Choose a glass pan or bowl that is big enough to fully submerge your silver in. Check before you pull out the foil by placing your silver in a potential container. If it is at least 3–4 inches (7. 6–10. 2 cm) below the surface, it will work. This method is not the best for antique or patterned silver, since it removes tarnish uniformly across the entire surface.
You need to know exactly how much water you’re using, so measure it and jot down the amount before you start boiling it. Work in 1-cup increments to make calculating ingredients easier. Depending on the amount of water that you’re using, it may take 10-20 minutes for your water to start boiling.
Skip the salt if you’re cleaning jewelry. It can erode certain glues used to bind plating or gemstones.
For example, if you’re using 4 cups (950 mL) of water, then you need 4 tablespoons (59 mL) of baking soda. That means you need to pour 2 cups (470 mL) of vinegar into the bowl or pan.
A slotted spoon is preferable since it will make it easier to mix the solution.
You can place jewelry in a plastic colander or strainer and submerge that instead if you want to make the removal process easier.
If you used a colander to hold jewelry, hold it over the container and let it drip dry for 15-20 seconds before dumping your jewelry on to the cloth. Spread the jewelry out by hand while you’re wearing rubber gloves.
Never use paper towels to buff your silver—the fibers can actually scratch your silver. Let your silver air dry 1-2 hours before using it. Store your jewelry in tarnish-proof fabric or a clean fabric lined space that is enclosed and air-tight. This will prevent any contact with moisture or outside air from tarnishing the jewelry. [9] X Expert Source Jerry EhrenwaldFormer President, International Gemological Institute & Graduate Gemologist Expert Interview. 12 August 2019. Keep your jewelry away from the bathroom or any space that contains a lot of moisture or humidity. [10] X Expert Source Jerry EhrenwaldFormer President, International Gemological Institute & Graduate Gemologist Expert Interview. 12 August 2019. Be sure to store individual jewelry items separately and away from others so that it won’t corrode from other materials. [11] X Expert Source Jerry EhrenwaldFormer President, International Gemological Institute & Graduate Gemologist Expert Interview. 12 August 2019.
If you aren’t sure which form of polish is best for you, choose a basic silver polishing wipe. The wipes are typically the easiest to work with.
Don’t use any soap or cleaner while you’re rinsing your silver. You don’t want soap residue to mix with the silver polish.
Sprays typically require you to liberally coat the silver with the spray before rubbing it in. You usually need to let the polish settle in the silver for a few minutes after applying it.
Store your silver in a cool, dry area after you’ve polished it.
Avoid any toothpaste with a whitening agent. These ingredients usually contain abrasive chemicals that can damage your silver.
Use a brand-new toothbrush to do this.
Reload your toothbrush as needed whenever the toothpaste seems to be fully rubbed into your silver. It may require multiple applications of toothpaste to get tarnish out of details with particularly intricate engravings.
If you notice that there is still some tarnish on an area and it isn’t coming off under the stream of water, re-scrub it with toothpaste before rinsing it again.
