One day I ran into a small but unpleasant problem - my favorite silver chain lost its luster and darkened. I found out why this happened and how to return the decoration to its original appearance. So I'll tell you how to clean silver chain quickly and inexpensively.

Reasons for the darkening of silver

To begin with, I propose to understand why silver jewelry are starting to get dark. There may be several reasons.

• Regular contact with cosmetics. Lubricated the skin with a night cream without first removing the chain? Be prepared for the fact that it will soon acquire an unpleasant dark color.
• Improper storage. Storing jewelry in places with high humidity adversely affects their condition.
• Contact with detergents. A chain and a cross, or any other silver product, does not tolerate constant exposure to household chemicals.

Cleaning Features

To rid your favorite accessories of blackness, you can take them to a jeweler or purchase a special cleaning agent. But why overpay if you can solve the problem with the help of improvised means, the price of which is affordable for everyone?

Removing stains from silver: 8 ways

So, how to clean a silver chain at home? There are several suitable ways:

A photo	Instruction
	Toothpaste Squeeze some toothpaste into the palm of your hand, place the jewelry on it. Rub the surface of the product with a toothbrush. Rinse the accessory with water and then rub it with a piece of flannel cloth. Only white paste can be used, without any color inclusions or solid particles. Also, do not use gel options.
	Olive oil Rub the product with oil. Wash it first in soapy water and then in clean, cool water. Polish well with a soft cloth.
	Baking soda Not sure how to whiten silver? Use regular baking soda, which is found in every kitchen. Mix a teaspoon of the powder with a little water. You should get a pasty consistency. Apply the resulting mixture to the surface of the chain and gently rub it with a toothbrush. Rinse the accessory thoroughly and dry it with a piece of woolen cloth.
	Lemon juice Citric acid will help clean jewelry. Squeeze the juice from one lemon into a glass container. Dip the chain into the liquid. Wait 15 minutes. Rinse the product with water and wipe it dry.
	Ammonia Dilute the ammonia in a soapy solution (a teaspoon of alcohol in a glass of liquid). Drop into the chain. Wait 30 minutes, then rinse the product thoroughly and wipe it dry.
	Foil and potato broth This unusual method will help to whiten the darkened chain. Boil 3 peeled potatoes in water. Place a small piece of foil on the bottom of a ceramic container. Pour the potato broth into the container. Dip a piece of silver into it. After 15 minutes, remove the jewelry, rinse and dry it.
	Salt and soda Silver cleaning at home can also be done according to the following recipe. Mix about 10 g of salt and soda. Add 10 ml of dishwashing liquid to them. Dilute the composition with 0.5 liters of water. Pour the liquid into a small saucepan, dip silver accessories into it. Bring the composition to a boil, after 30 minutes remove the container from the heat. After the liquid has cooled, remove the jewelry from it and rinse them.
	Milk Another remedy that will help get rid of darkening on silver with your own hands is milk. Drop your accessories into a small container. Fill them with a glass of milk. Boil the liquid for about 10 minutes. Rinse items. If the silver is too dark, add half a teaspoon of baking soda to the milk.

Prevention measures

In order for your favorite chain not to darken, you need to adhere to a few very simple rules for her care.

• Wipe your accessories regularly. As soon as you remove the silver chain, wipe it with a slightly damp flannel.
• Do not play sports in jewelry. Sweat has a bad effect on silver, it quickly darkens from it.
• Take good care of your product. Cleaning your silverware regularly will prolong its life. Carry out the procedure about once every two months, without waiting for the darkening of the material.

• Keep products away from moisture. This means that you should remove the chain before taking a shower or washing dishes.
• Store jewelry properly. It is best to use a box upholstered with fabric for this purpose.

Outcome

Silver items, jewelry or silver plate are present in almost every home. This precious metal It has a light silver tint and a matte sheen, but over time it can fade and darken. Such silver becomes less attractive in appearance, therefore, it needs to be cleaned. You can restore its former beauty without any problems if you know how to whiten silver at home. There are simple methods by which this can be done, it will take only a little free time, desire, the necessary reagents and material.

