involves the use of expensive ultrasonic equipment. It requires an appeal to the jewelry workshop. At home, you can use proven methods using the following tools:

Acetic essence

To clean the product, dilute vinegar to obtain a six percent solution, and, moistening a sponge in it, carefully wipe the cross.

Baking soda

To prepare the mixture, you need to mix water with soda in a ratio of 1: 50, then mix the resulting solution thoroughly. After that, place the cross in the resulting composition and leave for 1 hour, then remove the product, rinse under running water and wipe with a soft cloth. It is not recommended to use undiluted soda.: This can scratch the silver surface. You can wrap the cross in foil, dip in boiling water for 5 minutes, adding a teaspoon of soda.

Hydrogen peroxide and alcohol

To obtain the required solution, you need to mix both substances in equal parts. Next, place the cross in the prepared composition, leave for half an hour, after the time has elapsed, remove and wipe dry with a soft cloth. The use of peroxide is permissible only if there is full confidence in the composition of the product.

A cross that does not have a factory sample and is made with the addition of various impurities can be completely damaged: it will no longer be possible to return it to its original form.

Lemon acid

To prepare the product, you need to mix 0.5 liters of water with one teaspoon of citric acid. It is necessary to bring the resulting solution to a boil and place the product in it. After 25 minutes of boiling over moderate heat, the cross should be removed, washed in cool water and wiped thoroughly with a napkin.

Pepsi and Coca-Cola

To clean silver items from dark deposits, it is enough to place the item in a small container with a drink overnight. In the morning, rinse silver and wipe dry.

ammonium chloride

To properly dilute the solution, you need to take one tbsp. a spoonful of ammonia and mix it with one liter of soapy water. Soap must be used household (without fragrances and cosmetic additives). The product should be lowered into the resulting mixture and kept for 10-15 minutes. Then wipe the cross, moistening the napkin in the same composition, then rinse with cool water. You can mix crushed chalk with ammonia at a rate of 1: 1 and smear a silver cross with the resulting mixture. After 10 minutes, the solution must be removed and the silver washed thoroughly.

Toothpaste

To clean the cross from blackness, you need to put a little paste on the toothbrush and carefully process the metal. The brush should have soft bristles. This will avoid scratches and scuffs on the surface of the product.

Salt

To prepare a working solution, you need to dip 2 tablespoons of salt in a glass of water. The mixture must be brought to a boil and the product is placed in it. After five minutes, the cross can be removed and washed under warm running water.

When working with silver, do not use gold cleaners. These metals have completely different compositions and require different purification methods. It is not recommended to leave the silver item wet after processing. This will cause the surface to become cloudy immediately after drying.

Special care must be taken when wiping silver items dry. Even seemingly soft and delicate fabric can leave scuffs and stripes on the surface of the cross. This is especially true for polished glossy surfaces. For such purposes, you can use soft table napkins. You need to wipe only the front side: it is softer and will not scratch silver.

When inlaying a cross with precious stones, cleaning at home is not recommended. This can spoil the appearance of the stone. Store silver items separately from medicines and rubber items., due to the immediate reaction of silver to their constituents. Cleaning is recommended to be done at least once every 2-3 months, regardless of the degree of darkening.

If there is a relief image or engraving on the cross, do not wipe the product with flannel. This will cause the villi to get stuck in the pattern, further needing to be removed. Use soft paper towels. Their remnants are easily blown off or removed with a regular paint brush.

To clean the cross with precious stones, you can purchase special tools Leuchtturm or "Silver Quick" manufactured by the Johnson company. Such compositions are sold in jewelry stores, they allow you to professionally clean silver jewelry without leaving your home. To do this, you need to place the decoration in the prepared solution, and then take it out (the time is indicated on the packaging of the product). The disadvantage of this method is the high cost of the composition with a small volume of the bottle. Proper and regular care of a silver cross will give the product freshness, shine and aesthetics, and will allow it to retain its original appearance for a long time.

How to clean silver at home, see the following video.

Silver jewelry, which in Russia primarily includes Orthodox crosses, is popular. However, over time, the shiny surface begins to darken, become covered with blackness. In such a situation, it is advisable to use home remedies - soda, vinegar, toothpaste, ammonia, alcohol with hydrogen peroxide - in order to clean the jewelry. It should be remembered that even a newly cleaned product, which, after contact with water and a cleaning agent, remains wet, will soon begin to darken again, therefore, after the procedure, both it and the chain must be wiped dry.

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Cleaning methods
In professional salons, jewelry is subjected to modern cleaning using ultrasonic devices and special pastes.

In order to return silver crosses to their former brilliance and splendor, there are affordable means at home. It is advisable to resort to them at the first sign of darkening.
Vinegar
Use table vinegar with a concentration of 6%. The cross is not recommended to be lowered directly into the liquid.
1. 1. Soak a sponge with vinegar.
2. 2. Treat all surfaces of the decoration.
3. 3. After removing dirt, rinse the product with clean water.
4. 4. Wipe dry with a soft cloth.
Baking soda
To clean silver, prepare a soda solution:
1. 1. Gain 1 tsp. soda and diluted without sediment in 50 ml of slightly warmed water.
2. 2. The darkened silver products are kept in the resulting liquid for an hour.
3. 3. Having taken out the jewelry, all the relief details are treated with a soft brush.
4. 4. Rinse under running water.
5. 5. Wipe thoroughly with a soft cloth.
If severe contamination is found, a slurry can be prepared from soda with a small amount of water.
When wiping the jewelry, excessive pressure should be avoided so as not to cause damage.

