What Do I Clean Silver Jewelry With?

The method you use for cleaning silver will vary depending on the item that you are dealing with, but usually silver can be cleaned with either toothpaste or with a mixture of baking soda and water.

Cleaning Silver using Toothpaste: White toothpaste is finest for cleaning silver jewelry. Here are some steps you need to follow to get your silver look lustrous:

   1. Wet silver jewelry that needs to be cleaned.
   2. Lay out toothpaste on an old, soft toothbrush.
   3. Brush toothpaste onto the silver jewelry.
   4. Rinse and Dry.

Cleaning Silver using Baking Soda: If you'd like to save your toothpaste for your teeth, try cleaning your silver jewelry with baking soda.

   1. Take a large bowl or a small bucket with tinfoil.
   2. Place silver jewelry into the foil-lined container.
   3. Pour in hot water to cover the items that need to be cleaned.
   4. Add baking soda to the water until it begins to fizz.
   5. Allow the silver to soak for about half an hour.
   6. Remove the silver from the water.
   7. Rinse and Dry.

The most common cleaning problem with silver is removing the tarnish.  Tarnishing in silver jewelry is caused when silver combines with sulfur and hydrogen sulphate in the air. To remove tarnish, use a specially devised silver polish and a lint-free cloth.