Most of us have at least one silver item that may start to look pretty dirty over time. That’s because items made from silver are bound to tarnish with time. Whether it be a new treasure you purchased at an antique market or your favorite piece of jewelry, you’re going to need to know how to clean silver at home. Because no matter how well you care for your grandmother’s serving platter or your silver necklace, silver needs to be polished regularly.
But most people aren’t educated on how to clean silver at home. It can feel like a daunting task, and no one wants to ruin items that are so special. The good news is that cleaning silver at home can be done relatively easily. And depending on your preference, you can use special silver cleaning products, or, most of the time, you can use everyday cleaning items in your home.
It’s important to keep in mind that each piece of silver is different–some are older antiques, while others are going to have varying amounts of tarnish. With that in mind, you’ll need to assess the piece you are trying to clean in order to decide on the best method for cleaning your particular piece.
Silver tarnishes because it is exposed to light and sulfur in the air; it’s a chemical reaction that creates that dirty, dull look on your silver pieces. That’s why it’s important to know how to clean and polish your silver correctly–you should never just throw your silver in the dishwasher.
Cleaning silver isn’t hard, but it does require a specific type of cleaning. The key to cleaning silver without damaging it is to avoid abrasive cleaning as much as possible. No matter how many times you clean your silver, it will eventually have some tarnish on it over time. However, polishing your silver, while necessary, is an abrasive process, so a good rule of thumb is to clean your silver only two to six times a year.
First, consider the nature of the object you are wanting to clean. If you have any concerns about precious jewelry or other valuable items, you can always bring the item to a professional.
But there are many options you can try from home! Today there are many products you can purchase in stores to help clean your silver easily. One of the easiest is silver cleaning wipes. However, if you’re dealing with antique silver, it is best to use items from your kitchen rather than a store-bought polish.
If you use a silver cleaner from the store, simply put a small amount of the polish on a clean, microfiber cloth and make sure not to rub in circles (you want to use the least abrasive strokes). Once you have rubbed the polish over the item, rinse it in warm water and buff it with a clean cloth. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the product label.
There are many DIY ways to clean your silver at home. Here are a few good options, but always check the specifics of your item before trying any of the options below.
Cleaning your silver doesn’t have to be a daunting task. Simply learning a few steps and gently cleaning when you polish will keep your silver in great shape for years to come.
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In fact, we love being trusted to perform special requests. If you have an unusual cleaning task in mind, don’t hesitate to ask us about it. We’ll work with you to do our best to meet your needs. Even for standard cleaning jobs, we offer a variety of residential cleaning services for our clients to pick from, so you get the best possible cleaning every time. We are a house cleaning company that also offers many other types of cleaning services:
Our clients have come to trust us with their homes because they know we make their lives easier with our professional, quality cleanings and attentive customer service.
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