How To Clean Silver Jewellery at Home - 9 Top Tips

Whether you've received silver jewellery or given it as a gift, you've no doubt noticed that these pieces can tarnish over time. If this is your first experience with silver metal, you may be unaware of the best methods for cleaning a silver necklace and restoring it to its original appearance. 

Fortunately, cleaning silver at home is fairly easy and can often be done with products you already have at home. 

Read on to find out how to bring your silver jewellery back to life safely and effectively.

Silver jewellery generally tarnishes in reaction to a number of different chemicals, including the elements in the air around us. 

This is a natural and unavoidable phenomenon that does not necessarily affect the quality of the jewellery. 

At Merci Maman, we attach particular importance to the origin and quality of our raw materials. Our 925 sterling silver, for example, is rigorously selected from responsible suppliers. We work closely with these suppliers to offer our customers healthy and sustainable products. 

What's more, we only use pure materials, which means that all our jewellery is 100% flawless to ensure impeccable quality.

It is normal for your silver jewellery to tarnish over time, but there are some ways to prevent it. Here are our best tips on how to keep your silver jewellery sparkling…

1/ Wear Your Piece!

Perhaps a surprising way to prevent your jewellery from tarnishing is to wear it! The natural oil in our skin actually prevents silver from tarnishing, especially with regular wear. Tarnishing will most likely occur when your jewellery is left sitting around and isn’t stored in an airtight container.

There are certain situations in which you should remove your silver jewellery in order to preserve its shine. For example, you should avoid water (especially chlorinated water), household cleaners and direct sunlight when wearing your jewellery. This will help you to avoid any tarnish or damage to your silver pieces.

3/ The final step in your beauty routine

Exposing your silver jewellery to products such as lotions, cosmetics, hair products and perfumes will accelerate tarnishing and damage your pieces. Therefore, your jewellery should be the finishing touch to your look!

Make sure you put them on last to avoid any contact with these products. When you get ready in the morning, apply your make-up and perfumes first, then your silver jewellery should be the last thing you put on. This will minimise their exposure to substances that could accelerate the tarnishing process.

Regular cleaning is crucial to keeping your silver jewellery shiny and spotless. Use a soft cloth specially designed for silver to gently polish your jewellery. You can also use a silver cleaning solution if your jewellery starts to tarnish badly. Be sure to follow our specific instructions to avoid damaging your jewellery.

5/ Proper storage

To prevent tarnishing when not being worn, store your silver jewellery in a cool, dry and airtight place. Using anti-tarnish bags or fabric-lined jewellery boxes can greatly help to preserve their shine. Make sure that each piece is stored separately to avoid scratches or damage caused by contact with other jewellery.

If you notice that your silver jewellery is starting to lose its sparkle, you can easily use a polishing cloth to buff away dirt and darkening on the silver. Gently rub your jewellery with a jewellery cloth or microfibre towel as your first line of defence in cleaning your jewellery.

For this method, add a few drops of dish soap to warm water and mix, before soaking your jewellery in the solution. After a few minutes, use a soft brush (e.g., a toothbrush) to clean the pieces properly, ensuring you get into all the crevices. Make sure to dry your jewellery well and avoid paper towels, if possible, as these can create scratches.

Bicarbonate of soda is a common household ingredient that you might have hidden away at the back of a kitchen cupboard. To use it to clean your silver jewellery, create a paste of bicarbonate of soda and water, apply a pea-sized amount and polish with a cloth. Again, use a soft-bristled toothbrush to get into the cracks and crevices before washing the piece with warm water and drying with a cloth.

There are many jewellery cleaning kits available online that can help you restore your pieces to their original glory. One option is our easy to-use jewellery care kit, available on our website. This features a ‘jewellery sparkle’ solution to submerge your jewellery in as well as a small brush and polishing cloth to help remedy any imperfections, keeping your special pieces sparkling clean.

Toothpaste is another effective home remedy for cleaning tarnished silver. Use a non-gel toothpaste without whitening particles, as these can be too abrasive for silver. Apply a small amount of toothpaste to a soft-bristled toothbrush and gently scrub your jewellery. 

The paste will help to remove tarnish and restore the shine of the silver. After brushing, rinse the jewellery well under running water and dry with a soft cloth.

6/ White vinegar and bicarbonate of soda