Has Hurricane Irma soaked your belongings, including your jewelry? Here’s a guide on how to clean your sterling silver jewelry using things that can be found at home.
If you are a jewelry shop or a jewelry lover that has been affected by the recent hurricane, your jewelry collection has probably been soaked along with your other belongings. Sterling silver doesn’t do well with long soaks in dirty water. Also, when it comes in contact with sulfur, silver would appear discolored and dirty because sulfur chemically bonds to its surface. With that said, you must immediately have your pieces cleaned. No need to spend money for professional cleaning; here’s a guide on how you can bring back your sterling silver jewelry’s brilliance and luster.
Mild soap and water
This is the easiest and most convenient cleaning option. All you have to do is fill a bowl with warm water and add a few drops of mild dishwashing liquid soap, preferably sulfate and phosphate-free. Using a lint-free towel, gently rub off the dirt of the piece. Rinse with clean lukewarm water and dry using a clean, dry microfiber or lint-free cloth.
Baking soda, salt, and aluminum foil
You think that’s a crazy combination? Yes, it is! But it’s effective in cleaning silver. Line a bowl with a sheet of aluminum foil, with the dull side facing down. Place your silver jewelry on top of the foil. Mix a tablespoon of baking soda and a tablespoon of salt in another bowl filled with boiling water. Make sure they are fully dissolved to avoid scratches from granules. Pour the mixture into the bowl with your jewelry and watch as the dirt and tarnish transfer to the foil. Rinse the pieces afterward with clean lukewarm water and dry with a lint-free cloth.
Laundry detergent and aluminum foil
The aluminum foil method also works with laundry detergent. As with the previous method, line a bowl with aluminum foil. Mix one tablespoon of laundry detergent powder with hot water in a separate bowl and dissolve completely. Pour the mixture onto your silver pieces and after a few minutes rinse with clean lukewarm water and dry with a microfiber cloth.
Lemon juice and olive oil
Use a bowl to mix half a cup of lemon juice with a teaspoon of olive oil. Dip a clean microfiber cloth into the mixture and gently rub the silver pieces until all the dirt is gone. Rinse with lukewarm water and dry with another microfiber towel.
Ketchup
This condiment works well with sterling silver discoloration. All you need to do is put some tomato ketchup on a lint-free cloth and gently rub your jewelry pieces until they are completely covered. Let the ketchup sit for 10 to 15 minutes then rub clean using another lint-free towel. This cleaning method is most convenient, so if you are a shop that sells wholesale sterling silver rings and other jewelry or even an antique shop owner, make sure that you have a bottle of ketchup with you.
White vinegar and baking soda
This method is ideal for pieces with thick layers of dirt and tarnish. Make a solution of half a cup of white vinegar and two tablespoons of baking soda. Soak your jewelry in the solution for a couple of hours. Check if all the dirt has gone off the pieces. Afterward, rinse with running water and dry with a lint-free towel.
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Have you tried cleaning your sterling silver jewelry with these methods? If so, which one do you think is the most effective?
