Over time silver that has not been cleaned will lose its glow and shine until it eventually tarnish. These black and brown patches (often referred to as tarnish) are formed on the silver surface when it interacts with sulphur in the air. While tarnish discolours the surface of silver, it does not damage the metal, which is important to note.
In this blog post we will discuss several methods of cleaning silver, some suitable for small items and some for your bigger items.
Backing Soda:
The first method and the most automated (in that it requires less physical work) uses the acidic ingredients in backing soda to remove tarnish. It is extremely effective, but limited in the size of silver items you can clean in this way.
- Start by padding the inside of a large pan or bowl using thin foil until the entire surface and edges of the pan are padded.
- Place one tablespoon of backing soda, one tablespoon of salt and warm (not boiling) water inside the pan.
- Mix the ingredients until the salt and backing soda had dissolved (the mix will bubble slightly, don’t panic, that is absolutely common).
- Put the silver item or items in the pan taking care that each item makes contact with the thin foil. Within a few minutes, the silver should react well to the mix and the tarnish removed.
- For more stubborn tarnish, you might wish to slightly brush the surface to help the solution do its job.
- Finally, dry using a micro fibre cloth.
Brush and Toothpaste:
This is an old trick used to clean delicate silver jewellery, but it can be used on bigger silver items as well.
- Gently brush the item in a back and forth motion using a brush and rinse with water. Even the most persistent tarnish is no match for toothpaste.
- Finally, using formulated polish designed to clean silver, give the silver a once over.
- Toothpaste can be used to clean tarnish, but formulated polish should be used in conjunction.
Silver Polish:
Used to clean any size silver, using back and fourth method, a slightly moist cloth is used to clean tarnish. Be careful not to clean in a circular motion as it might damage the item by scratching the silver.
- Start by placing dedicated silver polish on a micro fibre cloth and rub the silver in a straight line.
- Take as much time as you need until you see the glow coming back to the silver.
- Rinse the item under the tap and dry it. If rinsing small items over the kitchen sink, be sure to plug the sink before you start rinsing.
Use one of the three methods above to clean your silver. To reduce the time and frequency it takes you each time, clean your silver often. Furthermore, before storing your silver gain, make sure it is completely dry.
For more information about our home cleaning services contact us on 020 3538 6996