How to clean gold and silver jewelry

Every modern person has jewelry. It's not news that people wear them for years, and naturally the accessories begin to fade, become dirty and deformed.

How to clean gold and silver at home? This is precisely the question asked by all those who have not cleaned their products made from these precious metals for a long time. Every day experts recommend new ways and methods to help take care of your jewelry. Why not take advantage of such advice? Of course, everyone chooses the method of how to clean silver and gold at home. But, nevertheless, it is recommended to do it correctly.

How to clean gold jewelry at home

Cleaning this metal and products made from it must be done with extreme caution. In particular, you should be careful with white accessories or those with stones. When asking the question of how to clean gold jewelry, you should understand that standard “grandmother’s products” are not always so good, it is best to resort to more professional recommendations, or to clean expensive items in specialized workshops. So, how to clean gold jewelry at home in a simple way? It's simple:

1. Oxygen bleach. You need to drop a couple of milliliters of special dishwashing detergent into it and pour boiling water over it. Place accessories into the resulting foam for no more than 20 minutes. After this procedure, clean the surface with a toothbrush and dry.
2. Lemon juice. This method is extremely simple. First, take the lemon out of the refrigerator and start squeezing out drops of liquid. As soon as there are about 10 milliliters, drop the products there and hold for about 5 minutes. Then just wipe them thoroughly.

It’s another matter when you don’t know how to clean precious stones in gold jewelry, because here you need to try. It is possible to use a concentrated solution of liquid soap. Place accessories with pebbles in a special fabric bag and in a soap solution. You need to boil this bag in it for up to 3 minutes. You take it out and wipe it off. Diamonds will sparkle.

Also, if the method does not work, and you want to learn more about how to clean stones in gold jewelry, you can use washing powder and ammonia. To prepare, you need hot water and 1 tablespoon of both components. Place the product in this solution and take it out after 1-2 hours. Wipe it and the diamonds will sparkle like new.

And in principle, as for the latter, to clean gold jewelry with diamonds, and they begin to sparkle brighter than the stars, you can use another effective recipe. A weak solution with ammonia will do the trick. Just take one glass of water and 7 drops of medicine. Wipe with a soft cloth and dry thoroughly. It's that easy!

Cleaning gold items

Wearing gold jewelry every day causes it to tarnish and look lifeless. Women constantly apply cream or lotion to their hands, without even suspecting that over time they make their jewelry look worthless.

Don't forget to read how to combine jewelry correctly.

To clean gold, pour water into a saucepan and add regular laundry detergent. Wait until the water boils and put your jewelry in it, it will only take a few minutes to keep the gold in the water to get rid of the dirt.

Severely neglected gold items can be cleaned with a solution of ammonia, peroxide and washing powder. Take a little water, add a little washing powder, then add ammonia and hydrogen peroxide in equal quantities, put jewelry in this mixture for no more than 7 minutes, then brush thoroughly with a toothbrush. Try not to miss a single pattern or curl.

After you have cleaned your jewelry, dissolve a few tablespoons of sugar in 200 ml of water. Let your gold spend the night in this solution, this will restore its shine.

How to clean silver jewelry at home

Most people still prefer accessories made of this metal. Firstly, it is beautiful and the color is shining, and secondly, products made from it are not so expensive. There is just one drawback: the metal can tarnish or even turn black. To take care of this ahead of time, you need to know how to clean silver jewelry at home. Valuable advice will come in handy, so here is a list of the best cleaning options:

1. Water with soda. At the same time, you should not add too much soda, only a little per glass of water. Then, you should leave the accessory for 20 minutes and remove it, then dry it with a soft cloth.
2. Washing powder. To prepare this recipe, you should bring a tablespoon of washing powder to a boil in plain water, and then leave the products for 20 minutes. Remove and wipe and dry.

If you are wondering how to clean tarnished silver jewelry, then you should resort to other methods. For example, you can prepare a special remedy at home that will help. So, you should mix 5 glasses of water, 2 teaspoons of ammonia and 1 tablespoon of tooth powder. Rub your accessories with this mixture and then rinse with warm water. Shine is guaranteed.

As for how to clean silver jewelry from blackness, you should use a solution with soda, to which you need to add a couple of drops of ammonia, and all this per liter of water. Wipe with a soft cloth and rub until shiny.

The most important point is if you don’t know how to clean silver jewelry with stones, because you can’t rub them, otherwise the diamonds might just fall out. To do this, it is recommended to use a very simple remedy: buy a regular hydrogen peroxide solution at the pharmacy. Take the product and dip it in it for a few seconds. Wipe with a soft cloth without pressing and then the stones will sparkle, and the accessory will become bright and catchy.

Thus, to clean silver jewelry at home, you don’t need to use any overly expensive products; it’s enough to make do with what you have at hand, which is a huge plus.

