Contents
What reaction causes silver to turn black?
A normal reaction of this precious metal produces that black film that makes silver look dirty and opaque. Because there is a concentration of sulfur in the air and on the skin, contact with both accelerates the appearance of this residue, known as silver sulfide. For this reason, aluminum is one of the most important allies of bicarbonate when cleaning silver. This is because sulfur is more akin to this metal, and when it gets close, it will release it with the help of baking soda with hot water.How to clean silver with baking soda?
We have already advanced one of the most famous and infallible tricks to clean your silver objects. However, below we will tell you how to carry out the process step by step and what other methods you can use.Baking soda with hot water
Being the easiest and cheapest method, the results of cleaning silver are amazing. We tell you how to do it step by step:- The first thing you have to do is line the inside of a deep container with aluminum foil.
- Pour hot water and two tablespoons of baking soda into it.
- Place the silver objects you want to clean inside the container and stir them with a wooden spoon.
- When you see them shining, take them out and dry them with a clean cloth. This way, you can get even more shine.
baking soda paste
Making this paste is easy, and easier to clean the silver pieces when we don’t have the aluminum on hand. You must prepare it as follows:- Place a quarter cup of baking soda in a container and add water.
- You will have to mix until you form a homogeneous mixture.
- Smear a clean cloth or sponge with the paste and apply directly to utensils. You will have to rub them very well, and if the stain is difficult, you will have to leave it there for a while before cleaning it with warm water.
How to enhance the effect of bicarbonate?
As you could have noticed, baking soda alone can leave your silver shiny. However, other ingredients can help you and enhance its effect. These are some of the most common preparations.Baking soda with white vinegar
Thanks to its disinfectant and degreasing action, white vinegar is known, so it is very common to have it at home and give it different uses. Well, together with the baking soda, you will get good results in cleaning silver objects.- Pour a quarter cup of white vinegar into a container.
- Little by little, add the bicarbonate: about 10 grams.
- Once the baking soda dissolves, place your objects inside and leave them there for a few minutes while this mixture acts on them.
- Take them out, and with the help of a completely dry cloth, get them the desired shine.
Bicarbonate with lemon
Another perfect match and impressive result on silver objects is baking soda with lemon. Its use is recommended in pieces with details and where the silver sulfide seems impossible to remove. We tell you what you must do to obtain its benefits:- In an aluminum container, place hot water and bicarbonate of soda.
- Add the objects to be cleaned and leave them there for about 60 minutes.
- Take out the pieces to reinforce and apply the lemon juice.
- You will see how the sulfur begins to turn green until it disappears.
- Wash with lukewarm water and dry with a dry cloth to enhance shine.
Baking soda with salt
This mixture is key in those extreme cases where the silver does not obtain a shine only with bicarbonate. Using it on pieces that have not been cleaned for a long time is recommended. You must do the following:- Prepare the aluminum container with hot water, baking soda, and salt. You should use a quarter cup of each ingredient per liter of water.
- Place the objects to be cleaned inside the container and in the mixture.
- Leave them for about 60 minutes or until you see they are shiny.
- Take out the pieces and clean them with a dry cloth.