Bringing back the shine: effective ways to clean tarnished jewelry
When sorting through jewelry boxes, you can often see one common mistake that girls make: storing jewelry made of different metals together. Products made of gold, silver, and jewelry alloys contain many different metals and impurities. Being next to each other, the process of interaction and oxidation is noticeably activated. That is why your favorite jewelry is so quickly covered with plaque and tarnished. How to quickly clean a product if it has tarnished – let's figure it out together, informs Ukr.Media.
How to properly store jewelry?
The easiest and most effective way to prevent this problem is to store your jewelry so that it doesn't touch each other. Gold, silver, and costume jewelry should be kept separate. Choose a box that is lined with soft fabric and has lots of different storage compartments. This can also be a travel-friendly option—an organizer or box with separate pull-out drawers, special stands on the table, trays, or jewelry dishes.
What to do if plaque has already formed?
It is important to remember that the methods of cleaning jewelry made of different materials differ significantly. Jewelry made of jewelry alloys categorically do not accept the methods that are suitable for gold and silver. Ammonia, dishwashing detergent, soda, salt – these products are harmful to jewelry. After such “cleaning”, the jewelry, unfortunately, cannot be saved.
At home, it is best to wipe jewelry with a soft cloth soaked in a special cleaning solution. They are sold in specialized stores. For precious metals and stones, the most effective and gentle option is professional cleaning by a jeweler. We recommend doing this procedure at least once every six months. Plan your visit in advance so that your treasures always shine.
Quick ways to clean jewelry
Here's how to clean gold and silver items at home:
1. A soft cloth with a special impregnation for polishing silver and gold products. You can buy it at any jewelry store.
2. Jewelry cleaning paste. Also sold in jewelry stores and shops. Instantly removes dirt, stains, and tarnish, restoring the shine to jewelry.
3. Special liquid for cleaning gold, platinum, silver. Often comes with a special immersion basket and a soft brush for getting into hard-to-reach places.
4. Ammonia soap solution. Add one tablespoon of ammonia to 1 liter of soap solution. Rinse the items in running water, dry and wipe dry. Ammonia solution in soapy water is an effective but more aggressive method for cleaning gold and silver. It should be used with caution and should not be used on jewelry with delicate stones (e.g. pearls, opals, turquoise).
5. Homemade Baking Soda Recipe. You will need: 1 tbsp salt, 1 tbsp baking soda, 1 tbsp dishwashing liquid, 1 cup hot water, aluminum foil. This method (electrochemical cleaning) really works for silver and can be used for gold without stones. The aluminum foil acts as a reducing agent, transferring the tarnish (silver sulfides) back to the aluminum.
Preparation: Pour water into a bowl. Add salt, baking soda, and dishwashing liquid. Place the jewelry on foil and soak in this solution for 20 minutes. Then remove the jewelry, rinse in cool water, and wipe with a soft, dry cloth.
Important! This method is not suitable for jewelry with precious stones. Such items should only be cleaned in a jewelry workshop.
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