Silver jewelry

Silver is a rather delicate metal; it can darken from contact with salts and alkalis, high humidity, etc. Slightly darkened jewelry, souvenirs and silver cutlery can be cleaned with a soap solution with the addition of ammonia.

Cut a small piece of soap and dissolve it in water, adding a little ammonia. Silver items should be placed in this solution overnight, and in the morning simply taken out and cleaned with a regular toothbrush, rinsed with water and wiped with a suede cloth.

is very helpful in removing tarnish from silver
. Take a little baking soda into your palms moistened with plain water, apply this mixture to the silver and simply brush the jewelry with a toothbrush for twenty minutes.
As soon as the soda has darkened, rinse it off with clean water and wipe with a suede cloth. Toothpaste can help clean silver just as well as baking soda and ammonia. Do not risk cleaning silver jewelry with precious stones yourself; it is better to entrust it to a jeweler.

How to clean jewelry at home

Among the additional recipes that can be used to clean gold jewelry is a mixture of gasoline. If you notice too much plaque on the accessories, you need to dilute gasoline with water in a small amount and clean it with a toothbrush. This way, it will be easier to clean gold jewelry, because the dirt will immediately fall off, you won’t have to put in a lot of physical effort. You just need to rub it a little with a brush - up to 10 minutes.

In general, in order not to wonder how you can clean silver jewelry, we note that a special product for cleaning accessories made of this metal is effective. It can be bought in stores.

Thus, you already know how to clean gold and silver jewelry, so it will be easier for you to navigate so as not to damage the product. The main thing is to follow the cooking recipes exactly! Good luck to all!

How to clean silver at home? Polishing and cleaning silver correctly

Silver has served people since ancient times, and therefore the question “how to clean silver at home?” arose very often. This was because under certain conditions this noble metal darkened. In this article we will tell you how to clean silver at home.

Why does silver darken?

The chemical activity of silver is not high, so it has long been classified as a noble metal: gold, silver, platinum and five metals of its group - iridium, osmium, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium.

These metals, in addition to very high chemical resistance (they are practically not susceptible to oxidation in air), are quite plastic and, after processing into products, retain their beautiful appearance for a very long time - shine after polishing or a matte surface after appropriate processing.

But, despite its nobility, silver still slightly changes its appearance over time. At the same time, it most often darkens. This happens when people do not use silver items for a long time. And then the question arises - how to clean silver products? (see also: Why does silver darken on the human body)

The reason for this is that there may be trace amounts of sulfur present in humid atmospheric air. It appears during the decomposition of hydrogen sulfide in the presence of nearby rubber products. In them, it is used for vulcanization, i.e. connection - “cross-linking” of rubber molecules into a strong spatial structure, during which it becomes rubber.

When sulfur and silver interact, dark silver sulfide is formed on its surface. It is slightly soluble in water, so it cannot be washed off. To remove it, chemical solvents of sulfides or their mechanical removal are used.

But with the last method of cleaning, blackness remains in the recesses and this stands out against the background of shiny silver.

Jewelers have learned to use this effect. They make a complex piece of jewelry, after which it is artificially “blackened.” (see also: Blackened silver - what is it and what jewelry is made from it)

Using a mechanical polishing operation, the finished jewelry on the protruding surfaces is brought to a mirror shine, and dark silver salts remain in the recesses. These things look amazing. Particularly good are the smooth transitions into the depth of the surface (cavity) of the product, when the blackness gradually increases from the shiny, slightly gray metal. How do you clean silver from blackness?

Classification of methods for cleaning tarnished silver

You probably have some kind of product or jewelry at home. And you probably have to clean it sometimes.

In novels and stories of the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries, there are episodes when they are preparing to receive guests and usually the hostess orders the servants not to forget to clean the silverware. But authors rarely stoop to such a detail as telling how it was done in those days. Let's try to classify cleaning methods.

The first effective way to resolve almost any problem is to prevent the problem from happening. Therefore, in order not to clean silver at home, it is best to prevent it from darkening. There are several rules for this:

1. Don't wear silver jewelry all the time.
2. Do not store silver items in a damp place.
3. After using jewelry or cutlery, wipe it with a soft cloth and place it in a case or tightly closed box. It will be good if its walls are lined with linen fabric.

If any products become dirty, wash them in a mild soap solution. (see also: How and how to clean a silver chain)

But no matter how you treat your favorite jewelry or other silver items, the time will still come when the question arises: “how do you clean silver at home?”

Cleaning methods are divided into several groups:

Chemicals:

• Solutions and/or wipes moistened with them, packaged for sale, for example, “Leuchtturm”, manufactured in Germany;
• Home remedies - vinegar, cream of tartar, ammonia (ammonia), ethyl or methyl alcohol, Coca-Cola and many others. etc.

