How can you clean gold and silver chains. How to clean a silver chain at home from blackness - different ways. Folk ways to clean a silver chain

14.04.2019

Many women prefer to wear silver jewelry - they are beautiful, original and cost much less than gold jewelry. But such products have one drawback - over time they darken and lose their original shine. You need to know how to clean a chain or other silver jewelry to make it shine again.

V jewelry stores can buy special solution for cleaning. Alternatively, the Zepter liquid is suitable, which is used to clean the dishes of this manufacturer.

Also, special ultrasonic cleaners are used to clean silver. But they are not available to everyone, so it will be useful to find out how you can clean silver jewelry with improvised means at home.

Below you will find the most popular and proven methods.

It should not be colored or gelatinous. Take a soft bristled brush, squeeze out some paste, and rub the chain the way you brush your teeth.

Rinse in water and evaluate the result - if darkening remains, then repeat the procedure again.

When the chain is shiny, rinse it off and blot with a cloth. Instead of a paste, you can use tooth powder or chalk, ground in a mortar.

Ammonia

Pour 0.5 teaspoon of ammonia into a glass of warm water. Dip the chain there and hold it in the solution for 15 minutes. Then rinse and dry.

Mix equal amounts of chalk and ammonia, and rub the mixture over the decoration. Then rinse and dry.

Soda

Combine soda and water in a 3: 1 ratio, mix thoroughly. Apply the resulting mass to the chain, rub it well with a toothbrush. and then with a soft cloth. Rinse with water. Repeat the procedure if necessary.

Another way with baking soda is to spread cling foil on the bottom of the saucepan and place a chain on top. Add two tablespoons of baking soda and completely cover the product with water.

Boil for 20 minutes, rinse the chain and dry.

Potato broth

Boil two potatoes, and pour the broth into a ceramic container, on the bottom of which you first lay a foil and put a chain.

After 15 minutes have passed, rinse the product and dry.

Salt with baking soda

Spread aluminum foil on the table, place a chain on top and sprinkle two teaspoons of salt and soda on it. Wrap the decoration in foil and place in a saucepan with soapy water, boil for a few minutes.

Then let it brew for 10 minutes, rinse the chain and remove all moisture with a cloth.

How to prevent darkening of silver?

As you can see, there are many ways to clean jewelry. But all of them give a noticeable effect only for a while, after which silver items fade again and begin to darken.

To prevent this, follow the tips to prevent browning.

Each time you remove your jewelry, wipe it with a soft flannel cloth.

Store your silverware in a special box with a velvet bottom. At the same time, it is not recommended to put jewelry made of other metals into it.

You can watch a video on how to clean silver in different ways below.

Silver is a beautiful, attractive, even mystical metal. Decorations from it are given special meaning... Many believe that the silver chain conveys information about the physical and state of mind its owner, and if the silver has darkened, the person is in health problems or has been jinxed. One can doubt the relationship between the appearance of a dark coating on silver and the health of the owner, but the owner will have to refresh the darkened metal in any case. If you don’t want to give the jewelry to a jeweler for cleaning, you can clean it silver chain home methods.

Reasons for the formation of plaque on jewelry

Based on modern scientific information, the appearance on silver of a gray, black, greenish or rusty coating is caused by absolutely objective reasons, although some of them are related to the life processes of the human body, who regularly uses this jewelry.

The darkening process of silver is a chemical oxidation reaction, the result of which is the formation of the thinnest film of sulfur sulfide on the metal, sometimes with an admixture of copper or iron oxide, giving, respectively, greenish or yellowish tints.

Being an objective sluggish process, the oxidation of silver, however, can be accelerated by the action on the metal of certain external factors, namely:

Constant high air humidity;
Regular exposure to bright ultraviolet light;
Contact with chemical elements such as sulfur and hydrogen sulfide.

Since the presence of sulfur in human sweat has been scientifically proven, a constantly sweating person will notice the darkening of his silver jewelry than one who is free from such a physiological deficiency. Excessive sweating is typical for people who often catch colds, for the elderly, and for those who take certain types of medications. These categories have to pay particular attention to the condition of their silver jewelry.

