Real silver turns black gradually and relatively slowly, but vinegar can step it up a notch and speed up the process. So, if you put silver bars in vinegar and leave them for 48 hours, a black residue will form on the surface of each piece. Acidic acid induces oxidation, making the tarnish more pronounced.
Cleaning silver with vinegar is safe for your silver, you, and the environment, and it's great for bringing back the sparkle. Vinegar is a natural cleaner, disinfectant, and deodorizer that is tough on tarnish. Here's how to polish silver and get back that sparkling shine with vinegar and baking soda.
Clean Silver with Vinegar
This cleaning agent is a great option for many things, including your tarnished silver. Mix 1/2 cup of white vinegar with 2 tablespoons of baking soda in a bowl of lukewarm water. Let the silver soak for two to three hours. Rinse with cold water and let airdry.
Cover the jewelry with half a cup of white vinegar and one drop of tea tree oil. Leave the jewelry to soak in the mixture overnight, or for eight hours while you are at work. If you see debris floating around in the solution, you know it is working.
Vinegar. If your sterling silver jewelry or silverware has lost its shine and luster, try soaking it in a solution of ½ cup of white vinegar and 2 tablespoons of baking soda. Allow it to sit for two or three hours, and then remove it and rinse with cold water.
Submerging in Vinegar
Vinegar is another popular at-home solution for cleaning. But like lemon juice, vinegar is very acidic and will cause damage to your soft stones and plated jewelry. Soaking your jewelry in a bowl of vinegar will remove the jewelry's shine and finish.
For silver that is heavily tarnished, mix a paste of three parts baking soda to one part water. Wet the silver and apply the cleaner with a soft, lint-free cloth (not paper towels). Work the paste into the crevices, turning the cloth as it gets gray. Rinse and buff dry.
Cleaning silver with Vinegar
Even the most tarnished pieces of silverware can come back to life just by using vinegar. The combination of bicarbonate of soda, aluminium foil and vinegar make for a deadly foe to tarnish and will leave your silverware looking beautiful once more.
Put the silver items in a bowl of appropriate size and cover them with white distilled vinegar. Add baking soda into the bowl – the approximate proportions are 4 tablespoons of baking soda for every cup of vinegar. Leave the silver in the mixture for 1 hour. Rinse with clean water and dry well with soft cotton cloth.
Simply pour the coke into a bowl and submerge your silver into it. The acid in the coke will quickly remove the tarnish. Keep an eye on it – just a few minutes should be enough. Rinse with warm water and dry carefully with a soft cloth.
Silver becomes black because of hydrogen sulfide (sulfur), a substance that occurs in the air. When silver comes into contact with it, a chemical reaction takes place and a black layer is formed. Silver oxidizes faster in places with a lot of light and high humidity.
Fill an aluminum pan (or one lined with aluminum foil) with hot water. Add 1/2 to 1 cup of baking soda and 1/2 cup salt, and stir to dissolve. Working in a ventilated area, submerge the silver pieces in the solution. A chemical reaction will occur, removing the tarnish.
The Magnet Test
"Silver is not noticeably magnetic, and exhibits only weak magnetic effects unlike iron, nickel, cobalt, and the like," says Martin. "If your magnet sticks strongly to the piece, it has a ferromagnetic core and is not silver." Fake silver or silver-plated items are generally made of other metals.
Cleaning the knives with vinegar can damage the finish on knives and leave the edge pitted, warns Jim Nanni, head of appliance testing for CR. Other common metals in the kitchen that you should keep away from vinegar include aluminum and copper.
Restore shine to coins and jewelry
Coins and jewelry that have started to gather an unsightly tarnish can be cleaned with nothing more than a can of Coke. If, for some reason, you care about how shiny your pocket change is, simply drop the grimy coins in a Coke bath and leave them overnight.
Mixing baking soda, boiling water, and vinegar in a aluminum-lined tray will help remove tarnish from silver. Soak your silver in boiling water for about 30 seconds before polishing it to remove any stains.
Although mixing vinegar and baking soda is not considered dangerous, you should still avoid mixing these in a container. Vinegar is acidic and basic soda is basic, so the by-products are sodium acetate, carbon dioxide, and water that are not toxic.
Combine the baking soda and salt. Then add vinegar and boiling water. The simple (but fun-to-watch) chemical reaction should begin to remove the tarnish immediately. Heavily tarnished pieces may need to soak a little longer.
A paste of baking soda and water is all you need to clean larger silver items and remove the dull tarnish. You'll need to rub the paste over the items, but the baking soda does most of the work for you without heavy scrubbing – and no toxic ingredients.
If you need clean silver now, pour lemon juice over the tarnished pieces. Polish with a soft, clean cotton cloth. The acid begins cleaning as soon as it hits the silver's surface. Rubbing it around only strengthens its cleaning power.
Brasso is not suitable for cleaning silver – it is far too abrasive and will damage the metal. There is a less abrasive silver polish called Silvo that would be more suitable for cleaning tarnish, but cleaning and polishing collectible pieces are not recommended.
Anti-tarnish bags and polishing cloths can help minimalize the tarnish to your sterling silver jewelry. But, when the inevitable occurs and you notice your jewelry has darkened or become dull, there is GOOD NEWS! Tarnish is not permanent… AND it is easily removed!
Although using baking soda and aluminum foil can quickly remove tarnish from silverware, some dealers caution against using it on antique silver, as it can be too abrasive and ruin the finish (especially if you're unsure of the provenance and it's possible that the pieces are not actually sterling silver).