4 tips to prevent silver objects from tarnishing
Here are a number of handy ways to prevent silver jewellery from getting tarnished:
1. Take off your silver jewellery during sports or other activities in which you perspire.
2. Avoid silver jewellery or cutlery coming into contact with certain matter containing sulphur.
3. Take off your silver jewellery when swimming or cleaning the house.
4. Wait to put on silver jewellery until after you have finished applying makeup and perfume.
Tips on how to clean silver
3 ways to clean silver
According to various websites and blogs, there are several household remedies worth trying if you want to clean tarnished silver cutlery or silver jewelry.
1. A small bowl of cola or vinegar
This household remedy can be an option for cleaning silver jewellery or cutlery. Let the silver soak overnight in a small bowl of cola or vinegar and see the result the next day.
2. Bowl of kitchen salt and aluminium foil
PPlace a folded piece of aluminium foil in a small bowl. Then sprinkle kitchen salt on the aluminium foil. Place the silver jewellery or cutlery on the foil. Then pour hot water over the silver until it is completely submerged under the water. Wait 30 seconds and turn the object over. Wait for awhile and then take out the object and rinse it off with cold water.
3. Toothpaste
According to some sites, you should also be able to clean silver with toothpaste? Put some toothpaste on an (old) toothbrush and polish the silver to be cleaned.
Have you tried the tips above on how to clean silver and had little or no success? Then try the various solutions from HG developed especially for cleaning sterling silver, silver plate, etc.
HG solutions for cleaning silver
HG has various products you can use to clean and polish silver.
Silver shine cloth
HG silver polish cloth is the best way to clean silver and silver-plated objects and return their shine. Silver or silver-plated objects will retain their shiny appearance if you polish them with the silver polish cloth now and again. This special impregnated cloth is made of a high-quality fabric. Even slightly rusted silver and silver-plated objects shine again without any effort. The cloth’s large size means that the silver does not need to be touched with bare hands, which prevents quick re-oxidization due to fingerprints.
Silver shine cream
HG silver polish is a modern silver polishing product. The specially selected polishing materials ensure that the deposits are removed from the silver during the application. HG silver polish does not scratch, and can therefore be used safely on all antique silver objects.
Why does silver tarnish?
After a period of time, silver will always tarnish, but why is that? Sulphur is what causes silver, and thus silver jewellery, to turn black and tarnished. Sulphur is in the air as well as other particles. A chemical reaction occurs when sulphur and silver come into contact with each other, and that causes the black layer on the silver. This is comparable to rust on iron. Materials that contain a lot of sulphur include wool, perfume and eggs. And in addition to tarnishing, daily use of jewellery or other objects means they can become dirty, which is of course not very hygienic.
Do you have a good tip on how to clean silver? Let us know!