Alcohol with hydrogen peroxide
Noticing the darkening of the silver cross, prepare a special mixture:
1. 1. Pour medical alcohol into a glass or faience dish.
2. 2. Add the same volume of hydrogen peroxide.
3. 3. The decoration is completely soaked in this solution. It must be straightened so that there are no knots and weaves on the chain.
4. 4. After 30 minutes, rinse the product and dry it carefully in a soft cloth.
This method is used only for high-quality high-quality silver.
Lemon acid
Due to its gentle effect on the precious metal, citric acid is often used when cleaning silver.
Cleaning method:
1. 1. Pour 500 ml of water into an enamel pan.
2. 2. Add with stirring 1 tsp. citric acid.
3. 3. The solution is heated until boiling, after which the product is lowered into it.
4. 4. With low heat, continue to boil for 25 minutes.
5. 5. Then the cross is carefully taken out and washed with water at room temperature.
6. 6. Be sure to wipe dry with a towel.
Coca Cola
A slight darkening found on a silver cross will help remove the popular Coca-Cola drink (Coca-Cola):
1. 1. In the evening, the liquid is poured into a glass, the decoration is immersed in it.
2. 2. Take it out in the morning and immediately wash it thoroughly under running cool water.
3. 3. Then you need to wrap it in a textile or terry cloth to dry.
ammonium chloride
To prepare a silver cleanser:
1. 1. Plan the laundry soap, gain 2 tbsp. l. soap shavings and dissolved in a liter of warm water.
2. 2. Pour in 1 tbsp. l. pharmacy ammonia and stir.
3. 3. The cross is completely immersed in the solution for 15 minutes.
4. 4. Taking out the jewelry, wipe it with a sponge, which is periodically dipped into the liquid used for soaking.
5. 5. After rinsing with clean water, the product is dried.
You can grind chalk to a powder state and combine in a 1: 1 ratio with ammonia. The slurry is collected on a sponge and covered with a cross from all sides. After 10 minutes, it is cleaned with a soft brush and the product is washed.
Toothpaste
When choosing a type of toothpaste for cleaning silver products, the use of bleaching options containing abrasive particles should be excluded.

It is advisable to choose white paste. It is applied to a soft brush and wiped the surface of the jewelry. Cleansing is fast. After washing, the product acquires its former shine.
Salt
Known for its good cleansing properties, table salt at home is effectively used to clean silver:
1. 1. To carry out the procedure, a glass of water is poured into an enameled pan.
2. 2. Pour 2 tbsp. l. salt.
3. 3. Put the pan on the stove and bring the liquid to a boil.
4. 4. Place the decoration in the boiling solution for five minutes.
5. 5. After taking out the product, be sure to wash it with clean water and dry it by wrapping it in a cloth.

The question of how to clean a silver cross is relevant for everyone who prefers such jewelry to gold. Silver tends to darken and become coated, so to restore the attractive appearance of a product made from this metal, you need to use effective proven methods.

1 Causes of darkening of silver

Before you begin the process of cleaning a silver cross, you need to determine the reasons for its darkening. This will eliminate adverse factors in the further wearing of the product and not resort to cleaning too often.

Darkened silver cross

Silver changes color for the following reasons:

Popular beliefs indicate that the cross worn on the body darkens from the "evil eye", that is, the negative energy that the ill-wisher directs towards the owner of the product. It is currently not possible to confirm this superstition or refute it.
High humidity negatively affects any silver product. In order to avoid frequent cleaning of jewelry, you need to store them in a dry place, remove them before water procedures.
The cross may darken from exposure to cosmetics and perfumes. When applying lotions, perfumes, creams to the skin, it is necessary to wait for some time, during which they are completely absorbed, then put on a silver product.
People whose skin is oily will be forced to clean the pectoral cross much more often than others. From excess sweat, increased work of the sebaceous glands, silver quickly darkens.
Violation of the rules for storing a precious metal cross leads to a change in its color. It is necessary to separate jewelry and medicines, as well as to allocate a separate place for products made of other metals. It is not recommended to purchase containers for silver (for example, caskets) that have rubber elements.

2 How to clean silver?

Silver items should be cleaned once every 1 - 3 months, even if they do not look dirty. To do this, they are given to a jewelry salon, they buy a special liquid or use folk remedies.

Silver cleaning

Vinegar for cleaning silver is a traditional remedy. A 6% solution allows not only to remove dirt, but also to add shine to products. To effectively clean the cross, you cannot completely place it in liquid, just soak a small piece of cloth in it and wipe it. Then wipe the decoration dry with a soft cloth (for example, flannel).

