How to clean silver soda?

Silver, like any other material, requires special care. Today we will talk about how to clean this precious metal with soda.

Currently, there is no house where there would be no silverware. This may be elegant dining sets, candlesticks, inherited from the grandmother, a pair of sets of earrings or bracelet. Silver has its modest charm and in times of ancient Egypt was valued on a par with gold, and sometimes even surpassed it in price. This metal is appreciated now.

Over time, silverware tends to lose its appearance: they darken, and sometimes they appear green or blue. Why is this happening? One of the factors of darkening of this metal can be increased humidity, as well as such an effect can be exerted by regular contact with human skin, therefore, we can distinguish three factors that increase the dullness of silver:

• dampness;
• cosmetics with sulfur;
• human sweat.

The same product may not darken over the years from one owner, while the other will change its color in a matter of weeks or even days. The whole secret lies in the specific composition of human sweat. So, in the body of one can be an increased content of nitrogen and sulfur, and it is their excess that leads to the rapid oxidation of silver.

It is quite simple to clean your darkened decorations and household items made of silver at home. First you need to figure out What kind of alloy your products are made of:

• monetary;
• sterling;
• blackened
• matte;
• filigree.

Remember that filigree and black silver are not cleaned. Their blackness gives them elegance and charm, so do not try to clean them - it will only spoil the product. In addition, check the jewelry for the presence of such stones as:

• coral;
• amber;
• pearls.

It is fairly easy to clean silverware with the help of special commercial preparations, but it is expensive and not necessary. Today we will talk about how to clean your silver at home with ordinary soda, vinegar, salt and foil. These are fairly simple methods, and they have been working successfully for a long time. Due to the ability of soda to penetrate into complex curls and bends of jewelry, as well as to remove any plaque, home cleaning is so loved by many housewives. Besides, the use of foil allows you to return the silver to the previous shine.

For all methods, use household rubber gloves, they will save your hands from unnecessary consequences. Consider a few successful ways:

• For 1 liter of water you need to take 2 tablespoons of soda and stir, put the solution on the fire. When it boils, you need to put a piece of aluminum foil in it. There we put our silverware and hold for 15-20 minutes. All this time, gently mix the composition of a wooden spatula or a long skewer so that the silver continuously touches the foil. After that, remove and wash it under running water.Then the products need to be wiped and polished with a soft cloth;
• Add 1 l of soda, 1 l of salt, a little detergent to 1 l of water and pour this solution into an aluminum dish. Bring to a boil and lay there silver jewelry. Boil over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring constantly. Make sure that the decorations are lightened evenly. Then rinse in running water, wipe with a towel and polish with a soft cloth. Our decorations are again clean and sparkling;

• Take a deep container where the decorations can fit. Cover it with aluminum foil and place all the silverware there. Then pour baking soda so that it completely covers the silver. Bring water to a boil separately and pour this soda with boiling water over the decorations. Wait for the reaction to complete: soda will fizzle and foam. After 10-15 minutes, remove the jewelry and rinse with clean water. Then wipe and polish;
• if a bloom of green or blue hue appears on your silverware, most likely it is mold. Prepare a piece of cloth and 6% vinegar. Dampen a cloth with vinegar and wipe the product with it. If this method did not help, there is another option;

• Take a glass container and cover its bottom and walls with aluminum foil. Pour 100 ml of vinegar, 1 tablespoon of soda and 1 hour of salt into it. Mix everything with a wooden spoon or spatula so that there is no contact with metals. Then place the silver objects there, close the lid and leave for 10 minutes. When you see the water turn dark, the silver is purified. Then drain the solution, remove the product and rinse with clean water. Dry and polish;
• you need to prepare gloves, brush, vinegar and soda. In a small container it is necessary to mix vinegar and soda to obtain slurry. Then, wearing gloves and taking the product in one hand, the second, dropping the brush into the mush, we clean our decoration. After cleaning, wash the items under running water. This method is suitable for cleaning jewelry that does not contain stones and smooth surfaces, as it can leave tiny scratches.

Pour this drink into the container and place your silverware. Leave for 12 hours or more, then rinse under running water. Acid contained in the drink will help to clear the darkening on the metal.

When using this method, you need to be sure about the composition of the products, as it is only suitable for completely silver products that do not contain impurities. Otherwise, your jewelry may be damaged. For cleaning you need to mix in equal proportions. ethyl alcohol and 3% hydrogen peroxide.

Then we lower our products into this solution. Jewelry needs to keep 15-20 minutes. Cutlery 60 minutes. After aging in this solution, the products are washed and wiped dry.

This is one of the simplest methods for which both tooth powder and regular toothpaste are suitable. It is necessary to take an old toothbrush and wet it with water, put it into powder, then clean the product. This method is convenient. for cleaning jewelry with their fine details or chain links. As in the previous methods, it is necessary to rinse the cleaned jewelry and wipe it thoroughly.

If there is no baking soda in your house, soda will be suitable for washing. It is more concentrated, because for the preparation of solutions you will need a little less.

Consider how to properly store silver jewelry:

• they should be cleaned once a year, if they are cutlery and once a quarter, if they are decorations;
• Leftover bags for absorbing moisture can be put together with silverware. This will keep them from damp;
• do not keep perfume, cosmetics and medicines near silver;
• cutlery will be well preserved and will not darken if you wrap them in foil;
• after each contact with water, silver jewelry should be removed and wiped dry thoroughly;
• If your silver jewelry darkens very quickly, it is recommended to take it off at night.

If you follow these simple tips, you keep the purity and brilliance of your silverware.

How to clean the silver with soda, see the following video.