Silver-plated jewelry is attractive and lustrous, but over time it tends to lose its luster and become tarnished. This happens when the silver reacts with moisture and air leading it to oxidize. To restore the piece to its original shine, the jewelry needs to be properly cleaned and taken care of.
Silver-plate refers to a thin layer of silver that has been coated onto a base metal to make it appear like solid silver. Unlike silver, cleaning silver-plated jewelry requires more care as the plating has potential to get damaged, exposing the metal underneath.
How to clean silver plated jewelry? Below, By Boe has listed some ways you can get rid of the tarnish and restore the silver-plated pieces back to their former glory, without damaging the silver plate.
Table of Contents
Why does silver plated jewellery tarnish?
Not just is silver plated jewelry magic and may be worn out by all, but in addition, it adds some warmth and elegance to any ensemble. Yet over the years, it tends to lose its sheen and also eventually become slightly tarnished.
This occurs when the silver reacts with moisture and atmosphere directing it to oxidize. As dust, dirt, and oil accumulate to the silver plating, the jewelry begins to dull or seem darkened.
To reestablish silver plated jewelry to its original glow, the jewelry must be properly washed and cared for. This may be accomplished using some household items.
Read also:
https://www.byboe.com/why-does-fake-jewelry-turn-your-skin-green/
How To Clean Silver Plated Jewellery
Silver plated jewelry adds a gorgeous touch of glamour and glows to any outfit. From silver rings, for casual wear to invoice silver bracelets that produce a dazzling evening appearance, silver jewelry is as adaptable as it’s simple to wear.
But if not cared for properly, over time, it can begin to lose its glow. Discover the way to care for properly and clean silver plated jewelry.
Light Cleaning – Soap and Water
If your silver-plated things show a few signs of tarnish and call for a light wash, plain old soap and warm water may restore their glow.
- Use a mild liquid soap and warm water to make a foamy solution in a container. Submerge the jewelry from the water for many minutes.
- With a soft cloth, rub on the things, taking care to cover all of the surfaces. If the jewelry has plenty of grooves or elaborate engravings, utilize a soft-bristled toothbrush to get the dirt from these regions.
- After wash, rinse the things in warm water.
- Wipe with a lint-free cloth entirely and ensure that the jewelry is adequately dried before you keep them off.
Light Cleaning – Jewelry Polishing Cloth
Pick a fantastic excellent jewelry cleaning fabric that will wash dirt and tarnish in addition to giving the bits a glow when polished. Buff your jewelry in between heavier cleans to keep its luster.
It is also possible to provide your silver-plated jewelry a fast polish after consuming them to eliminate anybody oils, pollutants, or chemicals that might be present. These may accelerate tarnishing. But, don’t forget to be very gentle with all the plating and wash the piece lightly, without massaging it.
Read more:
https://www.byboe.com/how-to-clean-fine-jewelry/
https://www.byboe.com/how-to-clean-platinum-jewelry/
https://www.byboe.com/how-long-does-gold-filled-jewelry-last/
Deep Cleaning – Aluminum Foil and Baking Soda
This way is ideal in the event the silver-plated jewelry is significantly tarnished. It’s nearly sure to remove tarnish and restore the luster of silver. In addition, this way is mild on the silver plating since it does not need any contact with the plate. Instead, it helps the chemical process that resulted in the tarnish to just reverse itself.
- Utilize an aluminum pan or line a glass jar with aluminum foil with this particular method. Ensure that the shiny side of the aluminum foil faces upward.
- Add equal parts of baking soda and salt (approximately around 1 tbsp each) into the bowl.
- Insert sufficient hot water into the bowl to dissolve the powders.
- Submerge your silver-plated jewelry at the solution and leave it for a few minutes. If needed, add more water so the jewelry is submerged correctly.
- You’ll discover black and yellowish flakes drifting away in the jewelry. This is the sulfur, precisely what causes the oxidization from the silver, becoming attracted to the foil and breaking away from the surfaces of this jewelry.
- If you feel that the tarnish has primarily come off the silver, take out the pieces and rub a lint-free cloth or a paper towel.
- Rinse the silver-plated things in warm water and dry thoroughly using a lint-free cloth.
Here’s a video that demonstrates how to do this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlEhP1wO_js
Commercial Silver-Plate Jewelry Cleaner
You may elect to obtain a commercial cleaner that operates on silver-plated jewelry. However, these will not always be more powerful than the methods mentioned previously. So instead, pick a cleaner that can be labeled for use on silver-plated jewelry like this one. This will make sure you don’t inadvertently hurt your jewelry.
How to Store Silver-Plated Jewelry
- Before you set your silver plated jewelry things away, be sure they’re free from moisture. Exposure to water and air is the thing that causes silver to tarnish, so always keep silver plated jewelry in an excellent, dry location.
- If you are unsure how to shop silver plated jewelry, then keep it in a plastic Ziploc bag and get all of the air out. This will lessen interaction with the atmosphere, which can slow down the speed of tarnish.
- As an additional measure of warning, wrap your silver plated jewelry in anti-tarnish paper until you sell it off.
- Stay away from harsh chemicals when wearing your silver plated jewelry. Chemicals like chlorine, bleach and household detergents can harm your silver plated jewelry and contribute to tarnish. Permanently remove your silver plated jewelry when swimming in heavily chlorinated pools, doing household chores, or doing whatever you cause to sweat too.
- Avoid scrubbing your silver plated jewelry using abrasive cloths or cleansers. These things can remove the tarnish, but they’re also able to eliminate the silver plating in your own silver plated jewelry. Therefore, always choose cleaner and soft fabrics since silver plated jewelry is delicate and can renege.
- Toothpaste is not recommended as a cleaner for silver plated items because the silica present in toothpaste can scratch your silver plated items.
- Remember that you may get your silver plated jewelry re-plated when the outer coating flakes off many.
Conclusion
Beautiful jewelry will help you attract people’s attention. However, to keep their attractive appearance, you must regularly clean your jewelry. Each type of jewelry requires a specific cleaning regimen and silver plated jewelry too.
You have to be careful to use the cleaning methods recommended for silver plated jewelry if you follow our guidelines above. So your silver plated jewelry will always shine and look new for years or even forever. We hope this article was helpful to you!
