Did you know that what we call tarnish is actually called silver sulfide? If your silver has lost its shine beneath an unpleasant dark substance, it has undergone a common chemical reaction. In fact, most sterling silver jewelry will appear tarnished at some point in time.
The good news is that this reaction is reversible–and it doesn’t take a ton of money or expertise!
That’s right, you can learn how to clean sterling silver rings and other jewelry right at home. With the methods we’ll discuss below, you probably won’t even need to go out and buy any new materials or ingredients to do so!
Read on to learn several different expert hacks that will get your sterling silver back to its original luster.
Why Learn How to Maintain Your Jewelry?
As we mentioned earlier, almost all sterling silver jewelry will tarnish at some point. Unless you store your jewelry in airtight containers and rarely wear it, you can pretty much count on this natural reaction to occur.
If you don’t learn how to maintain your jewelry, you’re going to find yourself junking a lot of your favorite pieces. Even if you make the financially savvy decision to purchase top-notch pieces from places like Wholesale CZ Jewelry, you still don’t want to have to replace your jewelry every few years.
Plus, maintaining your sterling silver isn’t as hard as you may think! With a few simple tricks up your sleeve, you can keep all of your sterling silver looking brand new.
How to Clean Sterling Silver Rings
There are a few different methods we’ll cover here that only take a few different household staples. Note that each method is designed to attack a certain amount of tarnish, so try out these methods accordingly!
Remove Severe Tarnish: Baking Soda and Aluminum
Do you have sterling silver rings that are severely tarnished? In other words, are your rings so dark and discolored that you can barely see any of the original shine? If so, this method is right for you.
To tackle this method, you will need the following:
- A heat-proof bowl or container
- Aluminum foil
- Baking soda
- Boiling water
- Tongs or a spoon
- A small polishing cloth (microfiber works well)
First, line the inside of your bowl or container with aluminum foil. Make sure that the shiny side is facing up.
Next, fill the bowl or container with your boiling water. Make sure you know how many cups of water you are using, as this will affect how much baking soda you should use. For every cup of water in your bowl or container, add one tablespoon of baking soda.
You will notice an immediate reaction as the baking soda and water begin to fizz and bubble. Drop your sterling silver rings into the bowl right away and make sure that they sink to the bottom. For the reaction to work, the silver must touch the aluminum foil.
Leave your ring in the bowl or container for up to 10 minutes before removing it with your tongs or spoon. Run it under cold water and dry it off before using your polishing cloth to shine it up.
Remove Moderate Tarnish: Lemon and Salt
This method works best if your sterling silver is moderately tarnished. In other words, if it’s more than just one small area but not the entire ring, this method should do the trick.
To tackle this method, you will need the following:
- A fresh lemon
- A bowl or container
- A spoon
- Table salt
- Hot water
- A small polishing cloth (microfiber works well)
First, cut your fresh lemon in half and fill the bowl or container with hot water. The water doesn’t need to be boiling hot, so you can use your tap water on the warmest setting.
Then, squeeze one lemon half over the bowl to get as much juice from it as possible. If the lemon is older or doesn’t produce much juice, you can squeeze both halves into the bowl. Add three tablespoons of table salt to the mixture and give it a quick stir with your spoon.
Drop your tarnished ring into the bowl and leave it for up to 5 minutes. After five minutes have passed, remove the ring, rinse it under clear water, and dry it off. Then, use your polishing cloth to shine it up.
Remove Minimal Tarnish: Beer Bath
This method is not the best on the list and should only be used for very mild cases of tarnishing. If you have the ingredients and materials for either of the other methods, we recommend sticking to those. If not, this method will help in a pinch.
To tackle this method, you will need the following:
- One cup of beer (any variety)
- A small bowl or container
- A polishing cloth
The steps are simple. Pour one cup of beer into your bowl or container. You don’t need to add any other ingredients.
Then, place the ring in the beer bath and leave it there for up to 10 minutes. After the beer bath is complete, rinse the ring under clear water and dry it off before polishing it with your polishing cloth.
Don’t Let Your Sterling Silver Jewelry Go to Waste
Sterling silver is bound to tarnish at some point, as this is a natural chemical reaction that can easily occur. Learn how to clean sterling silver rings and other pieces of jewelry so that you can hang on to your collection for years to come!
Looking for more tips to boost your fashion game? Take a look at our fashion section to learn more about what’s in, what’s out, and how you can maintain your wardrobe and accessories and look great every single day.
Rene Bennett is a graduate of New Jersey, where he played volleyball and annoyed a lot of professors. Now as Zobuz’s Editor, he enjoys writing about delicious BBQ, outrageous style trends and all things Buzz worthy.
