by Tim Harry

Created on: May 03, 2010

Silver is generally considered to be one of the most precious and the most beautiful of metals. It though, like most other things, will require cleaning if it is to stay looking beautiful. Sterling silver, like pure silver, is relatively easy to clean.

Sterling silver and pure silver are of course predominantly silver, pure silver being 99.9% silver, with sterling silver made up of 92.5% silver. The remaining percentage being made up of additional metals, normally copper, this allows the sterling silver to be workable. Despite the alloy mixture though, sterling silver remains relatively soft.

Most people when looking to clean sterling silver will purchase one of the manufactured cleaners available from jewelry stores and supermarkets. These have of course been designed for the purpose, and a good brand will do the job well. All that is normally required is an application of the product and a rub clean with a lint free cloth. In a lot of cases a rub and polish with a lint free cloth, devoid of any cleaning product, will be enough to remove much of the tarnish and dirt from the sterling silver.

For stubborn dirt of course a cleaning product is going to be required, although this doesn’t necessarily mean heading to the supermarket. There are many products found around the home that will help with cleaning sterling silver. It is though important to remember that this doesn’t mean that any household cleaner will do the job. Strong cleaners and bleach will damage the sterling silver rather than clean it.

Cleaning sterling silver starts with the simple rub down using the lint free cloth. Soapy water, at room temperature, can help with dirt and tarnish, with any hard to reach areas, such as crevices, being accessed with a soft toothbrush. Care does have to be taken though as excessive pressure, or the use of hard bristles could damage the sterling silver.

If help is needed to clean sterling silver then toothpaste and lemon juice are both good household products to use. The acidic nature of lemon juice will assist in eating away dirt and tarnish. Lemon juice, when combined with bicarbonate of soda, also makes for a good cleaning paste. Toothpaste is a gentle abrasive, and will help to rub away the dirt as well.

For large amounts of sterling silver, or really stubborn dirt and tarnish, it may well be worth looking to professionals to clean the sterling silver. There are plenty of firms around that will do the work, and a reputable one will do the work for a fee that saves plenty of time and effort.

In most cases cleaning sterling silver is not difficult although it can be seen as a chore. Regular cleaning of sterling silver though, should mean that all that is required is a quick rub with a lint free cloth, making for a much easier job.

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