Silver is a very common metal that is used to make jewelry. Rings, earrings, bracelets, and chains are made from it. It should be remembered that silver jewelry needs care and careful handling. If silver earrings have lost their former shine and beauty, then use the tips below.
1. Can be washed earrings in baby shampoo and then rinse with clean water. After wiping with a soft cloth, you will be able to fully appreciate the effect of this procedure.
2. Buy special wipes at a jewelry store designed for cleaning jewelry. Of course, both silver earrings from fashion-mirror and others can best be cleaned using products specially developed for them. These napkins are small pieces of fabric that are impregnated with a special composition. They perfectly polish silver items without requiring the use of water.
3. Best possible clean hard-to-reach product elements(bows, junctions of various parts of earrings, recesses) using a regular toothbrush. You can apply any toothpaste to it and clean the jewelry. Afterwards, the earrings should be thoroughly rinsed and wiped with a soft cloth.
4. Often recommended for cleaning silver at home ammonia. It is enough to dip the earrings in a 10 percent solution for a quarter of an hour, rinse in water and wipe dry, and you will again admire their radiance and purity.
5. There is also a way to clean silver items with citric acid. Take 100 g this powder and dilute in 0.5 l water. Place the solution in a steam bath, place the earrings in it and boil for half an hour. After decorating, you need to take it out, wash it and wipe it with a cloth.
6. You can also use soda for this purpose. Pour into 0.5 l water 3 tablespoons of soda, bring to a boil, place foil on the bottom, and your earrings on it. Through 15 Within minutes you can take them out, rinse them with running water, and then wipe them dry.
Use these tips and your silver earrings will bring you only joy with their beauty and sophistication.
Silver jewelry. Products made of beautiful noble white metal were first worn by Egyptian women over 5.5 thousand years ago, but even today, thousands of years later, they remain loved by women for their beauty and accessibility. Silver rings, chains, and earrings are several times cheaper than gold ones, although in appearance they are almost indistinguishable from white gold jewelry. Silver metal looks perfect with black clothes or clothes in cool colors. In a word, there is something to appreciate about bracelets and pendants made from it. But the metal has one not very pleasant feature - silver turns black over time.
How to clean silver?
I found almost a dozen tips on this topic on the Internet, including a recommendation to purchase a special cleaning product in the jewelry department. But I was only interested in available means of returning silver items to their pristine purity. I decided to try the tips on my jewelry. Fortunately, there are quite a few of them.
Cleaning silver with citric acid
Pour 150 ml of hot water into an enamel plate. I put a piece of food foil. Foil is aluminum that forms a galvanic couple with silver, and during a chemical reaction in the cleaning solution, sulfur ions that contaminate the silver item must transfer from the jewelry to clean aluminum foil. Added 1 tsp to the water. citric acid.
I dipped a silver ring into the resulting solution.
While I was reaching for the camera to capture the transformation of the ring, an almost instantaneous reaction of lemongrass with silver sulfides occurred. As a result, the ring became completely light.
I washed the ring in running water,
wiped it dry with a towel.
The only thing that bothered me was the lack of a beautiful shine on the metal. But this problem was solved with the help of a stationery eraser. But more on that later.
I note that not all silver jewelry can be cleaned with citric acid: if the insert in the ring, pendant or bracelet is amber, garnet or other natural stone, then the product may suffer from the aggressive environment of the cleaning solution. To return the decoration to its original appearance, you will have to choose a more gentle method.
Cleaning silver with baking soda solution
For the purity of the experiment, I decided to clean one earring using the method described above, and the second using a soda solution.
I poured the water, sour from citric acid, into the sink, poured 150 ml of fresh water, and added a teaspoon of soda.
The foil remained in the plate from the previous experiment. As soon as the soda solution boiled, I lowered the second earring into it.
The earring has cleared up. Having compared the result, I can say: a solution of citric acid and a soda solution are equally effective.
Cleaning silver with an eraser
An ordinary school eraser can work wonders: in the process of rubbing the eraser against the surface of a silver item, the dark coating is removed from the latter and a shine appears.
