Spring Cleaning..........silver/tarnish

[digdeep]

I'm the wimpiest cleaner around--building muscles with toothbrushes as in using a toothbrush and small amount of soap and rinsing gently.........BUT, recently noticed one of my silver settings had tarnished dramatically and I was tired. Being an inexpensive setting/gem I decided to use a method I'd seen with salt, water and aluminum foil. (I did NOT use vinegar or hot water)........I didn't expect it to work, but it cleaned the tarnish and the gem (spinel) even seems to have benefited from it. I looked at it as an expendable gem at the start, but am wearing it nonstop now......... I think being at the beach or near salt water isn't that different from the solution, the only difference is the aluminum foil in the dish. Has anyone else used this method? I read somewhere that it was described as an Ion exchange between the tarnish and the foil with the salt acting as the activator. I want to state that there is another recipe with vinegar and hot water......I did not use that.......just improvised with water out of the tap...folded foil and salt.

 

[chatoyancy]

I’ve never heard of this. I’m glad it worked. I use a jeweker’s cloth that has tarnish remover as part of the cloth.

 

[digdeep]

I've used those too and they have worked well although this piece had details that were tricky with the cloth (left dark crevices)........

 

[leslie1956]

I'm going to try this method on some silver earrings of mine. They have engraving that's hard to clean with a jewelers cloth. Thanks for sharing this!

 

[digdeep]

I left my ring in the dish (actually forgot about it) for a half hour. It doesn't bubble or do anything obvious while working...........just noticeable when I took it out. Tell us how it works for you.......

Here's a guideline similar to what I used.......https://www.wikihow.com/Clean-Your-Silver-Jewelry

 

[leslie1956]

Thanks so much, digdeep!

 

[Cockatiel]

I'm the wimpiest cleaner around--building muscles with toothbrushes as in using a toothbrush and small amount of soap and rinsing gently.........BUT, recently noticed one of my silver settings had tarnished dramatically and I was tired. Being an inexpensive setting/gem I decided to use a method I'd seen with salt, water and aluminum foil. (I did NOT use vinegar or hot water)........I didn't expect it to work, but it cleaned the tarnish and the gem (spinel) even seems to have benefited from it. I looked at it as an expendable gem at the start, but am wearing it nonstop now......... I think being at the beach or near salt water isn't that different from the solution, the only difference is the aluminum foil in the dish. Has anyone else used this method? I read somewhere that it was described as an Ion exchange between the tarnish and the foil with the salt acting as the activator. I want to state that there is another recipe with vinegar and hot water......I did not use that.......just improvised with water out of the tap...folded foil and salt.

Oooo interesting. I thought you had to use hotttt water for this method so that's why I have never tried it.

 

[chatoyancy]

I've used those too and they have worked well although this piece had details that were tricky with the cloth (left dark crevices)........

Thanks for the tip. I have a ring with a lot of detail I simply can’t get clean with the cloth.

 

[digdeep]

OK..here's the link I had seen when I tried it........ http://www.howtocleanstuff.net/how-to-clean-silver-jewelry/
The directions say hot water, but I don't remember heating it up.......this is what happens when I 'play' with my jewelry without thinking something could possibly work!
I hope others that try it report how it works for them!

 

[chatoyancy]

OK..here's the link I had seen when I tried it........ http://www.howtocleanstuff.net/how-to-clean-silver-jewelry/
The directions say hot water, but I don't remember heating it up.......this is what happens when I 'play' with my jewelry without thinking something could possibly work!
I hope others that try it report how it works for them!

Thank you! I’m going to try this on a blue topaz ring my mom gave to me. You also reminded me that I need the buy aluminum foil at the grocery store tomorrow.