Silver is a simple material to clean; however, it is believed that it needs special professional products to do so. This is not the case.

Objects made of this material, such as coins, decorative objects and jewelry, often become stained or darkened over time, giving them an oxidized appearance . But we must know that silver does not oxidize, it only has a reaction to hydrogen sulfide that causes it to look dull and stained.

Let’s see what you need to know to be clear about how to clean silver .

6 home silver cleaning solutions

For your silver pieces to be shiny and glossy you don’t need to buy any special products, just a few items that you are sure to find in your pantry.

Just remember to protect your hands with gloves and do so in a well-ventilated room, and use one of these products.

1. Lemon

If the stains are recent, this lemon trick may be enough to clean the silver .

To make it you only need half a lemon and spread it with salt. With that half of a lemon, rub the silver polishing it, and then let it act for a few minutes and rinse. After that, rub it with a soft cloth.

This trick can be used to clean silver frequently, so you won’t let it get dirty and you’ll be protecting your valuables and preventing them from looking old and dull.

2. Baking soda with vinegar

The combination of these products manages to undo the opaque layer that appears on silver objects. For this cleaning option, you need a spoonful of bicarbonate and ¼ cup of white vinegar. You have to add the bicarbonate to the vinegar and when it has dissolved , dip the objects.

If the items you want to clean are very large, you can pour in some of the solution and rub it with a clean cloth. Then, to dry, rub with a dry cloth and polish a little.

This trick is very efficient to clean the silver and protect it from opacity. It is sure to be one of your favorite tricks, because it manages to clean the metals in the best way.

3. Toothpaste

Toothpaste doesn’t just clean our teeth. To the surprise of many, one of its alternative uses is that it polishes some metallic objects , among them silver.

How do you clean silver with toothpaste? First wash the objects well with hot water and neutral soap. Then apply toothpaste to the silver you are going to clean and rub hard for a few minutes with either a cloth or a soft-bristled toothbrush.

Finally, just rinse again and dry thoroughly. When you see the results, you will be surprised how well the toothpaste works to clean and polish silver.

4. Aluminium foil

Do you want to see your money as newly bought again? Tin foil is a very effective trick for cleaning objects made of silver.

You need a container big enough for the objects you are going to clean to fit in it. Wrap it in aluminum foil, fill the container with hot water and add salt . Make sure that the water covers the objects and leave them there for about 10 minutes. After taking them out, dry them and polish them with a soft cloth to make them shine.

As already mentioned, it is important that this is done in a ventilated room and that you wear gloves because it could give off fumes that could be a nuisance.

Aluminium foil in combination with salt will help you to clean the silver and make it shine again.

5. Water with salt

Another simple but very effective solution for polishing silver jewelry or other decorative objects is to combine water with salt. Add a spoonful of salt in a cup of boiling water and let the silver objects soak overnight.

The next day he takes out the silver and polishes it very well with a dry cloth by rubbing it. The water used to clean it should not be used again, if you are going to clean more objects, it is better to prepare a new combination of water with salt for each silver item you wish to clean.

6. Banana peel

Of all the properties and benefits that bananas have, this may be the most surprising. A curious fact about this fruit is that the inside of the peel has assets that help it to remove dirt from metal objects .

So just take the peel of a banana and rub the silver object until the stains are removed and it shines. If necessary, change the banana peel until you get the desired result.

This silver cleaning trick is very simple and can be useful for frequent cleaning to prevent clouding and staining.

Bibliographic references:

  • Emsley, John (2011). Nature’s building blocks: an A-Z guide to the elements. Oxford University Press. pp. 492 – 498.