In order for the silver cross to shine again, you can place it for 1 hour in a solution of 1 tsp. soda and 50 ml of pure water. After that, the product is wiped dry. A more aggressive remedy is cleaning with a mixture of soda and water, which resembles gruel in consistency. The method is recommended to be used only in cases of severe contamination, because it is easy to scratch the metal.

Boiling a solution of water and common salt along with a silver cross removes all impurities from its surface and restores its shine.

If the jewelry has complex engraving or patterns, then in some places it is impossible to clean the blackness or other impurities. For such cases, there is a method using a solution of ammonia (1 tsp) and water (150 ml) with the addition of soap suds. The silver item is placed in a container with liquid for 30 minutes.

To clean the cross from plaque, a toothbrush with soft bristles and paste is suitable. Use this tool carefully so as not to scratch the surface of the jewelry. It is better to avoid strong pressure and intensive movements.

Silver cleans well with ordinary soapy water. The cross should be placed in it for several hours, and then wiped dry.

Removing black from a silver cross

A solution of citric acid is simply prepared: 100 g per 500 ml of water. The mixture is heated in a water bath, the decoration is lowered into it, boiled for 15 minutes. After the end of the procedure, the product must be washed under running water and wiped with a soft cloth.

3 Rules for cleaning silver

In order not to spoil the silver cross, but to effectively clean it, you must follow some rules:

Silver and gold should be cleaned separately.
Do not use hydrogen peroxide on silver items because it may react with an impurity metal that was not known to exist. As a result, the decoration will be damaged.
Abrasive cleaning with soda, salt, hard brushes is unacceptable. After such methods, noticeable scratches will appear on the surface of the product.
Use a soft cloth to wipe the cross. This will give it extra shine.
Wipe the product dry after wet cleaning.
Clean silver with impurities in a jewelry salon.
Before you start cleaning a silver cross, you should make sure that it is not made of blackened silver, to which most of the listed methods cannot be applied.
To store a silver cross and other items, it is best to choose a wooden box, upholstered inside with soft material, and put it in a dry place.

Silver tends to darken over time. This feature can be called a sign of the preciousness of the metal, because only a special, cheaper alloy is not subject to color change and plaque.

Silver crosses have long been considered one of the main decorations of mankind. But at the same time, you have to pay for a beautiful view. In this case, the conversation is not about some material goods, but about the banal loss of brightness and attractiveness of the product. Even the highest quality silver tends to darken over time. If your cross has lost its former appearance, you don’t need to get upset and jump to conclusions about the quality of its manufacture, but you just need to learn how to clean a silver cross at home.

The very procedure for cleaning a silver cross is no different from cleaning other products made from this material.

But before you clear the silver cross from blackness, you need to figure out why this is happening.

Read this article:

Causes of blackening

High air humidity. During exposure to moisture, chemical processes occur, and silver oxidizes.
Unintentional storage of the product near medical preparations containing sulfur.
Features of human sweat secretions.
Constant exposure to the product of hygiene products and perfumes.
Influence of biological processes during constant wear. This happens as a result of the constant accumulation of skin flakes, dust, sweat and microorganisms on it.

Today, there are so many ways to bring your favorite jewelry to its original form. Jewelry stores and workshops offer the use of ultrasonic or chemical cleaning, but the main disadvantage of such methods is the repetition of this procedure once every two months and its high cost. Therefore, the best way to clean a blackened silver cross is to use folk remedies.

Folk methods and methods for cleaning products

Dilute 50 grams of baking soda in warm water and mix very thoroughly. Place the silver product in this solution and leave to sour for 1 hour.
Pour 100 grams of citric acid into water and bring the resulting solution to a boil. After that, carefully place the jewelry in water and continue to boil for 15 minutes. Wait for the lemon solution to cool, remove the jewelry and dry thoroughly.
Line the bottom of a metal pot with kitchen foil and fill with water. Next, put the pan on the stove and add one tablespoon of baking soda and salt to it. Place a piece of silver jewelry in the bottom of the pot and continue to boil. The boiling process should be carried out no more than 15 minutes, and after this time, you need to quickly get it. Rinse the cross thoroughly in running water and dry.
Fill a metal saucepan with water and add 50 ml of table vinegar and 1 tablespoon of salt. Place the product in the resulting solution and start boiling. After 5 minutes of boiling, remove the jewelry, rinse thoroughly with running water and dry.
Boric alcohol will help clean the blackened silver cross. To do this, dilute 1 tablespoon of ammonia in 1 liter of warm soapy water. Take a soft cloth and carefully clean its surface from stains.

Preventive measures to keep the jewelry in its original form:

Do not leave silver jewelry in a humid environment for a long time.
Store each product separately from each other. The slightest contact can provoke an oxidative process. The best storage method is a cloth bag or box.
Before each bath or shower, remove the jewelry, but do not forget to put it back on after this procedure.
When applying creams, lotions and other skin care products, do not leave it on your neck. Any cosmetics contain components that adversely affect the color of silver.
Perform preventive cleaning every month. This procedure will allow your jewelry to always look perfect.
When cleaning, use only soft materials that will prevent accidental scratches on the product.

In order not to suffer in the future over what and how to clean a silver cross from plaque, it is necessary to constantly carry out prevention.