A couple of notes:
* I found that using toothpaste or baking soda to clean silver is as good as the store-bought paste. I've been shining my mom's silverware for years with toothpaste (back then you wouldn't dream of finding silver cleaning paste in stores!) and you know for sure it's not as bad chemically as that paste. Just buy the most simple toothpaste (you don't need the fresh-breathing mint strips!) and use a soft toothbrush to gently brush the paste onto the silver. Clean with a soft cloth (experiment with your piece, it might be OK to rinse it with warm water). * If your jewelry contains pearls or other soft stones - do not use the paste or the dip found in the stores. They contain harsh chemicals which will damage your beads. Clean just the silver with a cloth, if there are only pearls you might use a mild solution of warm water and a mild shampoo to clean the pearls. If you want the whole piece to shine - bring it to a jeweler for professional cleaning. However, if you are able to clean the silver where it's not touching the stones - a little bit of tarnish will give your piece some extra charm.
Cleaning Your Silver Jewelry is Easier Than You Think
By Joshua Martindale
Silver jewelry is incredibly popular today. It has such a clean and cool look to it that many people love to add the shine of silver to their overall style. However, silver jewelry will not remain as shiny and beautiful without proper care. You need to remember that true silver is a soft metal. Additionally, silver tends to tarnish if you do not clean and maintain it properly.
Part of keeping your silver jewelry clean and shining is to store it properly. If you store it carefully you will be able to reduce tarnishing of the piece. Many people make the mistake of storing their silver in a wooden jewelry box loose with other pieces. Truthfully you should always keep your silver jewelry in a small plastic zip bag alone. Do not try to jam more than one piece in the bag. Instead, each piece should have its own bag. This will help keep your jewelry safe from scratches, but it will also protect it from the air. Prolonged exposure to the air is what causes your jewelry made from silver to tarnish quickly. Basically the oxidation and moisture present in the air starts to turn your silver into a gold color, but that gold shifts very quickly to a shade of black.
Regular cleaning will also help to prevent tarnishing. You must remember that any time that you are going to clean your silver you should only use a soft flannel or cotton cloth to do the job. There are also custom silver cleaning cloths on the market for you to buy, and these can be wonderful because they have special ingredients in the cloth that help guard against tarnishing. In fact, these silver cleaning cloths are ideal to keep in your jewelry box for quick day to day cleanings.
If you need to clean your silver a bit more you can use a small bit of liquid soap that has been added to warm water (approximately half a cup). With your soft cloth you will apply this mild soap solution to your silver jewelry and wipe away the dirt. After that you can rinse your piece with warm water and thoroughly dry it. If your jewelry has intricate details that you cannot clean with a cloth you may want to use a soft bristle toothbrush to clean the area.
Unfortunately, if you have allowed your silver to become tarnished you will need to get a special silver cleaner. You can find these easily in stores, and you will have your choice of a liquid or paste form of silver cleaner. If you choose to use the paste you will need to apply a small scoop onto your cloth. Rub the cloth gently onto the piece, carefully working the paste into any crevices that the item has. Try to rub in a straight line rather than a circular pattern because you do not want to inadvertently scratch the jewelry. Let the paste dry and then use a different soft cloth to rub away any excess paste. If you like you can even rinse your silver jewelry under warm water to fully clean it, but you need to be sure that you completely dry it before putting it away. The liquid form of silver cleaner is used differently. This liquid cleaner, which is also known as a silver dip, allows you to dip your jewelry into the solution. After you have dipped it in the solution you will take your jewelry out so that you may rinse it off and thoroughly dry it. The great thing about liquid silver cleaner is that you will see results almost immediately. Jewelry is a wonderful gift to give on any occasion. Please visit my site to select from a large selection of fine silver jewelry.
Article Source: Cleaning Your Silver Jewelry is Easier Than You Think
Do you have any tips on cleaning silver? I would love to hear your thoughts!
