How to Clean Silver: The Ultimate Guide

Cleaning silver is a difficult task. Silver has long been the metal of choice for elegant flatware, dining pieces, and candlesticks. And also silver jewellery, it is quite popular, everyone loved its beauty and affordability but it requires a little bit extra care. Silver is cleaned with warm and soapy water and dry with a soft cloth. But be careful never to use paper towels, they can scratch the silver. 

How to clean silver at home

To keep your silver in its perfect state, you must clean it regularly or take care of it. A few home remedies can help you to clean silver at home conveniently.

• Lemon and salt 

That method is used to clean the puja utensils daily. For using the method you need to squeeze a lemon into a bowl with 3 tablespoons of salt and water and place the silver in it for 5 minutes and remove it. Rub with a soft cloth. 

• Ketchup

You need to squeeze a small portion of ketchup on a paper towel and rub it slowly on tarnished areas. If you want to make your silver shine keep it for 15 to 20 minutes then rub it with a soft cloth and clean it. 

• Laundry detergent

It is an old form to clean the tarnish from silver. Take one cup of hot water mix with detergent and leave the silver for 5 to 7 minutes after that rub it with a soft cloth. The detergent creates a foamy substance. 

• Vinegar

For cleaning silver vinegar, water and baking soda together are together is a great silver cleaning liquid to remove tarnished silver. For using this method you need to mix ½ cup of vinegar with 2 tablespoons of baking soda in warm water. Then let silver dip for 2 hours and wash it with cold water. 

How to clean silver utensils

There is a simple method to clean utensils at home, we have several items like plates, bowls, spoons, and serve wares. It turns out black due to oxidation. There are different methods to clean utensils like toothpaste and vinegar etc. But with this method, the utensils come to outshine like magic. 

1. Take a big vessel with hot water and immerse all the utensils. 
2. Add a sheet of aluminium foil torn with baking soda.
3. Add the tarnished silverware and continue boiling for 2 to 5 minutes.
4. Take out carefully with metal tongs and clean the other parts with a metal scrubber.

How to clean tarnished silver

If your silver looks dull but doesn’t have visible tarnish, it’s considered lightly tarnished. With silver polishing cloth and small elbow grease which is the simplest and rapid process to give your piece a shiny finish. Use to wash silver in warm water by using a non – lemon mild detergent and a soft cloth. Dry and buff to a shine. 

How to clean silver jewellery or ornaments at home

Silver is a soft, lustrous metal, so gentle cleaning is a key. Take a mix of warm water and add some baby shampoo which is usually used to clean the jewellery.

• Add a few drops of liquid soap in warm water until bubbles form.
• Soak the jewellery for 5 to 10 minutes
• Use a soft brush to clean crevices.
• Rinse jewellery in warm water. 
• For dry, softly rub it with a silver cloth. 

How to Polish Silver

To remove the excess amount of tarnish use a quality silver polish like Blitz Silver shine, or Wright’s Silver Shine. Take a soft cotton ball or soft cloth and apply it to the tarnished area. Remember to wear gloves because fingerprints contribute to tarnishing.  Removing tarnishing takes time so rub it until it disappears.