The Spruce / Sarah Crowley
Silver jewelry will tarnish if the pieces are not cleaned regularly.
Bothsterling silverandsilver-platedjewelry will tarnish over time.
Most methods for cleaning silver jewelry work well for sterling silver and silver-plated pieces.
The Spruce / Sarah Crowley
Tip
Use a magnet to determine if your silver is sterling or plated.
A magnet will not stick to sterling silver but it will be attracted to plated silver.
It is best to use these cleaning methods on silver jewelry that does not have gemstones or other inlays.
The Spruce / Sarah Crowley
In addition, avoid getting the ingredients on stones or inlays, keeping the cleaner directly on the silver.
Keep the cleaner off of the stones and inlays.
Check the labels for proper usage.
The Spruce / Sarah Crowley
Use baking soda infrequently to clean jewelry because it is a gentle abrasive.
If you must use baking soda, do not let the paste touch the gemstones or inlays.
Make a paste by mixing 1 part water and 3 partsbaking sodain a small bowl.
The Spruce / Sarah Crowley
Wet the jewelry and apply the paste with a softmicrofiber cloth.
Work on a small area at a time and gently rub in circles to remove the tarnish.
Keep moving to a clean part of the cloth as the tarnish is transferred.
The Spruce / Sarah Crowley
Make a paste by mixing 1 partlemon juiceand 3 parts baking soda in a small bowl.
Dip a damp microfiber cloth in the paste and work in a small area at a time.
Keep the paste off of gemstones or inlays on your silver jewelry.
The Spruce / Sarah Crowley
Keep the ketchup off of gemstones or inlays as best as possible.
Use a sponge or soft cloth.
Work in small circles and wipe away the tarnish.
The Spruce / Sarah Crowley
Rinse the jewelry in warm water and buff dry with a soft cloth.
Clean With Toothpaste
Toothpaste could also be effective at removing silver tarnish.
Be sure to use plain non-geltoothpastethat does not contain additional whitening ingredients.
The Spruce / Sarah Crowley
Wash unembellished silver jewelry to remove body soil.
Keep the toothpaste off of gemstones or inlays.
Keep moving to a clean part of the cloth as the tarnish is transferred.
The Spruce / Sarah Crowley
Use a Vinegar and Baking Soda Soak
Use vinegar and baking soda for unembellished silver jewelry.
Add the jewelry and allow it to soak for two to three hours.
Rinse with cold water and dry with a microfiber cloth.
Only use this cleaning method on plain silver jewelry.
Do not soak any piece with added gemstones, enamel, or other embellishments.
Add the jewelry to the water-baking soda solution and ensure it touches the aluminum foil.
Do not crowd the bowl or allow the silver pieces to touch each other.
Let the silver soak until no more tarnish is visible.
Remove the silver from the solution with plastic-tipped tongs, and buff with a soft, dry microfiber cloth.
It will also remove so much of the patina that ornate patterns are lost.
It is not recommended for use with valuable silver jewelry, especially if it has gemstones and inlays.
Regular cleaning is ideal because it’s easier than waiting until the surface of your jewelry is completely black.
For silver jewelry you wear daily, cleaning every other month is usually sufficient.
Rinse and dry the jewelry with a soft towel.
Do not use harsh items like chlorine bleach or steel wool to clean silver.
The acetic acid in distilled white vinegar can remove tarnish from silver jewelry.
