How to Clean Silver Jewelry With Ammonia

Spruce up your silver jewelry by cleaning it with ammonia.

Silver jewelry gets dirty and tarnished over time. It is important to clean silver regularly to preserve its beauty. Ammonia is a common household product that you can use to do that. Remove tarnish and dirt from silver with a product you likely have right in your kitchen cabinet.

Things You'll Need

• Bowl
• Water
• ½ cup clear ammonia
• Spoon
• Soft-bristled toothbrush or nail brush
• Towel
• Terry cloth

Instructions

1. Fill a bowl with 1 cup warm water. Add ½ cup clear ammonia to the water. Use a spoon to gently stir the ingredients.

2. Place your dirty silver jewelry in the bowl. Allow it to sit in the bowl for 10 minutes.

3. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush or nail brush to gently scrub the silver jewelry. Get into any cracks and crevices in the jewelry. Turn the jewelry in all directions for thorough cleaning.

4. Remove the silver jewelry from the bowl. Rinse with cool water.

5. Lay the silver jewelry on a clean towel to dry. Polish the jewelry with clean terry cloth once it has dried.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear rubber gloves when working with ammonia to prevent skin irritation.

• Work in a well-ventilated area when using ammonia.

References

• Reader's Digest: Tips for Cleaning Jewelry
• Mrs. Clean USA: Tips for Cleaning Gold and Silver Jewelry