cleaning silver jewellery

lil_me

Metal polishing
Cleaning silver

i) use baking soda and a clean, damp sponge. Make a paste of baking soda and water. Scoop the paste onto the sponge, and rub the paste into the silver. Rinse with hot water and polish dry with a soft, clean cloth. For badly tarnished silver, leave the baking soda paste on the silver for an hour or so, before cleaning off with the help of the sponge and hot water.

ii) For cleaning silver put the items in a bowl with a handful of washing soda and some aluminium foil cover the items with enough water to cover them. Make sure that all the silver is touching the foil at one place or another. Take the silver out and rinse in hot water and dry thoroughly.

iii) Mix baking soda with lemon juice, and either let silver item stand in mixture for a minute then wipe with a rag dipped in the mixture and you'll see an amazing shine. Or, if the item to be cleaned is larger, no need to soak item, just rub with a cloth or rag that has been dipped in

v) Boil silver 3 minutes in a quart of water containing: 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, and a piece of aluminum foil. Or, rub silver with a baking soda/water paste and a soft cloth; rinse and polish dry. Or, rub with toothpaste. Use a toothbrush to clean raised surfaces. Be careful not to scratch surfaces. Be gentle and use a light hand.

No vinegar so ner ner !!! :rotfl:

Taken from House of Strauss I believe, have it in a list I have made.

Pink.

Hi shelly,

To remove tarnish from silver:

Place some scrunched up tin foil in a dish. Then add some soda crystals and pour on hot water. Immerse the jewellery so that it comes into contact with the tin foil. Leave it for a few minutes, then rinse, dry and polish. I don't know why it works but it does.

This older thread might help you: cleaning silver jewellry

Pink

shelly

Thank-you both for your speedy replies. I appreciate them

lil_me

Who won the bet ?

(PS you can use it, http://www.thenewhomemaker.com/node/277 like it says on there, but was determined to find my no vinegar needed one)

lil_me

Pink I know I know I know :rotfl: my sons been watching that dreaded programme again Higgly Town Heroes! Remembering what I did learn at school and searching found this explaination which sums up what I was looking for in a much better way than I was trying to describe it, it's got figures too

The usual tarnish on silver is the black sulfide. The cool thing about this is that you can instantly remove the tarnish from any silver item with commonly available household items, and I do mean fast!

Aluminum is far above silver in the activity series for metals, and in a suitable solution will reduce the silver in the silver sulfide, reforming silver metal. The reaction is spontaneous and rapid in warm water:

2Al(s) + 3Ag2S(s) + 6H2O -> 6Ag(s) + 2Al2(OH)3(s) + 3H2S(aq)

So, all you have to do is get a container big enough for the silver item, partially fill it with warm water and a couple tablespoons of sodium bicarbonate, a.k.a. baking soda, place some clean aluminum foil in the container and then just dunk the tarnished item in the bucket. The silver item has to touch the aluminum. It works in a few seconds, no scratches, no muss, no fuss, and then all you you do is rinse the item off. There is no adverse environmental impact, none of the ingredients are in any way toxic (they are food grade!), there is no abrasion or scratching of the silver and you can use your bare hands to remove the treated items from the solution. Just rinse and dry the silver when you are done, & pour the "used" solution down the drain! Re-use or recycle the aluminum foil.

A big old aluminum cooking pot works well as long as you use some steel wool on it first to remove the native aluminum oxide. This "treatment" works on silver plate, jewellry, any tarnished silver. Try it friends! Better living through chemistry!

shelly

lil_me wrote:

Who won the bet ?

Wasn't a bet against each other, it was a bet against you OS'ers.
I said I was going to post on here and he said "I bet it'll contain vinegar" I agreed. :rotfl:

stressedaah30

i saw on tv prog fag ash (sorry cigarette) is good and ive tried it and does a good job just apply on dry cloth and rub well has brought my silver money box silver photo frame and silver bracelet up lovely

superdog_3

A blob of toothpaste will work (and you dont need to mix it with vinegar)

bibbly

yes i use toothpaste on my bangle that i can't get off (put on weight after i put it on and now it's stuck for ever!!!) lol

it works beautifully.

bibbly
x

rozeepozee

I've a variety of jewellery that I haven't worn for ages and can't wear as it's stained. I'm off out tonight. Any suggestions on how to clean silver quickly (I don't have time for polishing today). can I put it in some diluted bleach?

Thanks in advance!