| Silver is one of the most beautiful and popular precious | | | | 6. Coke. Pour one can over tarnished silver in a bowl |
| metals. It is, however, very soft and easily bashed out | | | | and leave for 12 hours. Rinse and polish. |
| of shape, which is why most silver jewellery is made | | | | 7. Polishing. Clean your sterling silver jewellery with a |
| out of sterling silver - a combination of silver and | | | | soft cotton cloth or flannel cloth if you do not have a |
| another metal, usually copper. This means that the | | | | polishing cloth. Rub with a lengthwise motion, never |
| strength of the silver is increased, but it also means | | | | clean in a circular motion because this may cause |
| that it is more likely to tarnish because copper is more | | | | scratches due to the softness of silver. Paper, |
| reactive. In this guide, we will show you the top ways | | | | polyester, and coarse fabrics often contain wood |
| to keep your sterling silver sparkling. | | | | fibres or synthetics that can cause tiny scratches in |
| 1. Baking Soda: Mix water and baking soda into a | | | | the surface of your sterling silver jewellery. |
| paste. Rub, rinse, and polish dry with a soft cloth. | | | | 8. Liquid detergent To remove light dirt, use a small |
| 2. Aluminum Foil, Baking Soda, and Salt: Line a pan with | | | | amount of mild liquid detergent to half a cup of warm |
| a piece of aluminium foil, add enough water to cover | | | | water and rinse thoroughly with water. Dry thoroughly. |
| the jewellery, add 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon | | | | To clean excess tarnish, clean with a soft cloth and a |
| salt, and bring to the boil. Add sterling silver jewellery, | | | | non-abrasive brand name liquid or paste silver polish. |
| boil for 2-3 minutes. Rinse, dry, and buff with a soft | | | | 9. Simple regular cleaning. By periodically cleaning your |
| cloth. This method cleans the design and crevices of | | | | jewellery using sensible methods, such as warm water |
| silver pieces. | | | | and a soft cloth, means that tarnish will not have time |
| 3. Toothpaste: Coat the silver with toothpaste, run it | | | | to build up. Through regular cleaning, tarnish and dirt will |
| under warm water, work it into a foam, and rinse. For | | | | be kept to a minimum ensuring that your sterling silver |
| stubborn stains or intricate grooves, use a soft-bristled | | | | jewellery stays in top condition. |
| toothbrush. | | | | 10. Prevention. This may not be strictly a cleaning |
| 4. Tomato Sauce or Brown Sauce. Soak sterling silver | | | | method, but it will ensure you get the most from your |
| jewellery in either of these sauces for 10 minutes and | | | | jewellery, and is by far the most effective. By making |
| then wash with soapy water. Once dry, polish up | | | | sure that sterling silver pieces are kept together, and |
| gently using a polishing cloth. | | | | separate from other types of jewellery, such as gold |
| 5. Malt vinegar. This is the active ingredient in Tomato | | | | jewellery minimises the tarnish that can be built up on it, |
| and Brown Sauce. Pour 100ml of malt vinegar into a | | | | and reduces the risk of scratches. Also, by taking |
| kettle, fill up with water, place the sterling silver | | | | practical steps like not wearing jewellery until you need |
| jewellery inside and boil. This method will also clean | | | | to (e.g. after showering, putting perfume/after shave |
| your kettle. Rinse both the kettle and jewellery | | | | on) means that your sterling silver jewellery will shine |
| thoroughly afterwards. Alternatively, use a pan to boil | | | | for that little bit longer. |
| the vinegar. | | | | |