Silver is a strikingly beautiful metal. However, unfortunately, it is very easily oxidized, which means it darkens. It follows that silver items need careful care. First of all, silver needs to be kept away from heat and sunlight. It is optimal to store silver jewelry in a box or a special case, cutlery, etc. in a dark cupboard, and not on glass shelves, as is customary.
But even with constant and proper care, silver inevitably darkens, and from time to time it must be cleaned. It is quite possible to clean silver at home, on your own. There are many ways to do this. Each of them has its advantages and disadvantages. So how to clean silver at home?
The first method: First, prepare a soap solution with the addition of ammonia. For 1 liter of solution you need to add a spoonful of ammonia. It is necessary to rinse silver items. Then the products are washed with warm water and wiped with a dry cloth.
The second way: How to clean silver at home with potatoes? Pretty simple too. Potatoes need to be peeled and diced and filled with water. After a few hours, the potatoes are taken out, and silver products are put in the water for an hour. Then the silver is removed from the water, rinsed and wiped.
Third way: In a liter of water you need to add a tablespoon of salt and a shell from two eggs. Put the resulting mixture on fire and boil. When the water boils, silver is lowered into it for 20 seconds. Then you need to pull out the silver products and wipe dry.
A separate question, how to clean silver with stones? The usual "grandmother" methods may well damage the gem in your jewelry. So in this case it is better to use special solutions that create a protective layer on the product. You should be especially careful with products with pearls. It is better to wash them more often in soapy water and avoid serious contamination.
Particular caution is needed if it comes to high-grade silver. In this situation, it is necessary to use specialized tools. It is best to use a product called Zilbertausbader. However, if you can’t find it, you can use others, but it is important to make sure of their quality.
In addition, silver is also put in order with the help of special pastes, however, it is worth remembering that they clean silver by polishing, which means that they can not be abused. But they are great for urgently bringing silver to its proper shape, for example, before selling or going out. However, ordinary toothpaste works on the same principle, so you can clean silver items with it.
Well, another point that concerns the question "How to clean silver at home?" Indeed, most silverware is replete with small parts that are very difficult to clean. So, you need to do this with soft felt. And it is important to be very careful with abrasive materials.
Separately, I want to say about gilded silver. You need to be most careful with it, you can’t use abrasives at all. It is better to wipe it with suede or a cotton swab dipped in ethyl alcohol. You can use vinegar, which is also applied with a cotton swab or soft cloth. After five, vinegar must be washed off the surface of the gilded product.
Remember that the use of folk remedies is a real and unreasonable risk. Therefore, if cleaning is necessary for especially thin and valuable products or if they are seriously contaminated, it is better to contact a jewelry workshop or professionals. They can guarantee you the safety of your products and the best result.
I would like to believe that after this article, none of those who read it will have any questions about how to clean silver at home.