Mechanical means:

• Table salt, alone or mixed with other substances;
• Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) as a powder and as a solution;
• Tooth powder (if you can find it), homemade substitutes or toothpaste;
• A toothbrush as a convenient means of influencing the darkening layer.

Combined products:

Combinations of previous remedies in different variations and combinations, when applied separately, they did not give the expected result.

Cleaning silver at home

If you and your relatives don’t know how to clean silver at home, then remember these remedies:

A) Citric acid. Dissolve 25 grams of citric acid in a glass of warm water and keep it warm in a “water bath”. Place your silver item in a glass and add pieces of copper wire.

The wire must be cleaned of the enamel (varnish) insulation covering it, otherwise the cleaning process will be delayed. The insulation can be scraped off with a sharp knife, sandpaper, or burned on the flame of a lighter or gas burner. Boil the product for 15 – 25 minutes.

, then rinse with water.

B) Edible vinegar . For the procedure, you can use 6% and 9% vinegar. Heat the vinegar until hot, dip the item and a corner of a clean handkerchief into it.

Wipe your favorite bracelet with a handkerchief and wear it clean and beautiful.

C) American lemonade, beloved by half the world, called “Coca-Cola ,” not only perfectly marinates meat for barbecue, but also cleans tarnished silverware.

To do this, boil your earrings and/or chain in an enamel mug with Coca-Cola for 4 - 5 minutes.

During this procedure, all sulfide and fluoride salts will be successfully destroyed or dissolved by the beneficial substances in this drink, and your earrings will become shiny and beautiful.

There is another remedy that will help you clean silver at home. This is a student eraser or a student eraser. But do not just take a red eraser, because its composition contains inclusions of abrasive powder, which can scratch silver spoons or dishes. This effective product will not only mechanically clean the product, but also partially polish it.

Would you like to learn how to clean silver with toothpaste and ammonia?

To do this, remember that ammonia, or more precisely, ammonia, is ammonium hydroxide dissolved in water, which has a pungent odor. At home, it is used to remove stains from fabrics, when cleaning furniture, old stains on dishes, plumbing fixtures, etc.

To clean, take an old toothbrush and apply a pre-prepared mixture to it: a 0.5 cm strip of non-gel toothpaste from a tube is mixed with 10 - 15 drops of ammonia.

For example, lay the chain on a flat surface, stretch it and clean it with a brush. Then washed with water and dried. This should be done on the balcony or on the street, because the smell of ammonia is very strong.

(see also: Silver cleaner)

To clean heavily soiled products, use equal parts of soda, ammonia and the same toothpaste. Using a soft toothbrush (or a paint brush with short bristles), gently scrub the surface to be cleaned until visible results are visible. Then rinse the product and wipe with a napkin.

To clean silver items worn by children, you can use children's toothpaste or mint tooth powder (if you find a recipe in the depths of the Internet, then do it yourself, since it is unlikely to be possible to buy it now).

It is good to clean silver at home with ammonia without toothpaste.

Most toothpaste formulations (not gel ones, which are transparent to light) contain powdered chalk, particles of which will certainly cause micro-scratches on the surface of the relatively soft silver.

It is quite difficult to see them with the eye, but after several thorough active cleanings, the polished surface of the product may become dull. Therefore, for example, jewelers do not recommend using this method for expensive and complex jewelry.

This type of cleaning involves buying a bottle of ammonia at the pharmacy and immersing the jewelry in it for 15 to 30 minutes. Shake the bottle from time to time and observe through the wall. When the process is over, remove the product, rinse with warm water and wipe with a flannel cloth.

The answer to the question “how to clean silverware at home quickly with ammonia?” give it yourself, considering that ammonia is liquid ammonia diluted with water up to 10%.

Some jewelry owners claim that you can clean silver with soda and foil. This is done like this: pour a full glass of water into a bowl, add a tablespoon of soda and cover the bottom with a piece of food foil or chocolate wrapper (aluminum foil), bring to a boil over heat and immerse the product in the solution for several minutes.

Another recipe is how to clean silver with soda. This method (technique) has several options:

1. Old grandmother's method : put all silver items and things in a suitable container, sprinkle, sparingly, baking soda and pour boiling water over it. Wait for the solution to cool, remove your jewelry, silverware and cutlery one item at a time and wipe with a soft cloth (preferably absorbent).

2. Pour sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) into a shallow plate or saucer and, adding water, make a paste, which you apply with a soft cloth to the surface of the silver item. Wipe the product with gentle movements. To access small parts and deep cavities, it is fashionable to use a toothbrush carefully.

Use this method with care on delicate delicate parts and polished surfaces.

3. Dissolve 10–15 grams of baking soda in a glass, place the silver item and leave it overnight. In the morning, rinse and wipe with a napkin.

In order to find out how to clean blackened silver and a chain, it is enough to become familiar with any non-abrasive cleaning method. That is, clean with liquid chemicals.

