Any tips for cleaning tarnished silver?

**Samba** · 16-05-2012, 11:34am

Item in question is a pendant, which has a semi-precious stone soldered into it, and also some 18ct gold inlay.

I don't know why it has tarnished - any tips on how to store things so they don't tarnish? I've had it for years with no problems til now.

Is there a kitchen foil trick, or something?

**LiLi** · 16-05-2012, 11:58am

I don't know of any tricks - I use silver polish or a silver polishing cloth, and things come up a treat.

I'm not sure there's any way to stop things tarnishing - but I may be wrong! I think keeping it in a cool dry place when you're not wearing it helps, as well as the usual keeping it away from perfume etc., but that doesn't really help if you actually want to wear it!

ETA - I've just come across this (not sure I'd be prepared to risk it on anything valuable though!): http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/...d.php?t=321579

**Samba** · 16-05-2012, 07:24pm

Thanks LiLi, that must be the tin foil thing I was thinking about.
No washing soda at home, so will maybe look for something else.

**Mrs B** · 16-05-2012, 07:32pm

Goddards Silver Dip - one of those smells that reminds me of my childhood for some reason! If you're worried about it around the gem, dip a cottonbud in it and just use it on the silver parts. And don't forget to wash the silver dip off thoroughly, stick the whole thing into warm soapy water and rinse thoroughly.

***kate*** · 16-05-2012, 07:56pm

Can you clean it in brown sauce? (I remember doing this in Brownies!)

And Goddards is a smell of my childhood too. The navy blue bottle with the pink liquid.

**Melusine** · 16-05-2012, 08:17pm

Try a little diluted washing up liquid on a cotton cloth/cotton bud before going for the silver cleaners, if you're concerned about the stone

Those little ziplock bags are great for storing jewellery, as one you squish the air out they don't let much back in, and keeps your jewellery free from the effects of humidity/perfume or sprays in the air.

It's also recommended that you give your jewellery a quick wipe with a cotton cloth before putting it away, but I doubt anyone does that every time they take off a necklace! Not me, anyway

**RedTiger** · 16-05-2012, 08:21pm

I cleaned some silver recently - used a tip I found on the internet and it did work on most of it. Line a small dish with tin foil, put warm water in it then add salt and pop the silver in it.