There’s nothing more heartbreaking than opening your jewellery box, only to find your favourite silver necklace has tarnished. Not only has it lost its shine; it can’t be worn without marking your clothes and leaving unsightly stains behind.
I’ve had this happen to necklaces, bracelets and earrings. It’s easily done once the silver is exposed to moisture, be it from the shower, perfume or body lotions. Even sweat can take its toll over time!
The good news is there’s a quick fix for this, and it really does work! I’ve tried it for myself and the difference it can make in a matter of minutes will leave you asking why you hadn’t cleaned your silver jewellery before. And you might already have what you need at home! Here’s what you need to do…
How do you clean tarnished silver jewellery?
If you search online for how to clean silver jewellery, you will be bombarded by methods and solutions. But often, all you need is a little eco-friendly bicarbonate of soda. Its alkali nature makes it great for shifting grease and grime, while it’s abrasiveness helps to remove any residue – although avoid using it on softer stones and pearls as you could do some damage!
If you don’t have bicarb to hand, Cola is another solution which can help to remove tarnish. Although you need to make sure you don’t leave your jewellery exposed to it for longer than necessary.
If you don’t like those options, there are of course proprietary silver cleaning kits you can buy, like baths, and polishes. I tried out the Quickshine Jewellery Bath and compared it directly with a DIY bath with bicarb (instructions listed below) and the results were similar.
What’s the best way to clean silver rings, earrings and bracelets?
Delicate pieces of jewellery require a bit of care, particularly if they contain stones or pearls. We suggest using a cream cleaner, silver polishing cloth or the simple DIY method below.
- Mix a paste of roughly 3 parts bicarbonate of soda to one part water and apply to your silver jewellery, taking care to avoid stones or pearls.
- Rub the paste into the silver with a lint free or microfibre cloth until you see the shine starting to return. A soft toothbrush is a useful tool to get into intricate areas that are tricky to reach.
- Rinse off the paste and buff with a soft dry lint free cloth to remove any remaining tarnish and bring out the shine.
GHI Tip: Avoid getting silver cleaner on inset stones and pearls as they’re easily damaged by cleaning products, including the more eco-friendly DIY versions. Take extra care when cleaning this type of silver jewellery.
What’s the best way to clean silver chains?
There’s no point trying to polish the tarnish from your silver chain link by link as you’ll be there all day! This is where dips and baths come in handy. You can buy a proprietary mix and follow the instructions on the packaging. Alternatively, follow the steps below for an eco-friendly DIY silver bath.
- Line a bowl with aluminium foil - shiny side up.
- Fill with enough boiling water to submerge your chain.
- Add 1 tbsp of bicarbonate of soda per 500ml water. Carefully combine by gently stirring.
- Add your chain and leave to soak for up to 30 minutes.
- Carefully remove the chain with a spoon and leave to cool (if necessary). Then rinse away any residues and buff with a soft lint free cloth to remove any remaining tarnish.
Note: Heavily tarnished items may require a second bath.
Do not use this method on silver jewellery which contains embellishments held in place by adhesives. The hot water can melt the adhesive and lead to damage.
You’ll soon notice the bath making a difference by the colour of the water! You might need to remove the item to check on the progress and then give it a little more time as needed. It’s best to wear gloves when handling and washing the jewellery as the solution can irritate the skin.
You can also try submerging chains in a bath of cola; the acid should remove the tarnish. But only leave the chain in the cola for a short time and remove as soon as the tarnish has disappeared. Rinse off the cola straight away and buff with a soft lint free cloth
How do you clean sterling silver?
When it comes to cleaning, whether you have solid silver, silver plated jewellery or sterling silver, there’s no difference in how you should tackle the tarnish.
How should you store silver jewellery?
It’s impossible to fully prevent silver from tarnishing but storing it correctly can help. Silver doesn’t tarnish in dry air, but the higher the humidity, the faster it’ll tarnish. So the key is to limit the exposure to both air and moisture. You can do this by wrapping your jewellery in a cloth or storing it in a felt pouch or even a zip lock bag.
Some people recommend keeping the silica sachets that come in packages and popping them in your jewellery box. The silica keeps moisture at bay, so may help to slow down the tarnishing process.
How to prevent silver jewellery from tarnishing
Following on from this, here are a few tips to help prevent tarnishing in the future.
- Do not wear your jewellery in the shower, or even leave it sitting on the side in the bathroom; the moisture here will take its toll.
- Do not wear your silver jewellery while you sleep, or while working out. Sweat will contribute to tarnishing.
- Take care not to spray your perfume directly onto your silver jewellery during application.
- Avoid accidentally applying makeup or sunscreen to your silver jewellery; wait until these dry before wearing your jewellery to lessen the impact and tarnishing.
- Dry your jewellery immediately if it becomes wet using a lint-free microfibre cloth.
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