It was with the help of an eraser that we were able to return the ring, cleaned with a solution of citric acid, to the shine of a brand new piece of jewelry. The only disadvantage of the method of removing blackness from silver with an eraser is the inability to lighten hard-to-reach places.
Cleaning silver with lipstick
In every woman's makeup bag there is a lipstick that either doesn't match the color or has acquired an unpleasant odor. Having found such lipstick in my place, I smeared it on my silver ring.
I rubbed the surface of the product with a clean soft cloth (a piece of cloth would be ideal) and rinsed it with warm water. The ring cleaned well, but this cleaning method is not suitable for chains, carved jewelry or items of complex shape.
Cleaning silver with a vinegar solution
When I started my experiment, I had no doubt of success: both citric acid and acetic acid have the same principle of action. But an experiment is an experiment. I poured 150 ml of water into an enamel bowl, put a piece of foil in it and added 1 tbsp. l. vinegar 9%.
I lowered the chain into acidified water and “cooked” it for two minutes. I washed the chain and wiped it dry.
All silver jewelry in the house acquired its original appearance.
To summarize, I can say: if you are thinking about the question of how to clean a silver chain, bracelet, rings or earrings without stones, then the least labor-intensive way to do this is with a citric acid solution. Citric acid does not fizz like soda and does not have the pungent odor of acetic acid. You will have to work hard on jewelry with natural stones, adding shine with an eraser or lipstick. By the way, I remembered another “old-fashioned” method of cleaning silver: jewelry is well brightened and polished using an old toothbrush and chalk (tooth powder, toothpaste).
The question of how to clean silver earrings will not confuse an experienced housewife, a professional jeweler or a certified chemist. They all have certain knowledge that helps in difficult situations. Silver is an expensive metal, it looks great, its relative softness allows you to create fancy, magnificent, exquisite products, which were widely used in the old days.
1 Simple, affordable, easy means
But over time, any silver item darkens, and wearing it becomes unsightly, and cleaning services from a jeweler or purchasing specialized solutions are expensive. But silver can be perfectly cleaned using products that you will certainly find at home. The main thing is to use them in time. You can restore silver to its former beauty at home for next to nothing.
All silver cleaning products can be found in the kitchen, if it does not serve as just another room in the apartment, but is actively used for cooking. While you're preparing the potatoes for dinner, you can pop one potato into a juicer or blender. Earrings can be cleaned with potato juice or gruel by dipping silver in them for a few minutes. You can do it even simpler by lowering the earrings into the cooled water in which the potatoes were boiled, or into the water that remained after boiling the eggs.
Silver earrings
Another product for cleaning silver at home is probably on everyone’s kitchen shelf. This is table vinegar, which you just need to warm up a little before using, and then put your favorite thing in it. Any housewife will also have baking soda, but it is only suitable for removing fatty contaminants that can form during wear. The gruel with soda will require the use of improvised means, such as a toothbrush, if the earrings have a complex weave and a cloth does not help. At the same time, you can use toothpaste, which just needs to be applied to the darkened area for half an hour, and then simply washed off.
There is a slightly more complicated way, which consists of preparing a solution of salt, soda and detergent. First, water with salt is heated until it is completely dissolved, then soda is added, and when the mixture has cooled to body temperature, you need to pour in a little dishwashing detergent or liquid soap. The earrings are soaked in the solution for 15-20 minutes, then they can be boiled for 30 minutes over very low heat. This method is applicable only for relatively smooth products that do not contain stones.
The cleaning effect is largely inherent in ammonia. At home, ammonia is used for a variety of household needs, of which cleaning contaminated surfaces is the most common. The silver is placed in a jewelry solution (1 teaspoon of ammonia per glass of water), after which it is washed and polished. This is a good method, but it cannot be used for earrings that contain stones. In the old days, soft ash was also used, but finding it at home in the city can become somewhat difficult.