Special cleaning products for silver

Silver is resistant to alkali solutions and organic acids. The darkening of this metal causes prolonged contact with sulfur-containing substances. Silver jewelry turns black if it is damp for a long time, it is not removed for a long time (there is an interaction with sweat and cosmetic substances).

The easiest way to whiten silver is with special cleaning liquids:

1. Silver Cleaner;
2. Silver Quick;
3. Silver bad;
4. Aladdin and others

They can be purchased at a jewelry store or the hardware department of supermarkets. It is very easy to use them. Must be soaked in liquid cotton pad or a tissue paper and wipe the jewelry. After that, the product should be rinsed in clean water and dried well. That's all. But, if such funds are not available, then simple folk compositions can be used to clean silver products from black plaque.

Ammonia for cleaning silver

Ammonia, also known as ammonia solution, will perfectly cope with the task of cleaning silver. To do this, take 1 tbsp. l. liquid and dilute it in 1 glass of cold water. Pour the solution into a shallow container, put the product and leave for 20 minutes. Rinse with water and dry with a soft microfiber cloth. If the silver has darkened slightly, then it is quite possible to do without pre-soaking, but simply moisten the flap with a soft fine fabric in ammonia and wipe the silver thing.

You can also prepare a more complex cleaning solution, which includes:

• water - 1 glass;
• ammonia - 1 tsp;
• liquid soap - 1 tsp;
• hydrogen peroxide - 1 tsp.

It is necessary to put a silver jewelry or cutlery in it for 20-30 minutes, then rinse them with cold water and wipe with a dry soft cloth. This tool has a powerful cleansing effect, so it will cope with even the most persistent plaque.

Citric acid and vinegar for cleaning silver

You can whiten silver at home using available organic acids. They quickly dissolve the unattractive layer of blackness that has formed on the product. To do this, take an enameled container, pour 1 liter into it. cold water, put on fire and bring to a boil. Then pour 0.5 packs into the dishes citric acid, stir with a spoon and dip a silver thing into the liquid. Boil 5 - 20 min. depending on the intensity of contamination, and then rinse it under running water.

Table vinegar has a similar cleansing effect on silver. It should be applied according to the following scheme. You need to take 1 glass of this remedy, pour into 1 liter. water, heat it to 60 - 70 ° C in an enamel saucepan. Dip the darkened silver into the hot solution and keep it in it for 15-30 minutes, then rinse in plain water and wipe with a dry soft cloth or rag. If the plaque is not removed, the procedure can be repeated.

Toothpaste and silver cleaning soda

Ordinary baking soda is the best way to whiten silver from black and return it to excellent light gray color. To prepare a cleaning solution you will need:

• water - 0.5 l.;
• soda - 2 tbsp. l.;

The liquid should be boiled in a shallow enameled bowl, pour soda into it and immediately lower the silver item. Keep it there for a few minutes until it starts to shine.

Or you can try to wash silver with this composition:

• water - 1 l.;
• dish detergent - 1 tbsp. l.;
• soda - 1 tbsp. l.;
• salt - 1 tbsp. l.

First, cold water should be brought to a boil, then all other components should be added and the product to be cleaned should be put into the solution. It is necessary to boil the liquid over low heat for 10-20 minutes, periodically visually observing the result.

Silver that has lost its freshness can be quickly cleaned with toothpaste and a brush. To do this, apply a little of any paste to the old used hygiene item and carefully clean the silver item with it. The advantage of this method is that the bristles of the brush reach even the most secluded places of the product and are guaranteed to remove blackness from there. As a result, the silver jewelry will shine like new very soon, moreover, this cleaning method can be used at any time and there will be no need to prepare any special compositions for this purpose.

How to clean silver jewelry with stones

The cleaning of darkened silver earrings, pendants and rings decorated with pearls, amber or corals should be approached more responsibly. Conventional ways plaque removal is not suitable for them, as these gems sensitive to acids and alkalis. Under their influence, they darken and lose their luster. But then how to whiten silver at home if it is decorated with inlays?

