As the owner of beautiful sterling silver jewellery, it is important to take good care of your valuable possessions. Things like natural sunlight, harsh chemicals, humid conditions, body oils, hairspray, soaps, and lotions - along with everyday wear and tear - can give your silver jewellery a dingy and tarnished appearance over time. Thankfully, silver is meant to withstand this type of wear and can go from dingy to dazzling in no time.
In order to maintain its original appearance, you will need to perform periodic cleaning and care on your silver jewellery. This is simple to do and doesn’t require a lot of tools, cleaning materials, or time.
After you wear your jewellery, and before you store it, you can fill a bowl with warm water and dish soap, place the item in the bowl, rinse it well, and dry with a soft cloth before putting away. If you like to keep a certain piece of silver jewellery on for everyday wear, aim to clean the item this way once every few days for maximum shine.
If your item requires a deeper cleaning than that, you can take a soft toothbrush to work into tighter areas. Be gentle with the scrubbing here, as you do not want to apply too much pressure.
Lastly, you can clean by polishing with a cloth. These silver polishing cloths can be found for as little as £3 at places like Argos, Amazon, or local supermarkets. We’ve linked one here so you know what to look for: Silver Polishing Cloth. Once you have your cloth, you’re all set.
To polish sterling silver, you will gently rub your jewellery with the polishing cloth. You will do this until the tarnish and residue on the item you’re cleaning become visible on the cloth itself. That’s it! Use your fingers, with the cloth over them, to get in any tough-to-clean places and your silver should shine.
When you’re not wearing your sterling silver jewellery, store it in a cloth pouch to prevent tarnishing and scratching. You should also make sure that your items are totally dry before storing, as moisture can cause tarnishing.
Be sure to keep your jewellery away from harsh chemicals, detergents or liquid cleaners. These are not necessary for keeping your items clean, and will actually harm the silver if used. If possible, you’ll also want to avoid letting hairsprays, perfumes, or any household cleaner come in contact with your silver.
Remove your silver jewellery before you bathe or shower. And finally, be sure to keep your silver out of pools and hot tubs that have been treated with chlorine.
Good luck caring for your sterling silver
