Mankind became acquainted with silver at the dawn of civilization. Today, not only jewelry and elegant trinkets for the house are made from this noble metal, it is also used in the electronic and electrochemical industries. Silver is a natural enemy of bacteria. Some airlines use water treated with this substance on board aircraft. It is also used to decorate cakes (additive E174). And all the girls have long known that if you wash yourself with silver water , you can permanently preserve youth and beauty.
Over time, the silver darkens, a plaque appears on it. In this article we will tell you how to clean silver from black at home. And what mistakes should be avoided.
Why silver is getting dark
Silver is a noble metal. It is not oxidized by oxygen even when heated. Where does the dark coating come from in this case? This phenomenon occurs for two reasons:
- The appearance of silver sulfide. It is formed with excess moisture in the presence of at least an insignificant amount of divalent sulfur. It, in turn, in a low concentration is always present on human skin as a part of hydrogen sulfide released during sweating. Thus, the more often you come in contact with silver items, the faster they turn black.
- Silver is indeed chemically inert to both oxygen and nitrogen. But it is not used in its pure form - it is always an alloy with other substances, most often copper. For example, in products of the 960th sample - 96% pure silver and 4% copper. Thus, upon contact with air, dark copper oxide forms on the surface. Accordingly, the lower the sample, the more impurities in the alloy, and the faster the thing blackens.
Before you learn how to effectively clean silver at home, you need to remember that there are a number of factors that accelerate the darkening process. For example, silver should not be in contact with any sulfur-containing products (eggs, onions, a number of medications, sometimes even in the air there is an excess of hydrogen sulfide) or aggressive chemicals.
Eraser
In order to clean silver from black at home, an ordinary eraser is often used. This is a very simple way, even a child can use it. The effect is based on a simple mechanical action (it is better to use the hard side of the eraser) and is achieved only if the jewelry has only lost its luster.
In addition, the result can only be obtained on a flat surface, without relief. Heavily darkened and patterned things cannot be cleaned with an eraser.
Olive oil
How to clean silver with olive oil? This substance does not affect silver sulfide or sulfur oxide in any way. But it works great as a polish in the company with a cotton pad or a small piece of soft felt. So, if the product does not have large dark spots, and the surface needs to be given additional shine, then we wet the fabric in the oil and smoothly bring the metal to the desired gloss. This is not to say that this is a quick method, but there is nothing complicated in it.
Instead of olive oil, you can use any other (vegetable origin).
Toothpaste
This recipe is for those who want to know how to clean silver effectively. To do this, you just need to brush the thing with toothpaste and leave it like that for the whole night. After that, the dried substance is removed with a soft cloth, and the metal surface under it again becomes shiny. The effect is based on the presence in the toothpaste of substances that corrode plaque. Therefore, for such procedures, pastes with a whitening effect, in which the concentration of active components and acids are higher, are best suited.
There is another option, how to clean silver. The paste is immediately rubbed into the surface with a toothbrush, and plaque removal is also due to mechanical stress. For the same purpose, tooth powder is used. Blackness disappears due to exposure to abrasives. The method is effective, but can lead to undesirable consequences: scratches often remain on the metal surface.
In general, after brushing with toothpaste, the result will be good, but this remedy will not remove the deep blackness.
Potato broth
People have known for many years how to clean silver with potato broth . Previously, in rich homes, cutlery made of this noble metal was peeled precisely with the help of potatoes. For this, objects were placed in a still hot liquid and left in it for 30-50 minutes. Then silver, without washing, wiped dry.
However, it is not necessary to boil potatoes. You can grate one tuber, pour it with a glass of water and let it brew for 15 minutes. Then strain the infusion and lower the silver thing into the resulting liquid. The exposure time is 20 minutes, then the product must be washed and polished with a soft cloth.
The method is good, especially in cases where you need to clean a lot of things, for example, cutlery. But it helps only with a slight darkening.
Ammonia
It is time to learn how to quickly clean silver at home using ammonia. This method was previously used by collectors of ancient orders, coins and other products, since professional means were not available.
So, ammonia is an ammonia solution that dissolves silver sulfide well. Therefore, we prepare a solution for cleaning: for 0.5 l of water - 1 tbsp. l ammonia. The latter can be bought at any pharmacy.
The decoration is placed in a solution, kept in it for up to 1 hour. Then it must be removed, rinsed well and polished to dryness.
