- Why do silver jewelry have the property of changing its original color?
- How do I clean silver jewelry with ammonia?
- What in no event can you do while cleaning silver jewelry?
- Clean silver with tooth powder - an alternative to ammonia
What can be more beautiful than good silver jewelry? They are beautiful, elegant, inimitable, but despite all this abundance of virtues, it has the property to darken. In order to know how to clean silver with ammonia at home, we recommend that you read this article.
to the contents ↑Why do silver jewelry have the property of changing its original color?
Some rings or earrings shine for decades, while others - darken already after the passage of the month. Someone might have spoiled you, but the metal just reacted to it? It is in this way that many people explain this chemical process when they really can not understand the cause of this phenomenon.
Not everyone rushes headlong to the jewelers, many prefer to clean silver with ammonia at home. But in order to cope with this task, you must learn about the reason for this process. Otherwise - it is necessary to repeat the procedure more and more often.
The whole point is in the trial. The fact is that pure silver is less prone to oxidation. In many products, except silver, copper is present in the composition, which is able to rapidly oxidize. It is this interaction that leads to the process of darkening the product. The higher the sample of silver from which the decoration is made, the more stable this alloy will be to the effect of various harmful factors.
Accelerate the process of darkening and such behaviors of jewelry owners as:
- If a person does sports and does not take off his rings, chains or bracelets, the sweat that actively excels will make them change their color more quickly.
- It is noticed that the nervous state or the owner's stress also cause an increase in sweating.
- It is on the chest that an incredibly large number of sebaceous glands is located. It should be noted that sulfur can be found in a large number of cosmetics, and it, in turn, can change the color of the decoration.
In order to restore the original appearance to your decorations, many use a large number of means of ways. One of the most popular methods has always been considered cleaning silver with ammonia. He is quite good at helping, and even someone who is not sure of himself can easily perform such a job.
to the table of contents ↑How can I clean silver jewelry with ammonia?
As a rule, this drug lives without action in the furthest corner of your medicine chest. In addition to bringing to life a person who has lost consciousness, people have long learned how to use this solution for completely different purposes. And they have nothing to do with medicine.
Important! Ammonia alcohol perfectly helps during the washing of dirty laundry, washing of any painted surfaces, cleaning of leather products, removal of various stains from the surface of clothing that other substances can not be taken out. And of course, you can clean silver with ammonia .
How do I clean silver with ammonia in my home?- It's very simple:
- Take a soft sponge that can not scratch the surface of the decoration. Small parts can easily be damaged or broken.
- Find a container of this size, in which you can completely place your decoration.
- Prepare the solution in the following proportions: 1 tbsp.l.ammonia on 10 tbsp.l.water. If the product has precious stones built in, then add not more than 5 drops to 1 glass of clean cool water.
- After that, put the decoration, which is made of silver in the prepared composition, soak it there for 15-30 minutes. The holding time depends on the level of contamination of this decoration.
Important! For gilt silver, this method does not work, because it can damage the surface of this decoration. For pearls ammonia is also harmful. Use it for other cleaning methods so that it does not eventually darken.
Solution of tooth powder and ammonia
There is another method that is used to clean all table silver:
- Mix water, ammonia, and also tooth powder in a 5: 1: 2 ratio.
- Wipe the jewelry with a soft cloth until all dirt has completely disappeared.
- Rinse your product in ordinary running water.
- Wipe clean with a clean towel all dry.
Important! Do not forget that ammonia is a strong poison. Do not use it inside or inhale the vapors of this substance, which has an incredibly sharp and extremely unpleasant odor. Its inhalation can cause suffocation, cough, and irritation of the skin of the hands and mucous membranes. Work is necessary with the use of protective equipment that will protect your respiratory system, as well as in gloves.
to the contents ↑What can not be done during the cleaning of silver jewelry?
- Do not use abrasives to clean silver jewelry. Soda or different powders will scratch the product. Silver is a soft kind of metal.
- Also do not throw your silver jewelry where you want, but put it in a special wooden box that is lined with fabric.
- Silver darkens during contact with a variety of substances, such as: onions, salt, certain foods and, of course, chemicals. That's why be sure to remove all the silver rings during cooking or cleaning the apartment.
- It is not recommended and to use any cosmetic means, without having previously removed all the silver earrings or chains. The reaction to creams that contain a variety of substances can be extremely deplorable. Are your products expensive for you?
- We do not recommend walking in ornaments that are made of silver, in a bath or in a sauna. Vapors emanating from your body on the decoration will remain in the form of microparticles that will fill all the emptiness vapors. As a result, the product will look somewhat slovenly.
- It is better not to bathe in chains, because the steel spring quickly rusts and the lock breaks. Thus, you are at risk of losing the product.
Important! What to clean cutlery, which are made of silver? Table silver is best boiled in water with the addition of ordinary baking soda:
- Take ½ a batch of soda for about 3 liters of water and boil for 15 minutes.
- Then you can rinse the silver by immersing it for 1 hour in cool water with the addition of a small amount of ammonia and hydrogen peroxide.
Clean silver with tooth powder - alternative to ammonia
Tooth powder or toothpaste has absolutely all the necessary qualities to clean silver from oxidation. Learn about 3 ways to clean silver with toothpaste or powder.
The first way
Suitable for all serious contaminants on silver jewelry, and not only. A combination of ammonia and toothpaste is used. The rules of use are:
- Apply an old toothbrush to the old toothbrush.
- Clean the silver from all sides.
- Place the product in a 10% solution of ammonia for several minutes.
- Wash and dry thoroughly.
Important! Note that the paste should not include any colored and solid granules.
The second way
This method using a small amount of tooth powder is suitable for all silver jewelry without stones. It is used as follows:
- Warm the ornaments with warm water.
- In a container in which there is a tooth powder, place the jewelry in such a way that the product is stuck on all sides. You can pre-dissolve the powder with water, so there certainly will not be any grains that can scratch the surface.
- Scrub with a soft cloth.
- Rinse under cool water and dry.
The third way
We use tooth powder in combination with ammonia to clean silver at home.
Important! This method is suitable for cleaning jewelry with enamel, as well as precious stones.
The instruction is as follows:
- Mix all the components in equal proportion.
- Wet suede or woolen cloth with the prepared mixture and wipe all the blackening.
- Rinse everything under running water.
- Dry and carefully polish.
We hope that all of our fairly simple recommendations will help you to easily purify the silver with ammonia. After all, this solution can easily be purchased at any pharmacy, it is inexpensive, and the procedure itself is not complicated.