Also in the "risk group" are athletes and people involved in physical labor, in connection with which it is not customary to give silver chains to football players or miners.

Hydrogen sulfide is present in some cosmetic preparations, it can be dissolved in sea water and is found in the chemical industry. Therefore, it is recommended to remove the silver chain when relaxing at sea, when applying cream or when working with chemicals. Intensive solar radiation is, on the one hand, the cause of active perspiration of human skin, on the other hand, it becomes a catalyst for the oxidative process.

The quality of the metal also matters. The slowest oxidation occurs on the surface of 925 sterling silver jewelry, or, as they say among jewelers, on the surface sterling silver... That's why given view silver experts recommend for everyday wear.

How to clean silver?

The plaque that appears on silver is sulfur sulfide, it is just a film-like coating and can be removed even with home methods. That is why you can independently clean almost any silver jewelry and objects to a shine, be it rings, bracelets, a cross or silverware.

However, the cleaning approach will differ due to the quality of the metal, as rust or copper oxides may need to be removed in parallel. Also, cleaning can be complicated by the presence of a coating or inserts that must be able to properly clean, without violating the identity of the decoration.

There are a lot of ways to clean silver, to decide which one to give preference to, it is worth reading user reviews.

Peroxide

This method cleaning silver is very risky. This is due to the peculiarity of the chemical reaction between hydrogen peroxide and metal. Since the composition of the silver alloy can be completely unpredictable, it can contain components that, when exposed to hydrogen peroxide, will blacken even more.

Similar effect has been described many times in posts on jeweler forums warning silver jewelry owners against similar method cleaning. Darkening can be partial or complete, but in any case, the appearance of the chain will be hopelessly spoiled. At the same time, it is mentioned that in order to "save" the injured product, the owner will have to contact a specialist jeweler, since it will be impossible to cope with such a reaction at home.

Since it is impossible to say absolutely exactly what kind of impurities are included in the composition of a particular silver alloy, then at least one should not risk using such a substance as hydrogen peroxide for its purification.

In vinegar

Wash the silver chain in vinegar, judging by the reviews of those who have tried this method, it is quite safe. However, it must be remembered that speech in in this case it is either a 9% solution of food vinegar, or a bite of wine, which is filtered to remove sediment. Vinegar essence, or a thick sediment that may be present in wine vinegar, it is dangerous to purify silver.

Vinegar does an excellent job, since it contains acid, the concentration of which is sufficient to affect the sulfur sulfide film. At the same time, it is not capable of causing damage to such a soft metal such as silver.

In the event that the silver chain has only minor contamination, it will be easiest to wipe it soft cloth dipped in a vinegar solution and restore its original shine.

To remove more serious stains, you will need to apply more cardinal method, which is designed to remove medium dirt:

The chain fits into a plastic container;
Then a 9% solution of food vinegar is poured, which completely covers the chain;
For exposure, both 20-30 minutes and up to one or two hours may be enough; you have to visually control the cleaning process;
Then the chain is rinsed under running water and polished with a soft cloth.

The next way suitable for dealing with significant browning on a chain:

We heat table vinegar until it boils;
We omit the chain;
Remove the solution from heat and leave for 15 minutes;
Using tweezers, take out the chain, rinse it under running water and leave it to dry on a soft napkin.

Citric acid

Citric acid is not difficult to get at any of the grocery stores.

This substance is often used for descaling, as it has good cleaning properties, and therefore it is recommended to use it for cleaning silver jewelry.

She successfully affects the black plaque that appears on the chain. The process of its removal is a sample of a mild chemical reaction, for the full course of which it is required carefully observe all the prerequisites.

Method number 1, which is used for cleaning with citric acid, is simple, it is perfect for restoring lightly soiled silver jewelry, for example, for a gray chain:

Pour half a liter of water into an enamel pan;
We dilute in water 30 gr. citric acid;
Bring the solution to a boil and turn it off;
We put the chain in a hot solution and leave it for half an hour;
We remove, rinse with water and wipe dry.

