How to clean silver? 8 effective and simple tricks

Decorative objects or silver jewelry start to fade and darken over time. This is totally normal, it does not respond to an oxidation process or compromise the quality of this metal.

Due to dust and factors in the environment, silver reacts to hydrogen sulfide making it opaque. There is no need for expensive or specialized products to clean silver back to its natural shine, just use a few of these simple tricks.

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How to clean silver? 8 effective tricks to make it shiny

To prevent silver items from becoming lifeless or staining, it is best to clean them once a month. Any of these effective silver cleaning tricks is helpful and easy to apply.

If for some reason the silver items have not been cleaned for a long time and the stains or dark spots already seem very attached, also These tips can be used to restore shine but may require a bit more effort.

1. Lemon

Lemon is an excellent ally in various household cleaning tasks

. And to clean silver objects it is undoubtedly very efficient. It is also a very simple trick that will allow you to see the shimmering shine of silver in just a few minutes. All you need is a lemon cut in half, a little salt, and a clean, dry cloth.

In one half of the lemon, you have to sprinkle salt and with this rub against the silver. Whether it's a decorative item or a piece of jewelry, this trick works the same way. Once the entire surface has been rubbed, you have to let it act for a few minutes and then clean with the dry cloth applying a little force as a polish.

2. Aluminum foil

With aluminum foil you can clean silver that has been stained for a long time. Even if the silver looks very old or has passed long before it is cleaned again, with this trick it can look like new again. This trick can be useful as a first step to remove the silver stain and make it cleaner before applying another of these tips.

Enough aluminum is needed to hold the silver piece, hot water, and salt. In a large container, preferably glass and where the object to be cleaned fits perfectly. It is covered with the aluminum foil and hot water with salt is poured. The objects are immersed for around 10 minutes and after this time they are removed and dried perfectly.

3. Toothpaste

Toothpaste can be very useful for cleaning silver.. This is a very simple and practical trick, it can also be useful for very small objects or those that have too many indentations or small spaces. Toothpaste, water, neutral soap and a toothbrush are used if the piece is to be cleaned in detail.

The first thing to do is wash the silver object with plenty of soap and water, without having dried them there than rubbing them with toothpaste and using the brush to carve in difficult or small places. Once it is noticeable that the silver recovers its color, then it is rinsed again with soap and water and dried and polished with a dry cloth.

4. Water with salt

The simplest trick to clean silver is to do it with salted water. This recommendation is especially useful for frequently cleaning objects before they start to stain. You just need hot water with salt and carve the silver to make it shine. For this reason, it is a good idea to use it as a daily silver cleaning method.

You have to put the salt in a container with very hot water and dissolve. Right there you have to submerge the silver objects to leave them there overnight. The next day they dry while rubbing like a polish with a dry cloth. This is enough for the items made of silver to regain their shine.

5. Banana peel

Few know of the usefulness of the banana to clean metal objects. And to help the silver look flawless, it is also very efficient. This is because the inner part of the shell contains actives that help remove and eliminate objects that darken the metals, and silver is no exception.

So this trick is very simple and does not require more than the banana peel. With it, the piece of silver is rubbed as many times as necessary and the shell is changed from time to time because after a while the shell loses its properties that help to clean the metal. After this, it can be cleaned with a damp cloth to remove any residue from the banana peel.

6. Cream of tartar

Cream of tartar is readily available and can be used to clean silver. This trick can be used in combination with something else like aluminum foil to help remove silver stains that have gone uncleaned for a long time. The cream of tartar in addition to cleaning the dust provides an incredible shine.

In a pot you have to combine the cream of tartar, a little salt and water and heat over low heat. Right there you have to add the silver objects and let them boil for up to 5 minutes. Once this time has passed, it is removed from the heat, later the pieces of the mixture are also removed and once they are cold they are polished with a dry cloth.

7. Vinegar soda

The perfect combination to clean silver is vinegar with bicarbonate. You need half a cup of white vinegar and a teaspoon of baking soda. This combination will produce an effervescence, once it is over, the objects to be cleaned are immersed in the mixture.

Another way to use it is by moistening a cloth in the combination of bicarbonate with vinegar and cleaning and rub the piece of silver strongly to remove stains and dust, thus removing the brightness. If the first time it is not completely clean, this process can be repeated several times until the expected result is obtained.

8. Essential oils

Some essential oils are very efficient at cleaning metals. The one most used to clean silver is lemon essential oil. The advantage of this trick is that it takes nothing more than a few direct drops from the bottle to the silver item and rubbing with a cloth that does not absorb too much until the desired shine is obtained.

It should not be reduced either with water or with another oil, and also, being highly concentrated, with only a few drops will be enough to clean large surfaces without damaging the articles of silver. This silver cleaning trick can be useful for medium-sized objects that don't have too many indentations or grooves.

Bibliographic references

• F. Burriel Martí, F. Lucena Conde, S. Arribas Jimeno, J. Hernández Méndez. (2006). Analytical chemistry of cations: Silver. Qualitative analytical chemistry (18th edition edition). Thomson.