How To Clean Silver Jewellery at Home - Our Top Tips

Silver cleaning tips Merci Maman

Have you been gifted (or perhaps gifted yourself) a piece of silver jewellery? If you have owned silver jewellery before, you’ve probably noticed that over time, it can lose its sparkle & shine. If it’s your first piece, you might not know how to clean a silver necklace properly and restore it to its original beauty. Cleaning silver jewellery at home is relatively simple and straightforward, with many methods to use, using everyday items you might already have in your cupboards. Keep reading to discover the best way to clean silver jewellery…

Why Does Silver Jewellery Tarnish?

Silver jewellery typically tarnishes as a reaction to a number of different chemicals, including the elements in the air around us. It is not a reflection of the quality of a piece of jewellery. Here at Merci Maman, all our metals are responsibly sourced, including our 925 sterling silver, working closely with our dedicated suppliers to ensure the best quality products for our customers. We only use ‘clean’ materials such as pure-based metal, meaning all our jewellery is 100% nickel free.

How to Prevent Tarnishing

It is normal for your silver jewellery to tarnish over time, but there are some ways to prevent it. Here are our best tips on how to keep your silver jewellery sparkling…

Wear Your Piece!

Perhaps a surprising way to prevent your jewellery from tarnishing is to wear it! The natural oil in our skin actually prevents silver from tarnishing, especially with regular wear. Tarnishing will most likely occur when your jewellery is left sitting around and isn’t stored in an airtight container.

Know When to Remove Your Jewellery

There are certain situations in which you should remove your silver jewellery in order to preserve its shine. For example, you should avoid water (especially chlorinated water), household cleaners and direct sunlight when wearing your jewellery. This will help you to avoid any tarnish or damage to your silver pieces. 

The Last Step in Your Routine

Exposing your silver jewellery to products such as lotions, cosmetics, hair products and perfumes will accelerate tarnishing and cause damage to your pieces. There’s a reason your jewellery should be the finishing touch to your look!

How to Clean Silver Jewellery at Home

If your pieces are already tarnished, there are a few simple methods you can try at home to clean your silver jewellery. Keep reading to discover some of the most popular, tried and tested remedies…

Polishing Cloth

If you notice that your silver jewellery is starting to lose its sparkle, you can easily use a polishing cloth to buff away dirt and darkening on the silver. Gently rub your jewellery with a jewellery cloth or microfibre towel as your first line of defence in cleaning your jewellery.

Soap & Water

For this method, add a few drops of dish soap to warm water and mix, before soaking your jewellery in the solution. After a few minutes, use a soft brush (e.g., a toothbrush) to clean the pieces properly, ensuring you get into all the crevices. Make sure to dry your jewellery well and avoid paper towels, if possible, as these can create scratches.

Bicarbonate of Soda

Bicarbonate of soda is a common household ingredient that you might have hidden away at the back of a kitchen cupboard. To use it to clean your silver jewellery, create a paste of bicarbonate of soda and water, apply a pea-sized amount and polish with a cloth. Again, use a soft-bristled toothbrush to get into the cracks and crevices before washing the piece with warm water and drying with a cloth.

Jewellery Cleaning Kit

There are many jewellery cleaning kits available online that can help you restore your pieces to their original glory. One option is our easy to-use jewellery care kit, available on our website. This features a ‘jewellery sparkle’ solution to submerge your jewellery in as well as a small brush and polishing cloth to help remedy any imperfections, keeping your special pieces sparkling clean.

Voila! We hope you find these tips on how to clean your jewellery at home helpful. Let us know if you try any of these methods and show us your new, sparkly jewellery over on our social media.

 

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