The following recipe is also often found: ammonia and hydrogen peroxide are mixed in equal proportions, and in this composition silver is kept for 5 minutes. The reaction is immediately visible - the liquid hisses and the blackness dissolves in front of the eyes. Thus, the answer to the question of how to quickly clean silver is received. But this method is not recommended for use: the mixture is too aggressive and reacts with all impurities in the alloy. Accordingly, the lower the sample, the more deplorable the result will be. But if you definitely need to try this method, then pre-test: apply the composition on the back surface of the product in a small amount and evaluate the result.
Vinegar
There is another option, how to clean silver at home quickly. To do this, use acetic acid in a three percent concentration. At home, there is usually either nine percent table vinegar or seventy percent acid - they need to be diluted to the desired rate.
You can simply wipe the surface with a cloth soaked in acid. But the cleansing reaction goes much better when heated. Therefore, we pour three percent vinegar into a container (necessarily enameled), lower the product into it and heat it over low heat. Under no circumstances should boiling be allowed. After the liquid has warmed up, remove it from the stove, wait for cooling, and remove the silver. Then we wash and wipe dry.
The method is quite effective, but remember that acid acts on silver as a destructive factor. Therefore, do not use often and with caution.
Lemon acid
How to clean silver from black with citric acid? In fact, heating this noble metal in an acidic environment gives a very good result. And in its properties, citric acid is much more aggressive than acetic acid. But if you be careful, you can use it.
Preparing a solution: 50 g of acetic acid powder per 250 ml of water. Next, we put silver things in a solution, put a piece of copper wire (catalyst) in the same place and in a water bath (it is easier to prevent overheating and boiling), we heat the liquid. We withstand things for 15 minutes, then remove and rinse several times.
Acid destroys silver, so you need to rinse thoroughly, and everything is better in a soda solution that neutralizes the acidic environment. Then things are polished to a dry state.
Soda and foil
It is also often asked how to clean silver at home with soda. This is the simplest and most effective substance that can be found in any kitchen. Moreover, when using this substance, you can not just clean the product, but chemically restore silver from its sulfide.
Recipe:
- We take 1 tbsp. l baking soda.
- Add to 250 ml of water.
- Pour the liquid into an aluminum container.
- Dip the silver in it.
- Bring to a boil and boil for another 15-20 minutes.
- Cool, get products.
- Rinse and polish until dry.
Aluminum utensils are a mandatory factor, since the presence of this metal ensures the release of atomic hydrogen in an alkaline medium and restores silver.
There is another recipe for how to clean silver from black with soda. A plate is made of foil (it is made of aluminum), a little heated water is poured into it, and one teaspoon of salt and soda is placed. In such a liquid, the product is kept for half an hour, then washed and wiped.
Another option is how to clean silver at home using soda and foil: the products are wrapped in foil and boiled in a soda solution for 20 minutes. Then washed and polished. The principle of all three methods is similar: reduction of silver in an alkaline solution in the presence of aluminum.
Safety precautions
It is important to know not only how to clean silver at home, but also how not to spoil it:
- Do not use homemade abrasives, such as soda or salt. Scratches appear from them, each of which is a center of future blackness. Each time, the product will be increasingly difficult to clean.
- Carefully use all cleaning methods where the component is acid. Such an aggressive additive, if the dosage is incorrect or the exposure time is exceeded, can ulcerate the metal surface.
- Do not forget about your own safety: be careful when working with acids and hot environments.
Products with gilding, stones or enamel
How to clean silver with inserts of stones and enamel or gold-plated elements at home? Unfortunately, none of these methods are suitable. Such methods can ruin a thing, for example, a stone will fade or change color, enamel will deteriorate, scratches on gilding will appear, etc.
Therefore, such things should be attributed to a jeweler for cleaning or use one of the professional pastes. The procedure is carried out using cotton buds, places where stones or enamel are located are skipped. For gilded jewelry, a universal tool is selected, suitable for cleaning both silver and gold. However, such things darken less.
How to remove dark plaque in jewelry workshops
What is the easiest way to clean silver? Take it to a specialist who can easily cope with this task. Of course, this is more expensive than cleaning the kitchen with improvised means. But it is also much safer, since there is no risk of spoiling the product.
In jewelry workshops, several cleaning methods are used: professional cleaning solutions, wet wipes with a coating that dissolves plaque, polishing pastes, dry wipes for polishing, and ultrasonic cleaning. After all the procedures, a transparent coating is applied to the silver product - it will protect the metal from the appearance of black spots for a while.