How to clean a silver cross?

Very many people are accustomed to complement their own image with any jewelry: rings, chains, earrings, crosses - all this is very common, as well as silver, from which a considerable number of these products are made. This metal is quite beautiful, and its reasonable cost makes silver quite affordable. That is why a believer often prefers a silver cross.

Despite the positive aspects, the owners of this item often face an unpleasant problem - the gradual darkening of the surface, due to which the appearance deteriorates greatly. When this happens, people either apply for paid help to specialized workshops, donating unjustly large sums for it, or deal with pollution on their own at home.

Both causes of darkening and ways to eliminate them, which may be appropriate for certain cases, differ. The most common perpetrators of decorating jewelry are as follows:

• Low quality alloy that does not match the desired when buying a sample.
• The oxidation of copper - one of the components of solid silver. It occurs with it, for example, at high humidity or from an excess of hydrogen sulfide.
• Frequent contact with chlorine, ie taking a shower, bath or hike in the pool.
• Cosmetics, perfume, shower gel, shampoo - all this, falling on a cross, provokes the gradual appearance of oxidation.
• Storage outside the rules. The habit of putting all kinds of jewels in one box is extremely harmful and wrong, as the corresponding reactions occur between different metals, which spoils every piece of jewelry.
• Minor damage caused by frequent friction, due to which silver loses its protective layer, subsequently oxidizing and darkening.
• The lack of prevention in the form of constant cleansing of external dirt, which also includes sebum and sweat of the owner.

There is an opinion that a silver cross can darken when its owner has been jinxed. Many people tend to believe this, so they believe that the product will magically return to its former appearance, if you remove the evil eye and rush to some grandmother-sorceress. It does not take long to explain how wrong such a judgment is. Metal does not matter how its surroundings relate to its owner, and it cannot feel the bad energy. This superstition has nothing to do with the truth and the cross, if it is blackened, should be cleaned not spiritually, but physically.

In no case can you overdo it in the process, and this is one of the main rules. The second says that it is necessary to use only certain means that can really help, and not give the opposite effect. In order not to make an unrecoverable mistake, it is necessary to examine the entire list of suitable means.

Surprisingly, the most common table vinegar is capable of returning the old cross to the shine. In addition to it, you will need only cotton wool or any other soft cloth that you need to moisten with vinegar and rub the surface of the product, then wipe it with a wet cloth.

Another product that is almost always found in the kitchen is baking soda.It (in the amount of two teaspoons) is added to 100 ml of water, and then a cross is placed in a container for a while, after which the decoration is dried with any cloth.

In the case of a truly terrible state of silver, you can try the extreme method with the participation of the same soda: here the proportions of water and soda should be 1: 1, forming a relatively thick mass, which is applied to the product. Such a procedure, of course, will instantly get rid of any dirt, however, it can easily scratch the surface, because this option should be the last in the queue.

This tool is very effective and able to cope with even the most inaccessible places. For it will need only one tablespoon of alcohol and a liter of soapy water. The cross is placed in this liquid, remaining there for several hours, after which it is wiped with a damp cloth.

You can use another similar method: take 1: 1 alcohol and hydrogen peroxide and do the same, only leaving the product to soak for only 30 minutes. True, it is less safe for low grade metal the quality of which may only deteriorate.

If serious repairs have begun in the house or its owners have just recently moved, it is quite possible that they will not have all the funds listed in the kitchen and in the medicine cabinet. Then ordinary toothpaste comes to the rescue. It is necessary only to put it on a toothbrush and gently rub the surface of the cross, doing it with the utmost care so as not to cause harm.

This method will take a little more time than the others and cannot be classified as particularly harmless, because the acid and high temperature water required here are very serious things and you will have to show all possible vigilance. Acid with water (1: 5 ratio) in a metal dish should be brought to a boil and put jewelry in a liquid, and then cook for another 15 minutes. Next, it will remain to remove the silver, rinse it with warm water (most importantly, not cold, so as not to make a strong temperature drop) and dry it.

It is no longer a secret that caution is required for cleaning silver, neglecting which it is easy to damage and no longer cope with the consequences. In order not to have to throw out your favorite jewelry, It is useful to learn about several additional features:

• If we are talking about the purification of silver products, this is a separate case. It is not recommended to take the risk of combining cleansing, for example, silver with gold. They are completely different in composition, and each of them must be approached individually. Even if the method of removing contaminants is the same, it is better to act separately, preventing entry into the reaction.
• Although hydrogen peroxide is not capable of reacting with silver, it does not bypass the other impurities of the alloy, because its use is dangerous.
• Abrasive substances are considered unacceptable for silver jewelry, so their use for the sake of eliminating browning is best left for hopeless cases.
• Do not underestimate the wiping stage, since it is he who does not allow the blackening to return again. Drain must be carefully, without leaving a drop of moisture.

About what other means you can clean the cross from silver, see the following video.