How To Clean Silver Jewelry

Do you have old silver jewelry that looks faded, old and tarnished? Here are 9 cleaning recipes to try at home so you can rejuvenate your old favorites.

Aluminum Foil and Baking Soda

Discovered by a University of Wisconsin study, this first tip is a good one. You can watch a video for detailed instructions. Here is the recipe:

1. Line the bowl with aluminum foil.
2. Fill the aluminum-lined bowl with boiling water and baking soda.
3. One tablespoon of baking soda per one cup of water.
4. Add the piece of silver to the water-baking soda solution, making sure it’s touching the aluminum foil to ensure the chemical reaction occurs.
5. Let it sit for 2 to 10 minutes.
6. Adjust the length depending on how tarnished the piece is.
7. Remove the piece(s) of silver from the solution and buff it with a soft, dry microfiber cloth.

Dish Soap and Water

Recipe:

1. Mix up a bit of dish soap with warm water and dip in a microfiber cloth.
2. Rub the piece of silver – whether it’s jewelry or silverware – with the soapy cloth.
3. Rinse it with cold water.
4. Dry with a soft, clean towel.
5. Buffing with a soft cloth specially made for silver.
6. Never put your silver in the dishwasher.

Laundry Detergent

Recipe:

1. Line the bowl with aluminum foil.
2. Fill the aluminum-lined bowl with boiling water and laundry detergent; you should use one tablespoon of powdered laundry detergent. Make sure the detergent has dissolved.
3. Add the piece of silver to the water-baking soda solution, making sure it’s touching the aluminum foil (this ensures the chemical reaction happens).
4. Let it sit from one to two minutes.
5. Remove the piece(s) of silver from the solution and let it air dry.

Silver Polish

There are lots of products in the market. Try to find a high-quality product that cleans, polishes, and protects your special jewelry and antique pieces straight out of the bottle. This method requires some effort. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully and don’t assume anything.

Corn Starch

Yes, corn starch! Here’s the recipe:

1. Combine 3-parts water and 1-part cornstarch to create a paste.
2. Using a damp cloth, apply the paste to the tarnished parts of the silver.
3. Let the paste dry, in its applied areas, on the silver.
4. Use a more abrasive cloth and rub off the dry area.

Hand Sanitizer

Since there’s so much of the stuff around, why not? Simply squeeze a few drops on a dry cloth and begin to polish the silver. Buff the silver after a gentle polish to help rub the tarnish away quicker.

Lemon-Lime Soda

Another strange one. But soda is known to remove tarnish and rusting pretty quickly. Just soak your piece in a bowl of lemon-lime soda for at least one hour.

Ammonia

Use ammonia to clean your flatware or other silver pieces to brighten its luster.

Recipe:

1. Combine 1 cup of warm water and 1/2 cup of clear ammonia in a bowl.
2. Soak your silver for 10 minutes.
3. Remove the silver from the homemade solution and gently dry it clean.

If you don’t have ammonia, window cleaner typically has ammonia in it. Spray the cleaning agent on a non-abrasive, dry cloth then use it to buff your sterling silver.

Vinegar

This is a nice quick fix:

Recipe:

1. Mix 1/2 cup of white vinegar with 2 tablespoons of baking soda in a bowl of lukewarm water.
2. Let the silver soak for two to three hours.
3. Rinse with cold water and let it air dry.

It’s time to bring those old pieces out of the closet and flaunt the shine!