Quickly restore your jewelry or tableware with vinegar, water and baking soda. This cleaning agent is a great option for many things, including your tarnished silver. Mix 1/2 cup of white vinegar with 2 tablespoons of baking soda in a bowl of lukewarm water. Let the silver soak for two to three hours.
Using the baking soda/hotwater/aluminum foil trick for cleaning silver is not a good idea. Although gets rid of light tarnish very quickly, it leaves microscopic pores and pits on the surface making the silver more even prone to tarnishing in the future.
Combine 1⁄4 cup baking soda and two tablespoons water to make a thick paste. Then, apply the paste to the jewelry with a damp sponge and gently rub to remove dirt or grime. Rinse the jewelry in a glass of water and use a clean soft cloth to dry.
For cleaning and polishing
A mild dish soap: The pros recommend using citrus-free and phosphate-free dish soaps like Dawn Dishwashing Liquid. Cotton balls, pads, or swabs: These are best for applying hand sanitizer or polish to your silver to remove tarnish.
This cleaning agent is a great option for many things, including your tarnished silver. Mix 1/2 cup of white vinegar with 2 tablespoons of baking soda in a bowl of lukewarm water. Let the silver soak for two to three hours.
The gist is, you line a bowl (any material is supposedly fine) with a piece of foil, add hot water, the baking soda, and salt before letting your silver jewelry soak for anywhere from three to five minutes. And that's it! All the tarnishes and stains are removed, thanks to science!
Windex is safe to use on silver, gold, and platinum bands but is not safe for copper. Combine the Windex and hydrogen peroxide in a 50/50 mixture and soak the ring for about 10 minutes. Then, brush with a soft toothbrush, rinse, and dry.
Lemon and Salt Bath
Squeeze a lemon into a bowl with 3 tablespoons of salt and hot water and placed the tarnished bracelet to rest in there for 5 minutes. Remove and rub with soft cloth.
Although hydrogen peroxide is an excellent cleaner for toothbrushes or dentures, never use it to clean your sterling silverware. The reaction between the hydrogen peroxide and silver may leave your sterling silverware looking black and tarnished. Be gentle with it.
Baking soda, salt and aluminum foil.
Mix one tablespoon salt and one tablespoon of baking soda and mix with one cup warm water. Pour into the dish. The mixture will create a chemical reaction with the foil and bubble as it cleans the jewelry. Rinse with cool water and buff dry with a clean cloth.
Baking soda and vinegar can seriously damage your gemstones and should never be used with these pieces.
You can use Coke to clean silver, but it's best for small pieces. Tarnish is removed by the acid in the Coke. It should only take a few minutes to work, so keep an eye on it and remove the silver as soon as it looks clean.
For silver that is dull, filmy or not yet discolored, mix a few drops of mild dish soap with warm water and dip in a soft cloth. Rub the item, then rinse in cool water and buff with a cloth until dry. For silver that is heavily tarnished, mix a paste of three parts baking soda to one part water.
Dust your silver every so often using a soft cloth—it will help keep the tarnish away. And whenever you start to see it slightly tarnish (which will vary depending on the piece and how pure the silver is—less sterling tarnishes more quickly), simply give it a light cleaning using a gentle dish soap (like Dawn).
Vinegar and baking soda will react with silver to remove tarnish. A chemical reaction between the vinegar, baking soda, and silver destroys the oxidation of the silver that causes tarnish.
Place salt, soda, and dishwashing liquid into bowl. Place jewelry on top of foil and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Rinse jewelry in cool water and dry jewelry completely with soft cloth. Discard solution after use and make a new batch next time.
Another way to achieve clean sterling silver jewelry at home is the white vinegar and baking soda method. This method uses the natural acidity of white vinegar to remove tarnish.
Sweat, sickness or a boozy weekend can all change your body chemistry causing your silver to turn black. A light polish with your cloth usually takes it away. In recent years, we are finding that environmental factors have been causing jewelry to turn black.
The Dish Soap Method
For light tarnish, put a few drops of mild dish cleaning liquid (like Dawn) in warm tap water. Dip a clean cloth in the soapy water and wipe away any tarnish. Rinse any remaining soap or tarnish with cool water, and buff dry with a soft cloth.
The speed at which your silver jewelry tarnishes and discolors depends entirely on the frequency and concentration of sulfate gases it comes in contact with. If you keep the jewelry open in the air with very high levels of sulfate-releasing gases, your silver jewelry can tarnish within a couple of hours.