Method number 2 is used for significantly darkened jewelry, it is also suitable for removing rust from the chain:

We breed 20 gr. citric acid in 100 ml of water;
Place the food foil on the bottom of a small enamel pot;
Put the blackened chain on the foil, wrap the edges of the foil so that the decoration is "in an envelope";
Bring the composition to a boil, then reduce the intensity of the fire and continue to boil for 10 minutes;
The appearance of black flakes in the water, or yellow color is an indicator of the cleaning efficiency;
We remove the chain with tweezers, trying not to touch the flakes floating on the surface of the water, otherwise they will again settle on the metal;
We rinse the chain in running water, wipe it with a microfiber cloth, gently polishing it.

Method number 3 will help to cope with significant contamination:

We dilute 20 g of citric acid in 100 ml of water, pour the resulting composition into a container for a water bath;
We place a chain in the prepared solution;
Then we lower a small piece of copper wire there;
We heat the solution in a water bath and boil for 30 minutes;
With care we take out the chain from the hot solution;
We rinse the chain under running water and let it dry, wiping it with a soft microfiber cloth from time to time.

Other means

At home, you can wash a silver chain from blackness with the help of many available tools.

Ammonia

One of the very common techniques, as Internet users write, is to remove black plaque from silver using a solution of ammonia, which can be purchased at every pharmacy and used at home. according to the recipe below:

In 100 ml of water we dilute 1 teaspoon of ammonia and a small amount of dishwashing detergents or liquid soap;
We place the darkened silver chain in the solution and keep it in it until the metal is brightened;
We wash the chain and wipe it dry with a soft cloth.

Salt

You can quickly and effectively clean a darkened silver chain using a regular table salt... The advantage of using this substance is that salt is always at hand for every housewife. There are many ways to purify silver with salt. Among them there are very simple ones that are suitable for removing a small plaque from the decoration, but there are also quite complex ones that can restore the color of even a neglected product.

An important point in the use of salt is the issue of its quality, since salt with additives cannot be used to purify silver.

We spread the chain on the surface of the flannel or microfiber;
We abundantly fill the decoration with table salt;
We roll up the fabric with the contents and place it on the bottom of a glass or plastic container;
Fill in water, completely covering the package, and leave for an hour or an hour and a half;
After extraction, rinse the chain under the stream hot water, wipe and polish.

Method # 2 will help to remove contaminants from the links in the chain. medium:

Put food foil on the bottom of the plastic container, on which we put the chain;
We fill the decoration with salt mixed with baking soda(sodium bicarbonate) in equal proportions;
Close the edges of the foil and fill the package with hot water;
The exposure time is 1 hour, after which we take out the chain;
We wash the jewelry under running water, wipe and polish with a soft cloth.

Non-standard ways

In addition to the above methods removing plaque from silver jewelry, which users call reliable and proven, there are a lot of very many on the network unexpected ways cleaning this metal.

For example:

The way in which it is used raw potatoes... Rub 1 potato on a fine-mesh grater, squeeze the juice, in which the chain is soaked until the desired effect is obtained;
Method using potato broth, in which the decoration is "boiled" for half an hour;
A method in which the chain is placed in food foil, placed on the bottom of a saucepan and poured with hot potato broth, leaving to act for 20 minutes;
A method using Coca-Cola, in which the chain is simply poured with a fresh drink and left in this state for 1 hour.

How to save a severely blackened chain?

In the event that the chain has a very serious pollution or, if the owner of the jewelry does not trust home cleaning methods, he can always purchase one of professional cleansers for silver, which is offered in every jewelry store.

Sunlight Jewelry Cleaner

This remedy the manufacturer positions itself as safe and effective composition for quick cleaning of silver jewelry. Judging by customer reviews, this drug copes with its task at a C grade. The cost of a 100 ml bottle is from 250 rubles to 500 rubles.

Font

A solution that has a high acid composition, and therefore is able to clean the silver chain very quickly and efficiently. It is necessary to use this composition with gloves; it is necessary to lower and remove the product with tweezers. The cost of 50 ml is about 60 rubles.

Aladdin

This tool is reusable, it cleans the jewelry literally within a minute, protects for some time from the appearance of plaque, as evidenced by customer reviews. The cost of 50 ml of the product is approximately 64 rubles.

