Do you want your silver earrings to gleam again? Try this method
All of us have had some silver jewelry which has tarnished over time. Oxidation of silver is a very common, irritating fact of life. So what can we do? Don't worry, because there are many ways to "save" tarnished silver.
Read on to learn about some DIY methods to clean your blackened silver jewelry:
Why does silver turn black?
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Silver is a very delicate metal, so silver jewelry is never made from pure silver. To make silver useable as a decorative material, it needs to be mixed with an alloy to strengthen it.
In the case of silver, the alloy is copper. But copper reacts with the oxygen present in the air and causes the tarnishing. But, there are ways to deal with this:
Here's a way to clean silver quickly
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Of course, there are commercial products to clean silver, but you can opt for a DIY solution. No doubt you will have heard that toothpaste, baking soda and lemon juice are very effective for cleaning silver objects. But here's another remedy made from the following: distilled water and citric acid.
Preparation:
- Take 1 teaspoon of powdered citric acid and combine it with half a cup of distilled water. Mix well until you obtain a smooth and homogeneous paste and put your jewelry into this paste. Leave for about 15 minutes and then take the jewelry out. Rinse off under running water and dry/polish gently with a soft cloth.
- Alternatively, you can put the paste directly onto a cloth and wrap the earrings inside it, leaving it to act for about 10 minutes. Afterwards, rinse off and dry/polish gently with a soft cloth.
Once you have done this, your jewelry should be gleaming again and ready to wear proudly!
Alternatively, you can try this...
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If you don't have citric acid and/or can't get any, we suggest the following alternative method. In most homes, alcohol can be found. Alcohol is excellent for cleaning silver. Proceed as follows:
Combine 4 parts water with 1 part alcohol. Mix well, then moisten a cloth with the mixture and rub it delicately on the tarnished jewelry. Then dry thoroughly, revealing the now-shiny silver.
Did you already know these tips and have you ever used them?
