This is the easiest method to clean your tarnished silver jewellery (or silver cutlery, if you were thinking about getting it out for the Christmas dinner, but couldn’t be bothered to spend hours polishing it).
All you need:
- Container that fits your jewellery (or whatever silver or silver plated pieces you’re cleaning)
- Aluminium foil
- Bicarbonate of Soda
- Boiling Water
Imogen, I see that all of your jewelery is flat. If you use this method, will it remove the patina and definition from sculpted pieces like a silver dip does? I love the simplicity, but I don’t want to lose the definition in, say the handles of my mother’s silverware. Thanks!
It doesn’t get everything off Pamela so I’d think the definition would stay.
How timely!! I’ve been looking at my silver hoops, thinking of cleaning them. Last time I used a special paste for cleaning silver but it didn’t work very well… Will try soda.
I love this idea but I was wondering about the safety of cleaning silver with more delicate gemstones –such as pearls, opals, emeralds, etc. Has anyone tried this?
Really not sure – but it seems quite a mild method
Gina, vinegar will dissolve pearls but I don’t know about baking soda. This sounds like a great no-fuss method for cleaning silver pieces. If only I had some. 🙂
Baking soda shouldn’t (though don’t take my word for it) because it’s a base and vinegar is acidic. Still, I think if you have pearls, you should take the jewels to a professional. I’d try these methods only on plain silver jewelry.
Toothpaste can also be used as a rub with water to clean silver. I had the bicarbonate method remove the patina from crevices so I don’t use it on detailed silver and use toothpaste instead. Works great and leaves your silver minty fresh! LOL
The baking soda method of cleaning is recommended only for jewelry that is all sterling silver and those that incorporate plastic, glass or crystal beads. Some gemstones are affected by the baking soda reaction–for example, turquoise.
Two other methods I have not personally tried:
Denture cleaner tablets like “Steradent”. Drop a tablet in warm water with whatever jewels and metals you want cleaned and let the tablet do the hard work.
A few minutes later (up to 30 min soaking) just rinse it all off and you won’t believe how clean and sparkling it all is. One small box of tablets will last you for years and you will always have them on hand whenever you want to clean your sterling silver jewelry.
or
Using brown vinegar on your silver jewellery, just soak your jewelry in the vinegar over night
I have already used this method to clean my necklaces and I should say that they look like new! This is the best method to clean silver. Everyone should clean their jewellery in this way!
Can I clean a vintage amber ring this way? It is a beautiful old silver ring with a large blood red amber on it and it needs a cleaning, but I’m afraid not to damage the amber. Should I try, or is it better to take it to a professional?
I’m not sure – you would have to do some research or ask a jeweller
For a really comprehensive guide on cleaning silverware check the article I have linked in my comment name. It’s the most thorough resource about cleaning silver I’ve found to date.
Easy, fast and not much chit chat about cleaning my silver jewelery. That’s what I was looking for: an efficient and fast method, explain in a very short text. Thanks for the info! Writing this comment actually took me more than reading your, LOL. Keep up the good work, Imogen. 🙂