Leuchtturm

This drug cleans not only black, but also green bloom from the surface of silver. Many users are satisfied with it, but they advise not to leave the chain in this composition for more than half a minute. After cleaning, Leuchtturm creates an invisible protective film on the surface of the chain, thanks to which the radiant appearance decorations. The product costs about 400 rubles for 250 ml.

585

One of effective ways restoring blackened silver jewelry is called the following:

Place the chain on a piece of food foil, fill it with plenty of salt and wrap it in an "envelope";
Pour into a saucepan soap solution, made from 1 teaspoon of any soap, grated on a fine grater (it is best to take laundry soap) and 200 ml of water;
We put the bundle with the chain in a soapy solution;
Bring the solution to boiling point, then reduce the heat and continue to boil for 15 minutes.
We remove the chain from the hot solution using tongs and leave it to cool completely;
We wash the cooled chain under running water, wipe and polish.

Many people prefer silver jewelry over gold. They are inexpensive, but they look beautiful and noble. Only after a certain time has elapsed the products fade. Many factors influence the darkening of silver jewelry, including sweat, moisture, and long storage in the dark, and this cannot be avoided. So it turns out that such jewelry require constant care so as not to turn into an unattractive trinket. Therefore, the owners have a problem - how to make a ring, bracelet or chain made of silver clean and shiny again.

Today there are many ready-made funds in order to clean silver jewelry. Some jewelry stores sell cleaning agents along with the jewelry. The cleaner can be in the form of wipes, liquid, and even sold special soap... Instructions are attached to each reagent, but we will not dwell on them, but consider a way to clean silver at home using improvised means. The silver chain can be cleaned well with toothpaste or powder. The paste is needed white, not colored or helium. Apply it to the faded chain and rub with a soft toothbrush. Then the chain must be washed in water and dried with a soft cloth.
Also cleans the chain with ammonia solution or ammonia... Make soapy water in a glass and add five drops of ammonia, then put your product in this solution for fifteen minutes. Then rinse thoroughly and dry with a soft cloth. You can stir the same ammonia with chalk and wipe the chain with it. Well, then wash and dry.

Here is one of the easiest ways. A chain or other silver jewelry should be boiled with potato peelings. Put a handful of potato peelings in a small saucepan, and when the water starts to boil, put the chain there, let it simmer for about fifteen minutes. Your chain will shine like new. This method is good because nothing needs to be specially prepared.

Cleans well silverware soda:

Add a few drops of water to a tablespoon of baking soda and wipe the chain well, and wash thoroughly after the procedure.
Put foil on the bottom in a small saucepan, pour water and add a couple of tablespoons of baking soda, put on fire. When it starts to boil, put the chain in there and boil for five or seven minutes.
Instead of soda, you can use citric acid, the result will be the same.
Place a chain on aluminum food foil, pour a little soda and salt on top, wrap it all in foil and boil in soapy water. Next, rinse the chain and wipe dry with a soft cloth.

Good for removing tarnishing from silver olive oil... The cambric cloth should be moistened with olive oil, then rub the chain until it shines, then wash warm water with soap and dry with a cloth. Olive oil can be replaced with vinegar: you need to lower the silver chain in a glass of vinegar for a couple of hours, then rinse and dry.

Silver chain is wonderful gift, universal accessory and simple beautiful decoration... Almost every person has it or has it. Someone's not the most best experience from silver, they throw out items from it as soon as they darken. Others, on the contrary, are delighted with this metal, because they know its value and beneficial features, are considered noble, and most importantly, they are familiar with how to clean a silver chain at home from blackness.

The oxidation process of silver is practically unavoidable. This material, like other elements from the chemical table, actively reacts with various substances... The most harmful effects occur after exposure to ozone and sulfur. Where do they meet:

V environment(in the air);
In water;
In cosmetics;
In household chemicals.

Besides, human body regularly releases fat and sweat on the skin surface; they contain various components to which silver reacts very aggressively. Negative influence increases when you take a shower without removing the chain, go in for sports, sweat profusely in it, swim in the sea. Moreover, taking medications, some of their components come out along with perspiration, which is negatively perceived by the silver chain.

Despite this, you can always control the darkening process and periodically clean it, returning the chains to their original shine and beauty.

