How to Clean Silver Jewelry

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By theperfectfit
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Clean silver jewelry

Do you know how to clean silver jewelry? Is your silver jewelry looking darker and dirtier as time progresses? Is your silver jewelry no longer bright and shiny? With these simple steps you can clean your silver jewelry in a few minutes and be proud to wear it again.

Silver jewelry becomes tarnished for more than one reason. The air creates a natural oxidation of the silver. But body lotions, perfume, powder, hair spray and perspiration are also culprits. Regular cleaning of your silver jewelry will keep it shiny and ready-to-wear.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

A non-metal container
Liquid dish soap
Warm water
Paper towels
Hair dryer
Air-tight container or plastic bag

Step 1

Collect all of your tarnished silver jewelry. Earrings, rings, necklaces and bracelets all apply. Grab your hair dryer and take everything to the kitchen where the light is good and you have a place to work and you have access to ceramic bowl or plastic container. Plus you will be using paper towels and water.
Step 2

In a non-metal container such as a soup bowl, cup or storage container add a squirt or two of liquid dish detergent. Fill the container with fairly hot water and then add your jewelry. Allow the jewelry to sit in the container for ten minutes.
Step 3

Put you hand at the edge of the container to prevent the jewelry from slipping out. Pour off the soapy water and replace it with clean water. Allow the faucet to run for a minute or two to thoroughly rinse all of the soap from the jewelry. Swish it around with your finger until all of the soap is rinsed away.
Step 4

Put the wet jewelry onto dry paper towels. DO NOT use a cloth towel because it will add lint to your silver jewelry. Spread the jewelry out on paper towels and use the hair dryer to remove all of the water. Move the jewelry around so that every nook and cranny is completely dry.
Step 5

If you are cleaning silver beads, the water gets into the holes through the beads. Take extra care to hole them up and take extra time with the blow dryer to make sure that the moisture is removed from inside the beads.
Step 6

After the clean silver jewelry has returned to room temperature, return it to your jewelry storage area. Silver will stay tarnish-free longer if you store it in an air-tight container or plastic bag. Wrap the silver in a soft cloth if you are storing several pieces together.
Step 7

Repeat as often as needed. The pieces of silver jewelry that you use more frequently will need cleaning more often than the special occasion pieces.