DIY hack for cleaning silver jewellery in MINUTES using common pantry staples
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It's likely that a good number of us SDC members have at least a few pieces of jewellery that they adore but are aware could use a little more TLC.
We expect our jewellery to shine, but over time, like most other things, exposure to dust and dirt, lotions and soaps, and even sweat, air, and moisture can dull our favourite pieces and rob them of their gleam.
Fortunately, the majority of the items in your jewellery box can be cleaned on your own without having to go to a professional jeweller.
A user on TikTok demonstrated how to bring back the lustre of silver that has been tarnished with just a few common pantry staples!
A TikToker cleaned her sterling silver rings with a common pantry staple. Credit: TikTok/@emmarararara.
Emma, an Aussie retail worker, claims in a now-viral video on TikTok that cleaning your jewellery is as simple as mixing baking soda in a bowl with hot water and aluminium foil.
"Okay so the more I tell people about this hack, the more I realise that people don't know, and they need to know!" she said in the clip.
Here are the things you will need:
- A small washtub or glass baking dish
- Tea kettle or pot for boiling water
- Aluminium foil
- Baking soda
- Table salt (optional)
- Hot water
- Soft, clean white rag
And here's how to do the cleaning method:
To begin, lay a large piece of aluminium foil across the base of the glass baking dish or the washtub you will be using.
After that, arrange your silver jewellery and other silver accessories so that they are atop the foil.
"You can use this on earrings, necklaces, anything with real diamonds or fake diamonds, just as long as it's 925 (sterling silver)," Emma noted in her video.
The next step is to sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda over the top of the silverware, which should take a few tablespoons. (Emma didn't mention it, but other sources say you can add a few tablespoons of table salt to the mixture as well.)
For the final step, pour hot water directly from the kettle over the jewellery and allow the solution to work its magic. Gently take them out and wipe them with a clean rag.
The dull pieces of jewellery were almost immediately transformed into shiny ones, which wowed tens of thousands of people on the social media platform.
Since it was first shared online, the video has been watched a staggering 948,000 times and has garnered the attention of hundreds of people who have provided feedback.
While most users found the cleaning hack effective and amazing, others pointed out that the jewellery company Pandora offers free cleaning services anyway, so customers might want to go there instead.
When salt, baking soda, aluminium foil, and water are combined, a chemical reaction called ion exchange occurs. The tarnish on the silver (silver sulphide) is converted back into silver during this process, and the sulphide on the foil becomes aluminium sulphide.
If your silver is dirty enough, brown or yellow flakes of tarnish will show up on the aluminium foil. In spite of the fact that this procedure is effective, the chemical reaction produces an odour that is not particularly pleasant; therefore, adequate ventilation is required.
It's possible that heavily tarnished silver will require a second (and even a third) soaking.
We hope this simple DIY cleaning hack has been helpful to you, members! If you have any other jewellery cleaning hacks you would like to share with the rest of us, please do so in the comments below.
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