Features of cleaning silver spoons: methods without chemicals

Table silver tends to turn black over time. This fact is primarily associated with violation of storage and operating conditions. However, blackened silver spoons are not a cause for frustration. It is not difficult to return them to their former beauty. Experienced housewives know different ways. Some of them will be discussed in the article.

Features of cleaning table silver

Silver is a noble metal, and therefore capricious. The darkening occurs due to an oxidation process, which results in the formation of so-called silver sulfide on the surface of the cutlery. It is this substance that spoils the appearance of spoons and forks.

The reasons for this trouble are as follows:

• high air humidity in the place where cutlery is stored;
• exposure to direct sunlight;
• storing silver spoons next to appliances made of other metals.

Another reason for darkening is unscrupulous or improper cleaning. Not every housewife thinks about how to do it correctly. Meanwhile, the preparatory stage is very important: the result of all the work directly depends on it.

Attention! You should not "run" such a finicky silverware. It is better to remove small darkening in a timely manner. This is much easier to do than cleaning old stains from appliances.

So, before cleaning, it is necessary to remove greasy deposits from the spoons. You can get rid of it with a solution based on laundry soap and hot water (at least 50 degrees). Silverware is soaked for 30 minutes, and after this time, the remaining dirt must be removed with a soft sponge. Then the spoons must be rinsed and dried with a paper towel.

Thanks to such simple actions, the procedure for cleaning from darkening will not take much time, and its result will certainly please.

How to clean at home without household chemicals

Of course, you can buy a silver spoon cleaner at the store. But it is not cheap, and there is no point in such a purchase. There are a lot of ways to make cutlery clean with the help of available tools.
Here are the most popular ones for cleaning silver spoons:

1. Table vinegar. It is only necessary to work with gloves. Vinegar (not acid) is heated to 40-50 degrees. Then the cutlery is placed in a container with vinegar for 15 minutes. As a rule, all darkening goes away after one such procedure. However, if the stains are old, then the "soak" can be repeated or extended.
2. Toothpaste. This product will not only make the silver clean, but will restore its lost shine. It is enough to squeeze a small amount of paste onto a toothbrush (medium hard) and rub each device. Then rinse and dry. It is important to choose the right paste: it is better not to buy products with granules.
3. Soda. This product must be mixed with warm (36-40 degrees) water to a mushy consistency. Then each spoon must be rubbed with the mixture (it is convenient to do this with a soft toothbrush or sponge). The mixture is washed off with running water. Dry the appliances on a towel.
4. A mixture of ammonia and hydrogen peroxide. 30 ml of these substances are added to a liter of warm water. Silver spoons are immersed in the solution for 15–20 minutes (if the stains are old, then the procedure time can be slightly increased). After that, they are wiped dry.
5. Blend of baking soda, vinegar and salt. Bring 100 ml of water to a boil. After that, add 1 tbsp to it. l. salt, soda and vinegar. Then, a foil is spread into a container with a flat bottom, the solution is poured onto it. Silver is dipped into a container so that it comes into contact with the foil as tightly as possible (you can wrap devices in foil). After a few minutes, the spoons will be completely clean and shiny.
6. Egg yolk. It is convenient to work with a cotton pad. With its help, spoons are processed with yolk. The devices should be left in this form for 10–20 minutes. The yolk forms a special film, due to which the browning will disappear.
7. Ammonia. This substance copes perfectly with darkening and without adding any additional components. For work, you need a container with a lid. Instruments are placed in it, they are poured with ammonia. Then the container is tightly closed and shaken so that the ammonia "gets" to each spoon. After a few minutes, the silver will shine like new.
8. Lemon acid. To clean the silver, it is necessary to boil a liter of water, stir a sachet of citric acid in it and lower silverware in the solution for 15 minutes (you can also increase the time if there is a lot of contamination).
9. a piece of chalk. It works like a toothpaste: gently and gently removes darkening. For cleaning, chalk (it should be white, without dyes) is crushed into powder and mixed with a small amount of water. The resulting gruel is applied to devices using a toothbrush. After 15–20 minutes, the mixture is washed off.
10. Coca Cola. An unusual way that our grandmothers did not know, but modern housewives discovered. This drink cleans many plumbing items (since it contains phosphoric acid), so it will cope with black spots on silver. The procedure is extremely simple: just place the spoons in a container with cola for 10–20 minutes, and then rinse them under running water.

Important! Silverware must not be washed or cleaned in the dishwasher. Firstly, long-term exposure to water, air drying and mechanical action are destructive for this metal. Secondly, most dishwasher detergents contain alkali and chlorine, which contribute to the oxidation process (silver will darken even faster than with conventional hand washing).

Storage tips

In order for the devices to delight with their shine for a long time, it is recommended to store them correctly:

1. Silver and salt are incompatible, so it is better to place cutlery and salt shaker away from each other.
2. Do not store silver, cupronickel and metal devices in the same tray.
3. Do not put spoons raw in the tray or box.

The best way to store silverware is simple: each item must be wrapped in thick paper, then put all the cutlery in a box and put in a dark and dry place.

Luxurious silverware will remain so for a long time only if properly cared for. As it turned out, this is not difficult at all. It is important to clean the cutlery on time and to carry out this procedure not mechanically, but with care. Then the silver spoons will last a very long time and are guaranteed to become a family heirloom.