Did you know that silver tarnishes due to the sulfur-containing gases present in the air?
Knowing why sterling silver can tarnish doesn’t really help you when it’s your precious silver that it’s happened to.
The good news is that there are a number of ways you can clean your sterling silver with just a few household items.
Read on to learn how to clean sterling silver at home.
Soap and Water
If you want to go old-school, try cleaning your sterling silver with soap and water.
Use a combination of warm water and a soap that is phosphate-free. Dip a microfiber cloth into the water, and use it to rub over your silver. When you’re done, rinse with cold water and then dry with a clean towel.
You might want to give it a final buff with a dry microfiber cloth once it’s dry.
Vinegar and Baking Soda
If you’re trying to clean a pair of sterling silver earrings, polishing them with a cloth isn’t that easy.
That’s where a vinegar and baking soda soak can help. Mix together a quarter of a cup of white vinegar with a tablespoon of baking soda. You can double or treble these amounts for larger items.
Drop your sterling silver into the mix and leave it to soak for two or three hours. You may notice some fizzing; that’s showing the process is working! Take them out and dry with a clean towel.
Salt and Lemon
Salt and lemon aren’t just the ideal accompaniments for tequila—they’re also great for cleaning sterling silver.
Try squeezing out the juice of one lemon and adding in three tablespoons of salt with a little hot water. Place the silver into the mix for about five minutes, then dry with a microfiber cloth.
If lemon and salt don’t work, try lemon and olive instead. Mix about a tablespoon of olive oil in with the juice of one lemon, dip a microfiber cloth into it, and use it to polish.
Baking Soda and Aluminum Foil
Our final suggestion may sound strange, but it can be really effective.
Take a bowl and line the inside of it with aluminum foil, with the shiny side up. Place your silver in the bowl, pour over some boiling water, and add in two tablespoons of baking soda.
This causes a chemical reaction; if you watch closely you should actually be able to see the tarnish disappearing from your sterling silver in front of your very eyes.
Don’t forget to pass this tip on to your friends; they’ll definitely thank you for it!
Now You Know How to Clean Sterling Silver at Home
We hope that this guide to how to clean sterling silver at home will come in useful for keeping your own sterling silver in great condition. Give all of the methods a try and see which one works best for you.
If you’re looking for more useful content like this, then be sure to check out the rest of the site.
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