2 Earrings and rings with stones
After learning how to clean silver earrings, the question of how to clean a silver ring may no longer be asked. This is done in the same way as earrings are cleaned. The process is somewhat difficult if the products are decorated with precious stones. Silver jewelry is an affordable option for those who cannot afford platinum and diamonds, and they are usually set with not very valuable stones, which it would still be a pity to lose, because they give the product a special beauty. There are certain restrictions for stones:
- Sapphire, aquamarine, emerald - just washing powder and a toothbrush.
- Malachite, moonstone, opal, turquoise - let's say a warm solution of laundry soap.
- Ruby, topaz and malachite - any detergent without chlorine and abrasives, but in no case hot water.
- Pearls are washed with a salt solution (not concentrated) or cleaned with potato starch.
- Coral is dry cleaned and does not tolerate water.
- Ivory and amber recognize only warm soapy water.
Tooth powder for cleaning silver
Despite all existing recommendations, it is best to clean earrings with stones by dry cleaning, avoiding the use of alkaline solutions, or with special products purchased at a jewelry store. This applies to both antique products and those that were quite expensive due to the stones, their cut, quantity or complexity and beauty of the product.
3 Compliance with the rules is guaranteed success
Those who have silver jewelry should remember a few mandatory rules:
- Removal of contaminants is carried out only in glass containers (silver can react with plastic or metal), and this is a prerequisite for cleaning at home;
- you should not use dubious means like a school eraser or lipstick;
- frequent contamination of silver is not always associated with its poor purity; the metal also reacts to certain physical parameters; perhaps you should stop wearing it;
- The more careful you treat a piece of jewelry, the longer it will last and the more joy it will bring; You shouldn’t throw it anywhere, wear it to the sea or hazardous industries, or work in it in the kitchen;
- any silver turns black over time, whether it is old or new; This is a distinctive feature of metal.
It is impossible to predict what will cause contamination of silver items, but there are certain safety rules. You should not store jewelry with stones in places exposed to dust, dirt, direct sunlight, moisture, soot, grease, or iodine. It is better to entrust the care of jewelry and attempts to change its appearance (for example, to lighten it) to specialists. If silver quickly turns black and stains your ears or fingers, it is better to think about jewelry made from another metal.
12/05/2017 2 9 462 views
Gold is a precious metal that absolutely everyone is partial to. These decorations hardly deteriorate, but they also need care. Let's look at how to clean gold at home to make it shine. There are many ways and they are quite simple. Unlike costume jewelry, such products are practically impossible to damage when cleaning.
If stones are inserted into the jewelry, the process becomes more complicated. The fact is that each mineral requires an individual approach. They cannot be boiled like regular gold accessories. These rings and earrings are very fragile, so you need to hold them firmly in your hands when cleaning. You may need professional help if you are afraid of damaging your jewelry.
Reasons Why Gold Requires Regular Cleaning
Gold is a noble metal, but it can also lose its pristine beauty. If the jewelry has not been cleaned for a long time, it can be seen with the naked eye. Such products will not decorate the housewife as much as they could. Pollution also causes harm to humans. For example, due to unwashed earrings, an inflammatory process begins on the earlobes.
Reasons for darkening of gold accessories:
- Violation of ligature inscription. Jewelry is usually made from alloys with silver, palladium, copper - these components increase the risk of wear resistance. Gold with a large number of impurities oxidizes quite quickly. In such a situation, you should not clean the products at home; it is better to seek the help of a specialist.
- Human nutrition. Substances leave the body through sweat, which interacts with the bracelets and oxidizes them. A film appears containing dust particles, sulfides, and grease.
- Cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. They usually contain iodine or mercury. Gray spots may appear on the chain. In this case, the metal is destroyed and it will not be possible to clean it yourself. It is worth contacting a jeweler.
- Polishing paste. Sometimes products are coated with this product. When wearing jewelry, part of it wears off, so dark stains remain on the skin, and light stains remain on the ring. Then you need to remove the layer with a soft cloth.
How to properly clean gold at home?
Each piece of jewelry requires an individual approach. The method is selected based on the color of the product - it can be white or yellow. The coating can be matte or shiny. It is important to consider whether there are stones - earrings with diamonds will require careful handling. The nature of the contamination is also important.