Cleaning gold-plated silver

Gilded silver is a product made of silver on the surface of which a thin layer of gold is deposited by electrolytic (using a galvanic process), amalgam (“fire gilding”) or electrochemical method. The thickness of the gold plating layer does not exceed tens of micrometers.

In order for gold-plated silver items to serve you for a long time, you need to care for them in accordance with their characteristics.

Rules of care include:

• Carrying out care procedures at certain intervals;
• before starting cleaning from plaque and oxides, remove dust and dirt and degrease the surface of the product with alcohol or table vinegar;
• Some darkening can be removed by wiping the silver item with denatured alcohol.

You can use a liquid to clean gold-plated silver. This is wine alcohol, beer, turpentine, or a solution of soap with a few drops of ammonia.

If you are unlucky in the difficult task of caring for silver items, and they become cloudy, that is, they have lost some degree of polish, then simple polishing of silver at home is done chemically or mechanically. For the mechanical method, polishing pastes and cotton wheels are used.

Now you know what and how to clean gold-plated silver at home. Store and use silver items correctly and your grandchildren will admire them.

Cleaning gold items at home

Gold jewelry should be cleaned very carefully to avoid scratching. Here are some recipes for cleaning gold jewelry. Pour 300 ml of warm water, 50 ml of hydrogen peroxide into the container, add ammonia and 1 tsp of liquid soap. Jewelry should be left in this solution for 15 minutes. Then rinse under running water and wipe with a soft cloth. A simple cleaning method: take a soft cloth, tooth powder and simply clean the product. Then rinse and wipe dry.

Important! This method cannot be used for cleaning white gold.

Another simple recipe is cleaning with vinegar. Simply dampen a cloth with vinegar and wipe the gold jewelry. Pour water and ammonia into the container in a 1:1 ratio. Leave the decoration for 30 minutes, then dry with a cloth. Squeeze lemon juice and place the decoration in it for 10 minutes, then dry.

How to clean silver using improvised methods?

Unlike the gold described above, which simply tarnishes a little, silver is covered with a thick layer of black patina from its oxides, which greatly spoils the appearance of the product. But there are a large number of effective ways to clean silver that do not require the purchase of expensive pastes and powders. Just look in your closet for easily accessible methods that are found in any home.

Important! Before you start cleaning, use our tips and suggested methods to determine the authenticity of the silver.

To clean silver from blackness at home, you can use:

• Powdered chalk;
• Salt;
• Dentifrice;
• Baking soda;
• Ammonia;
• Citric acid;
• Table vinegar.

Something from this list should certainly be found inside your closet and you can proceed directly to cleaning the product itself.

Cleaning silver items with baking soda and foil

If the silver has become very dark, you can use a very effective cleaning method using foil and soda. All you need to do for this:

1. Cut a piece of food foil, place it in a saucepan and place silver items on the surface.
2. Fill the whole thing with water so that the decorations are completely covered with liquid.
3. Place a container with water and silverware on the stove.
4. When the water boils, add 1 tbsp. l. soda A reaction will begin, resulting in the formation of foam. But don’t be alarmed, as a result of the chemical process, jewelry made from silver will be perfectly cleaned and can be removed within 10-15 minutes.
5. Polish them with flannel.

After this cleaning method, no one will be able to distinguish old jewelry from newly purchased ones.

Important! Also follow the link to choose the right jewelry for the neckline of your dress.

Lemon acid

You can clean silver at home using citric acid in literally 10-15 minutes. To do this, you will need a liter glass jar, into which you should fill half of the water. Further:

1. Place the jar in a water bath and then let the water boil.
2. After the water boils, pour 100 g of citric acid into the container.
3. Place a small piece of copper wire at the bottom of this jar.
4. After this, you can dip your silver jewelry into the prepared solution.
5. Soak your products in boiling water for 15-20 minutes.
6. Then dry and polish them with a soft cloth.

Important! You don’t have to put copper wire, but rather use it as a loop to string products. As soon as you put all your rings, bracelets and earrings on this wire, the resulting bunch will be very convenient to dip into a boiling solution of citric acid, and then remove it from there.

Important! We have also prepared interesting information for you, after carefully reading it, you can easily choose earrings according to your face shape.

Cleaning silver with ammonia

This is probably the easiest method to clean silver at home:

1. Buy a bottle of ammonia at any pharmacy, preferably 10%.
2. Pour its contents into a container of suitable volume and place your silver jewelry in the liquid for 15 minutes.
3. Then take out your precious items, rinse in cool running water and polish until the shine returns.

Important! Cleaning silver just seems like a difficult task. In fact, you will need no more than 1 hour to put your precious jewelry in order, and you can perform all these procedures with your own hands, without any involvement of expensive jewelry specialists.