This can be done with a piece of foil and potato broth. To do this, take 5 - 6 medium-sized tubers, cook them until tender, and then remove them from the saucepan. Place a piece of thin foil measuring at least 15 by 15 cm into the hot broth, and put a silver jewelry on top of it. Leave the product there for 30 minutes. Then remove from the container and rinse with cold water. You can clean jewelry in this way as often as needed.

Suitable for cleaning silverware and raw potatoes. Why 2 - 3 root crops need to be grated on a fine grater, put decoration on the bottom of the plate, and on top of it - the fresh gruel just received. For complete cleaning, it is necessary to keep the product in this composition for at least 1 hour, and then rinse in cold water and wipe dry with a microfiber cloth or a small piece of cotton cloth.

Video instruction

Over time, silver darkens, tarnishes, loses its former attractiveness. There are many versions of why this happens. Some believe that when jewelry darkens, this indicates a person’s illness or hormonal diseases, the use of medications, and disorders of the nervous system. Other reasons are copper, which is contained in silver (it oxidizes and gives a dull tint), or perhaps this is how the metal reacted to moisture, human sweat, contact with aggressive agents. But everything can be fixed if you learn how to whiten silver at home.

Cleaning silver with a toothbrush and toothpaste

Methods for bleaching silver at home

There are many professional silver cleaners in jewelry stores. They brighten and restore radiance to silver items. But before you buy them, take a look around, each of us at home has a lot of improvised means with which you can perfectly clean silver, because they have the same properties as purchased ones.

• Ammonia. Make a weak solution of ammonia. To do this, dilute one part of the chemical with ten parts of water. Products must be kept in solution for several minutes. Clean with a soft cloth, rinse and dry.
• Soda. Prepare a slurry of water and soda. Rub the silver with this mixture until the shine returns to it.
• Soap. Make a soap solution and lower the product there. After it has been in it for a few minutes, you can remove it and clean it with a soft cloth.
• Toothpaste. Moisten soft toothbrush paste and wipe the product with it.
• Lemon acid. Place the product in a solution of citric acid or juice, then rub it, rinse and dry. Place the product in a solution of citric acid or lemon juice, then rub it, rinse and dry. To do this, take half a liter of water, add one hundred grams of citric acid and put a small piece into the solution copper wire. Boil the liquid in a water bath and put silver in boiling water for fifteen minutes. After you remove the product from the solution, be sure to rinse it well.
• Cola. This drink will help get rid of the darkening of silver. To do this, you just need to put it in cola or sprite for a few minutes and then rub it well.
• Detergent. To clean, prepare a solution of water with detergent, place silver items in it, then wipe.
• Soda, salt, water, dish soap. Mix all these ingredients in an aluminum bowl. Use a tablespoon of salt, baking soda and dish washing gel per liter of water. Boil the silver in the solution for about twenty minutes.
• Eraser. It can be used for flat surfaces, rub the product with it.
• Salt, soda, foil. Before proceeding with this method, put aluminum foil in a container, add salt, baking soda and a few drops of detergent, put the silver items and cover again with foil on top. Soak for fifteen minutes boiled water, rinse cold.

We clean silver with a solution of salt and soda

Blackened silver is cleaned with soapy water. Put in it for ten minutes. Another way to clean such a product is with potatoes. It needs to be cleaned, water added and decorations placed there for three hours. Then rinse with water.

If your item has stones or inlays, cleaning should be done with care so as not to damage them. It is impossible to use abrasive, aggressive substances for bleaching such products. Warm soapy water can be used for cleaning.

Before you start bleaching metal, follow a few cleaning rules:

• cook soft tissue, napkins or a brush;
• do not rub hard, so as not to change the shape of the product or spoil it;
• after cleaning, rinse the products with water;
• dry the silver by laying it on a soft cloth, a napkin.