General rules for washing products at home:
- Jewelry with stones should be cleaned using only gentle methods, without adding acids or abrasives. It is advisable not to immerse them in water, but to use a soap solution or a special paste.
- You should not wash different jewelry in the same bowl (for example, gold and silver). There is a risk that they will turn white.
- Vinegar, dry soda and citric acid should be used very carefully. These methods are suitable for jewelry that is in good condition. If damaged or scratched, there is a risk of damaging them even more. Also, these methods are not used for accessories with stones.
There is no need to add laundry soap to the washing solution. This can cause the jewelry to become duller and lose its shine. It contains acids that are incompatible with gold.
Ammonia
The product will help you achieve maximum effect when cleaning your home yourself. The method is applicable exclusively for products without stones. To prepare it, you will need:
- water – 250 ml;
- 10% ammonia solution – 0.5 tsp;
- dishwashing detergent (optional) – 1 tsp.
Mix the ingredients, lower the accessory. The liquid will instantly turn dark. Then take it out and rinse.
Ammonia
For this you need the following ingredients:
- Boiling water – 250 ml.
- Ammonia – 1 spoon.
- Washing powder, liquid soap or detergent - 1 spoon.
Pour water into a glass plate, add other ingredients and mix thoroughly. Leave the products in the solution for two hours, then rinse with water and dry. The method is suitable for gold items with stones, but instead of boiling water you need to use room temperature and keep them in the solution for a short period.
Toothpaste or tooth powder
Silver accessories are often washed with the paste; this method is also suitable for gold. To do this, apply the cleaning agent to a soft cloth or cotton wool.
The method is used for gold jewelry with stones, since it does not require immersion in water. At the same time, you should pay attention that there are no small solid particles in the paste. Tooth powder should not be used for this purpose, because it is an abrasive agent.
Foil
To clean using this method you will need the following ingredients:
- baking soda – 1-1.5 tbsp. l.;
- boiling water – 250 ml.
Mix the ingredients. Spread foil in a plate and pour in the solution. The products should be left for 8-12 hours (you can keep them overnight). The method is not used for gold earrings with pearls and other stones.
Dish detergent
Using this method, you can clean the accessory from iodine and other dirty stains. To do this, you need hot water (but not more than 60 degrees) and detergent. Lower the jewelry and leave for about two hours. After this time, you need to pull them out and wipe them with a standard toothbrush. If contamination remains, you can repeat the procedure.
A mixture of liquid soap and hydrogen peroxide
To prepare you will need:
- Water – 250 ml.
- Ammonia – 1 spoon.
- Liquid soap – 2 drops.
- 3% hydrogen peroxide solution – 30 ml.
Pour water into a plate, add the remaining ingredients and mix. Immerse the jewelry in the solution for a quarter of an hour. Rinse and dry with a soft cloth. The method is not suitable for earrings with topaz and similar stones.
Salt
If you don't want to use ingredients like alcohol and peroxide, we recommend cleaning your jewelry with a saline solution. To prepare you will need:
- water – 0.5 cups;
- non-iodized salt – 3 tbsp. l.
Keep the products in the mixture overnight and dry with a soft cloth.
How to clean gold at home to make it shine?
The following ways will help you add shine to your favorite ring or bracelet:
- Hyposulfite solution. You can find it in special stores. The product works well with jewelry. You need to take one tablespoon of it and dilute it in a glass of water. Hold the jewel for a quarter of an hour.
- Lipstick. It contains titanium dioxide, which can help get rid of blackness. Apply the cosmetic product to a piece of cotton wool and wipe the accessory over the surface.
- Onion or vinegar. After wiping with products, rinse the product and dry thoroughly.
- Chemical solutions for cleaning gold jewelry. Thanks to them, sulfur compounds and fat are removed.
- Special paste. To prepare it you will need Vaseline, grated soap, crushed chalk and water. The components must be in equal quantities. Mix everything, apply to the surface of the decoration, wipe with a soft cloth. Then wash with water and dry thoroughly.