What ways are there

Before we move on to the question of how you can clean the silver chain, I would like to point out very important point... Regardless of the method used, after each procedure, you need to give the silver a little recovery time. Metal is able to independently create durable protective layer, but he can do this only under favorable conditions. Therefore, after any cleaning, do not wear such jewelry on the body, it is better to leave them in a dry, dark place for several days or even weeks. This will allow silver to become more resilient to adverse factors.

Most safe option remove blackness from the product - use a special cleaning liquid, which is bought in jewelry stores. It is sold there for a reason, because it is made by people who specialize in silver better than anyone else. They know his behavior when different conditions, and therefore we have made such a product that will clearly and aggressively react to pollution, but will spare the structure of our noble metal.

If this method does not suit you, then you can resort to folk methods... Cleaning silver at home can be done using the simplest components that are almost always available on the farm. These are soda, salt, ammonia, table vinegar, toothpaste, etc.

At the initial stage of silver oxidation

Have you started to notice that the silver chain is fading and darkening? Don't wait for the process to progress, act now. You can quickly clean up silver with baking soda. You'll need:

2 tbsp baking soda;
1 tbsp water;
A small piece of soft matter;
Small capacity.

Combine baking soda with water in a bowl, stir the gruel and soak a piece of cloth in it. Polish the chain along its entire length with it. At the end of the procedure, rinse it under running water and dry it.

The darkened chain and cross can be saved with just one ingredient - toothpaste. It is important to understand that it should not be whitening, gel-like, colored, or with any kind of additives. An exceptionally plain and white paste will do. Squeeze some cleaning solution onto a cloth and spread it over the surface of the jewelry. If they have grooves, patterns and other hard-to-reach places, then use a not hard toothbrush.

Effective and simple

How to clean a silver chain at home - available methods:

You will need: salt (2 tablespoons), soda (2 tablespoons), foil, water, a metal bowl. Cover the bottom of the dish with foil, put on it a silver chain and other jewelry made of the same material that requires cleaning. Pour the loose ingredients and fill it all with water so that it completely covers the silver. Put the bowl on fire, wait until it boils, and watch the lightening of the products. Let the silver cool in this water, and then rinse it in cold water and wipe with a cloth.
Take: soda, toothpaste and ammonia (1 tbsp each). Mix everything in a ceramic or glass cup, put a chain in the mixture, and after half an hour scrub it with a soft brush and wash.
Make a gruel from: crushed chalk, water and ammonia. First, wash the silver chain with soap, then spread the mixture evenly over it and let it dry directly on the silver. When the solution begins to crumble, take a piece of wool and use it to remove the rest of the powder.
You can soak silver chains for several hours in table vinegar... After that, they are rinsed in cold water and wiped off with a soft cloth.

Non-standard silver purification methods

As practice shows, cleaning silver at home is not the most difficult process. It can be done by different means by combining or alternating them. The main thing is that they do not contain aggressive components. TO unusual methods include the following:

Coca-Cola use. This drink has long been proven to be an excellent cleaning agent, so why can't they clean the silver chain? Soak her in sweet soda, and after a couple of hours rinse under running water. By the way, silver can be boiled in the same liquid.
If the cosmetic bag contains unnecessary lipstick(the shade did not fit or the expiration date has expired), then rub the chain with it, and then walk with a cloth. The procedure ends with washing the silver jewelry in warm soapy water.
Natural olive oil can get rid of stains and add shine to silver. Drop it on a napkin and rub it over the metal.
Acid in lemon juice able to destroy traces of oxidation on silver. Squeeze out one lemon and pour the liquid over the jewelry. After 30 minutes, rinse them in clean water.
Pour boiling water into a glass and add a tablespoon of salt there. Wait until it dissolves and toss the dirty jewelry into the salty solution. As the liquid cools, the silver will become lighter. Do not forget to rinse it with salt afterwards.
If there is tooth powder in the house, then put a small amount of it on a napkin, drip a little water and rub your chain with this substance until it shines.
You can also use ammonia on its own. If dark spots not much, then the product is rubbed with it, otherwise the silver chain is pre-dipped in alcoholic liquid for 15 minutes.