Wipe the ring with a soft flannel

Care and storage

In order to keep your favorite silver chain, earrings, rings longer and they delighted with brilliant, beautiful view, follow some rules for care:

• remove jewelry while washing dishes and other household chores;
• store jewelry in a separate box, away from humidity and high temperatures;
• it is best if the products do not touch each other during storage, put them in separate bags;
• Use aluminum foil in the jewelry box to keep jewelry from oxidizing.

Home methods of bleaching silver will help you quickly and easily deal with the problem, restore their original appearance, brilliance, elegance and beauty. Your silver can be preserved for many years, passed down from generation to generation, while retaining its attractiveness and value.

Silver is a very beautiful and popular metal, from which the most beautiful products are made, but everyone once had a question: how to whiten silver at home? This material is used to create many beautiful jewelry, which attract not only with their appearance, but also with the price. After all, silver is cheaper than gold. But, unfortunately, this metal has one unpleasant property - it oxidizes and darkens. In this regard, the product loses its former shining appearance and looks like simple jewelry.

Today many jewelry houses cover their silver jewelry with rhodium plating. Rhodium is a metal of the platinum group, and therefore, such products are more expensive. But the benefit of this coating lies in the fact that the coated ring darkens much more slowly and shines on the owner’s hand for a long time, like new.

Method 1: Ammonia and a piece of wool

This is the easiest way to clean silver available to everyone. Take a soft woolen cloth and moisten it with ammonia.

Method 2: For heavy soiling

If the silver is very dark, it is better not to rub it with a woolen cloth. Prepare a solution from a glass of water, a teaspoon ammonia, a few drops of hydrogen peroxide and baby soap.

Mix all the ingredients and leave your jewelry there for 20-30 minutes. After that, take it out in the same way and rinse with cold water, and wipe it.

Method 3: Vinegar

In the kitchen, every housewife will definitely have nine percent table vinegar, which will do an excellent job of silver contamination. Just warm it up and dip the ring into the solution and follow it.

When it brightens, remove and wipe with a cloth, then rinse and wipe again.

Method 4: Salt

Prepare a solution of one glass of water and a teaspoon of salt. Boil silver jewelry in the resulting solution for 15 minutes, and then take them out and rinse well with warm water and wipe with a cloth. Do not rinse after boiling with cold water - this may adversely affect the metal.

Method 5: Potatoes

It would seem, how to whiten silver at home with potatoes? Everything is very simple. Boil the potatoes until fully cooked and drain the water after cooking into a separate container. Lower a piece of foil about 10 by 10 centimeters to the bottom of the container and place your jewelry on it. Hold them there for about five minutes, after which the silver will shine like new.

Method 6: Soda

There is another way to remove contaminants with soda. Just take a deep plate and lay pieces of foil on the bottom. Sprinkle two tablespoons of baking soda on top, submerge your jewelry and stir everything together with a spoon, then pour boiling water over it. Watch for reactions. By the type of silver, it will be possible to determine when it is possible to get products out of the solution. Do not forget to rinse them thoroughly from soda and wipe dry with a soft cloth.

What is foil used for when cleaning silver?

Most cleaning methods use foil. But what is it for? Is it really that important in this process? The short answer is that it is definitely important. It is the aluminum from which it is made that enters into a chemical reaction with silver oxide, which makes up black pollution. This reaction returns the metal oxide to silver.

Is tooth powder so useful in the procedure for cleaning silver jewelry?

Probably everyone is familiar with the old way of rubbing silver with simple tooth powder. With it, the material quickly returns to its original form and begins to shine. But is it so useful for metal? Tooth powder has a sharper and more rigid structure than, for example, soda, powder particles can leave microscopic scratches on the metal, and therefore they should not be abused and strongly rubbed with silver. Moreover, in no case should it be used on rhodium-plated jewelry. Tooth powder will easily damage it and deprive the metal of the properties that rhodium gives it.

Why does silver darken?