- Sugar. The method will make the jewelry shine, but will not remove dirt. To do this, you will need to dilute three teaspoons in a glass of warm water and leave for 8-12 hours.
- Paste GOI. You need to dip a piece of rag in it and wipe the product. Afterwards, you need to rinse the ring in a solution of a teaspoon of ammonia, a tablespoon of liquid soap and a glass of hot water. Then rinse the jewelry and remove excess liquid using a soft cloth.
How to clean gold jewelry with stones?
This species must not be kept in boiling water. Usually the stones are secured with glue, so they can easily fall out. For hard types such as zircon, emerald, topaz, diamond, garnet, peridot and ruby, the following cleaning methods are suitable:
- Cleaning solution. The method is relevant for light contamination. The water should not be hot. Walk over the decoration with a soft brush, then polish. The method is used for artificial stones. For example, for accessories with cubic zirconia.
- Ammonia. It is used in advanced cases. Dilute a teaspoon of the product into 1/3 cup of water, then shake - this way they clean hard-to-reach areas. Leave in the liquid for 10 minutes and rinse the product.
- Petrol. It will help eliminate grease and stains. To do this, you need to wet the rag and wash the jewelry.
- Products for professional cleaning. They can be bought in a special store. Instructions are usually included.
- Hydrogen peroxide. Dip a rag and carefully wipe the product.
- Fine ash. To get it, you need to burn a match and then polish it.
There are many methods for hard types, but soft stones require more careful handling. This group includes serpentine, opal, pearls, coral, turquoise, malachite, and amber. The following rules apply:
- Jewelry should not be subjected to intensive cleaning, especially with hard brushes. There is a risk of damaging the surface of the stone, leaving scratches.
- Special wipes for glasses are suitable for these types. They can be regular or impregnated.
- When washing with soapy water, use a soft cloth and do not keep accessories in water. Liquid usually has a negative effect on stones. Therefore, they also need to be dried very well.
- For real pearls, you should not use lemon juice or vinegar, as the acid will cause corrosion.
- The best option for these stones is a mixture of equal amounts of alcohol and water. After keeping the ring in it, you need to wipe it with a soft cloth, first dipped in a solution with soap. Rinse, dry well.
Washing products with stones is also carried out using the following folk recipes:
- protein and beer. Mix the components thoroughly in equal proportions. Dip a flannel cloth in the mixture and clean the jewelry;
- onion juice The method eliminates greasy stains. Squeeze the liquid out of the vegetable, leave the accessory for ten minutes, wipe thoroughly with a brush;
- vinegar will help remove dirt from hard-to-reach areas;
Video: how to clean gold with stones at home to make it shine?
How to properly store gold items so that they do not darken or get dirty?
Basic storage rules:
- Any jewelry should be kept in a dry, dark place and ensure that it does not get wet.
- Gold should be kept separate from other metals, especially silver. From their contact, the attractiveness of jewelry is lost.
- Jewelry should also be kept in a different place.
- If gold earrings or rings contain artificial stones, they should be stored in wooden boxes, first wrapped in cotton fabric. This type of crystal loses its former attractiveness faster and careless handling leads to the appearance of cracks and scratches.
- Caring for jewelry should be periodic - they need to be cleaned and wiped with a flannel cloth before leaving.
- A padded case is suitable for storing gold. You should not keep it in boxes or cardboard, because they contain sulfur, which causes dark stains to appear on the jewelry. They should also not be left in plastic packaging.
- Accessories with precious stones must be removed before cleaning. They are badly affected by household chemicals and dishwashing detergents. They need to be washed two to three times a year.
- You will need to remove rings and chains before swimming in the pool (chlorine can cause harm) and the sea (various impurities and salts). It is also worth doing this during sports training, as sweat is released intensely.
When cleaning, it is important to hold the jewelry tightly and be as focused as possible. You should try to avoid alcohol, peroxide, and citric acid if the contamination is not too strong.
There are a lot of methods for cleaning gold jewelry; they are simple, but require some care. It is recommended not only to wash products at home, but also to periodically contact a specialist. They can not only provide professional assistance to the jewelry, but also advise methods based on its individual characteristics.
