A paste of baking soda and water is all you need to clean larger silver items and remove the dull tarnish. You'll need to rub the paste over the items, but the baking soda does most of the work for you without heavy scrubbing – and no toxic ingredients.
Simply mix up a bit of dish soap with warm water and dip in a microfiber cloth. Then, rub the piece of silver – whether it's jewelry or silverware – with the soapy cloth. Rinse it with cold water. Dry with a soft, clean towel.
Mix two parts baking soda with one part water to make a paste, then gently rub the mixture onto the jewelry. Let the paste dry completely to remove the tarnish.
Although using baking soda and aluminum foil can quickly remove tarnish from silverware, some dealers caution against using it on antique silver, as it can be too abrasive and ruin the finish (especially if you're unsure of the provenance and it's possible that the pieces are not actually sterling silver).
Carefully pour the hot water over the items in the tub and add 1 cup of baking soda per gallon of water. Allow items to soak for up to 30 minutes, depending on how heavily tarnished.
Anything with deep grooves or cracks
Baking soda leaves behind a white, dusty residue after it dries. Therefore, you should never use it to clean surfaces with deep grooves or cracks because the residue will get left behind and can build up.
Silver becomes black because of hydrogen sulfide (sulfur), a substance that occurs in the air. When silver comes into contact with it, a chemical reaction takes place and a black layer is formed. Silver oxidizes faster in places with a lot of light and high humidity.
6 Toothpaste
This is a classic, easy DIY silver cleaning recipe. Use non-gel and non-abrasive toothpaste. Squeeze a small amount of it on a soft cloth or paper handkerchief. Rub onto the jewellery or silverware with circular motions to polish it and clean off the tarnish.
Fill an aluminum pan (or one lined with aluminum foil) with hot water. Add 1/2 to 1 cup of baking soda and 1/2 cup salt, and stir to dissolve. Working in a ventilated area, submerge the silver pieces in the solution. A chemical reaction will occur, removing the tarnish.
Cleaning silver with vinegar is safe for your silver, you, and the environment, and it's great for bringing back the sparkle. Vinegar is a natural cleaner, disinfectant, and deodorizer that is tough on tarnish. Here's how to polish silver and get back that sparkling shine with vinegar and baking soda.
Simply pour the coke into a bowl and submerge your silver into it. The acid in the coke will quickly remove the tarnish. Keep an eye on it – just a few minutes should be enough. Rinse with warm water and dry carefully with a soft cloth.
Pour one small cup of detergent into a bowl of hot water and place the silver jewelry inside. Leave for 5 minutes, remove and rub with a soft cloth. The laundry detergent reacts with the water creating a foamy substance a little like how the baking soda reacts, but much foamier.
Your 925 silver is valuable and is certainly worth selling if this is something you wish to do. Though knowing how much your silver is worth can be difficult to determine without an appraisal. How much silver you are selling and the current value of silver can influence what your item can be sold for.
Since 925 sterling silver is almost pure silver, it's likely to have a lesser reaction to water. This means that it's completely okay to get this type of sterling silver wet. Just be sure to dry it off as much as possible after!
Pure silver is not susceptible to tarnish in a pure oxygen environment. However, the copper that is contained in 925 sterling silver may react to the ozone and hydrogen sulfide in the air and cause sterling silver to tarnish. Perfumes, hair sprays, and profuse sweating can also cause a quicker formation of tarnish.
Maybe you have wondered why over time your silver bracelet dulls or starts to turn black? I can assure you it is not because your Sterling (925) Silver is “bad”. Long-term wear and your chemical body compound gradually dulls or darkens the silver's shine. Your silver will also tarnish sitting unloved on your dresser.
Sterling silver, even real . 925 sterling silver, will always tarnish. While pure 99.9% silver does not tarnish, any sterling silver will tarnish over time as a result of the metal mixed in. However, fortunately there are many ways to keep sterling silver from tarnishing.
If your silver jewellery has stubborn, built-up tarnish, make a thick paste from bicarbonate of soda and lukewarm water. Apply the paste to any tarnished spots and leave it for 3 minutes. Then gently rub the paste to remove it.
925 silver oxidizes when exposed to air leading to chemical changes in its wake. Using a soft white cloth, rub a small part of the jewelry, if the surface produces a black mark it would mean that the product is sterling silver. On the other hand, the color change would be absent in fake merchandise.
Baking soda is abrasive which means it can damage lightly sealed surfaces or discolor some metals. Here's a list of some places you should avoid using it. Aluminum cookware. Baking soda can usually be used on many metal surfaces but take caution with aluminum.
For cleaning, use bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) as it's non-toxic easy-to-use and effective at fighting baked on grease and food. The difference between baking powder and baking soda is that baking powder is bicarbonate of soda with cream of tartar added to it, this acts as a raising agent for baking purposes.
Baking Soda + Vinegar
"Baking soda is basic and vinegar is acidic," says Bock. "When you put them together you get mostly water and sodium acetate. But really, just mostly water." Plus, vinegar causes baking soda to foam up. If stored in a closed container, the mixture can explode.