The higher the silver sample of your ring, the less it is subject to oxidation reactions. And the thing is that it is not silver itself that is oxidized, but copper, which interacts with the sulfur contained in our sweat. Therefore, the chains darken most quickly in the summer, when the skin sweats more and sweat appears on it. But if silver jewelry gets dirty on you pretty quickly, then you should think about your health. Excessive sweating and an increased content of sulfur in it may indicate a violation of the functioning of vital organs, such as the kidneys. (see also.

New silver items always look bright and impressive. And it does not matter whether it is about jewelry, cutlery or any other accessories.

Nonetheless, over time, all silver things begin to fade and darken. That is why every housewife once asks an urgent question - how to whiten silver?

Why does silver start to darken?

Is it important for you to know how to whiten blackened silver? First of all, you need to understand why it darkens. The fact is that not all silver products are covered with a black coating equally intensively. And all because their darkening depends on some external factors.

• If silver is stored in a room with high humidity, often in contact with wet skin or even directly with water, then it begins to darken faster.
• Silver things blacken more intensively as a result interactions with sulfur, which is a popular component of many cosmetics. If your body lotion contains sulfur, then chains and bracelets will have to be cleaned of blackening more often.
• Items with a low percentage of silver in their composition darken an order of magnitude stronger. Products of the 925th test are the least oxidized, the silver content of which is 92.5%.
• Many silver items are covered with a rhodium film, which gives them shine and prevents them from oxidizing. However, after about 5 years of use, the rhodium plating wears off and the silver begins to gradually darken and tarnish.

How to whiten silver?

Do you want to know how to whiten silver? Before proceeding directly to clarification, you need to clean the relevant things from dirt and grease. For this it is enough just put them in soapy water.

In the case of very old dirt, you can wipe the devices and accessories with a brush. And only then proceed directly to the fight against darkening.

The site site offers you the most effective ways to lighten silver products. You will only have to choose the one that you consider the most convenient and affordable for you.

• Dentifrice. This remedy can still be found in most pharmacies today. Just rub the silver with this powder using a soft fluffy cloth.
• Ammonia and water. If the question of how to whiten silver at home is relevant for you, then this recipe will definitely come in handy for you. Mix the ammonia solution with ordinary water in a ratio of one to ten. Place your silver jewelry in this liquid. It can take from 15 minutes to an hour to restore them to their former brightness, depending on the age and intensity of oxidation. Keep an eye on the condition of the silver as it is being bleached so you don't keep the items in solution longer than you really need to.
• Soda and water. Mix soda with water until a homogeneous slurry is formed. Apply this gruel to the product, wipe the silver item thoroughly with a soft cloth.
• A mixture of salt, soda, water and detergent. Take a liter of water and add a tablespoon of each of the above ingredients to it. Put the silver jewelry in an aluminum pan, pour the resulting solution and put on fire. Let the liquid boil for about half an hour. Don't forget to follow the result.
• Water from boiled eggs. Are you wondering how to whiten a silver chain? Then pay attention to this tool. Boil a few eggs, then remove them from the water and let it cool to a warm state. Soak the silver in water for about an hour. After this time, you will be surprised at the result.
  

How to prevent darkening of silver products?

You now know perfectly well how to whiten silver at home. But if the appropriate items are properly cared for, then cleaning procedures will need to be resorted to extremely rarely. That is why it is important to know the basic secrets to help avoid darkening of silver things.

• If moisture gets on your silver, hurry up to wipe it dry with a soft cloth.
• Avoid contact of silver jewelry with skin in hot and stuffy weather.
• Remove rings and bracelets when washing dishes. Don't shower with silver jewelry, don't use it in the pool or on the beach.
• Put aside all your silver jewelry while using your skin care products.
• Store your silver items in a dry place. If you use them infrequently, then the best solution would be wrap appropriate items in foil. So you are guaranteed to be able to avoid their darkening.

So, don't be discouraged if your favorite silver items start to fade. After all, you now know how to whiten silver from black. The corresponding procedures will not take much time and will not require much effort. You will surely be satisfied with the result.