It's no secret that all jewelry, including gold, becomes dirty over time. The resulting plaque negatively affects the appearance of the product; they become dull and inconspicuous.
Why do you need to clean gold?
In addition to being unsightly, wearing soiled gold jewelry is also harmful.. After all, dirt, for example, on earrings can cause inflammation of the earlobe, but what can we say about earrings for piercing. In order for gold jewelry to look truly impressive and luxurious and bring only pleasant moments, it is necessary to take care of it.
You can, of course, turn to professionals for help. But, knowing to how to clean gold at home, you can save money and time.
First, let’s determine what kind of “dirt” has accumulated on gold. Simple contaminants in the form of dust can be easily removed with a soap solution.
However, very often gold jewelry becomes contaminated due to metal oxidation, which are included in the alloy of the product. Because gold itself is very soft and easy to damage; in the manufacture of jewelry, an alloy of other metals is used, for example, silver, zinc, copper, nickel. When copper interacts with oxygen, as well as moisture in the air, it forms green and black spots on jewelry.
Depending on the type of contamination, you should choose a specific cleaning method, however, it is difficult for a non-professional to determine what kind of “dirt” has accumulated on the surface. The fact is that some small areas that are affected by the oxidation of metals can only be examined under a magnifying glass. Therefore, if you want to clean gold at home, step-by-step cleaning is the right solution.
Clean gold at home - washing
So, stage one. Ordinary washing. Take hot water (about 50-60°C), add detergent (for example, shampoo, soap, washing powder, liquid dishwashing detergent) to it. Dip gold items into the water. Leave them for 1-2 hours. When the dirt has liquefied, clean the products with a soft toothbrush. You can try to clean the products right away, but it is not a fact that you will be able to clean the areas near the fasteners, grooves, recesses, screws, etc. And after the dirt gets wet, it can be easily removed with soft bristles, without damaging the product. Then the jewelry should be rinsed with running water and dried.
After such a procedure, you need to carefully examine the product to see how effective the cleaning was. You may need to repeat the soaking procedure. If after this the product does not shine, proceed to the second stage.
Clean gold at home - dry cleaning
Stage two. Chemical cleaning. In order to remove oxidized elements that are on the surface of gold products, you can use an ammonia solution. When ammonia reacts with silver and copper oxides, it leads to the formation of compounds that are easily soluble in water.
- To carry out chemical cleaning, purchase a fairly concentrated aqueous solution of ammonia (at least 25%) from the pharmacy.
- Pour it into a small container and place the product that needs cleaning into it. The time for such processing should not be strictly limited. 2-3 hours will be enough.
- If the product is heavily soiled, leave it overnight. After this procedure, the product must be rinsed again under running water and dried.
Clean gold at home - mechanical cleaning
Stage three. Mechanical cleaning. If dry cleaning is not effective, chemical treatment will be required. Ammonia is not able to dissolve sulfide formations, which form a black coating on the surface of gold. In order to perform mechanical cleaning, abrasive materials will be required. However, ordinary means, such as soda, should not be used, i.e. they can scratch the surface and permanently take away its shine. In addition, aggressive agents remove the top layer of gold items, thereby reducing their weight.
There are various special pastes designed for cleaning gold jewelry. They are made on the basis of petroleum jelly, soapy water, and vegetable oil. Various powders are used as additives: corundum, lead carbonate, tripoli, white magnesia, etc.
Apply a small amount of paste to a soft cloth or a soft-bristled brush and gently scrub the dirty surface. Movements must be directed in one direction.
After cleaning is complete, remove any remaining product with a dry, soft cloth. and wash the product itself with vodka or ethyl alcohol. This is necessary in order to remove the fatty components of the paste, which form a thin film on the metal surface, giving a dull shine. After performing this procedure, rinse the product with water and dry thoroughly.
You can prepare the paste yourself; the consistency should be like semolina porridge of medium liquid.
How to clean gold at home? A few more ways
We talked about how to clean gold at home. The above are several methods, the effectiveness of which you can verify by testing them through personal experience.
