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How to Clean Tarnished Sterling Silver Jewelry at Home

“Every December the same thing happens. The good silver comes out of the drawer looking gray, and someone reaches for the toothpaste. Please don't. Silver is soft, and most tarnish comes off with something much gentler. Start with the mildest method and stop as soon as it shines.”Her take

Which cleaning method should you use?

Always start with the gentlest option and move up only if it doesn't work. Here's how the methods compare.

• Slight dullness or yellowing: a silver polishing cloth. Rub gently in straight strokes and turn to a clean part of the cloth as it darkens.
• Light tarnish or a cloudy film: warm water with a few drops of mild dish soap, a soft toothbrush, a rinse and a thorough dry.
• Darker tarnish in patches: a paste of baking soda and a little water, worked on gently with a fingertip or soft cloth, then rinsed and dried.
• Heavy, all-over tarnish on plain silver: a foil and baking soda bath, followed by a buff with a polishing cloth.
• Antique, valuable or stone-set pieces: take them to a jeweler.

How do you clean silver with soap and water?

Fill a bowl with warm water and add a few drops of mild dish soap, one without added scrubbing particles or bleach. Let the jewelry sit for a few minutes, then clean it with a soft toothbrush, paying attention to the backs of pendants, the links of chains and the inside of rings, where lotion and soap collect.

Rinse in clean water and dry every piece completely with a soft cloth. Water left in chain links or behind settings is an easy way to start the tarnish again.

How do you use a baking soda paste?

Mix baking soda with a little water until it's about as thick as toothpaste. Rub it gently onto the tarnished areas with your fingertip or a soft cloth, following the shape of the piece rather than scrubbing in circles. Rinse well, dry, and buff with a polishing cloth.

Baking soda is mildly abrasive, so use it only where you need it and don't rub hard. On a high-polish surface, test it first on the back or inside of the piece.

How does the foil and baking soda method work?

Line a heat-safe bowl with aluminum foil, shiny side up. Lay your silver on the foil so each piece touches it. Sprinkle in a tablespoon or so of baking soda, then pour in enough very hot water to cover everything. Leave it for a few minutes, turning pieces with a wooden spoon if needed, then lift them out, rinse and dry.

The tarnish reacts with the foil and turns back toward silver instead of being rubbed away, which is why this method suits heavy tarnish on plain pieces. Be careful handling the hot water, and give the pieces a light buff afterward, because they can look slightly flat until polished.

Does baking soda and foil damage silver?

On plain sterling silver, it doesn't scrub away metal the way harsh polishing does. But it isn't right for every piece. It removes the darkened oxidized finish that some designs use on purpose to show detail in engravings, chains and textured surfaces. Hot water can loosen stones that are glued in. And it should never be used on pearls, porous stones or silver-plated jewelry.

If your piece has blackened detail you love, clean it with soap and water and a polishing cloth only on the raised parts.

What should you never use on silver jewelry?

Some popular tricks do more harm than good. Avoid these.

• Toothpaste: many contain abrasives that can leave fine scratches on soft silver.
• Chlorine bleach or household cleaners with bleach: they can darken and damage silver.
• Scouring pads, paper towels and rough cloths: they scratch the surface.
• Any soaking method on pearls, opal, turquoise, coral or other soft or porous stones.
• Paste or foil methods on silver-plated jewelry, which has only a thin silver layer that wears through.
• Dip cleaners on oxidized designs or stone-set pieces, unless the label says they are suitable.

How do you stop silver tarnishing again?

Tarnish comes from sulfur compounds in the air, and humidity speeds it up, so store silver away from air and moisture. Keep each piece in a small zip-top or airtight bag, ideally with an anti-tarnish strip, or in a lined jewelry box. Keep silver out of the bathroom, where steam speeds tarnish up.

Wear it often, because gentle everyday wear keeps silver bright. Put it on after lotion, perfume and hairspray, take it off before swimming, cleaning and showering, and wipe it with a soft cloth before you put it away.

Questions people ask

The takeaway

Cloth first, then soap and water, then paste, then the foil bath for heavy tarnish on plain pieces only, and never on pearls, glued stones or plated silver.

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