3 Ways to Clean Silver Jewelry with Vinegar - wikiHow (2024)

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Co-authored byEdward Lewand

Last Updated: August 3, 2023Approved

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   Immerse your jewelry in white vinegar. Place your jewelry in a clean mason jar or another suitable container. Cover it with white vinegar, so that it is completely immersed. You can let it sit for two or three hours, depending on how much tarnish you need to remove. Then, rinse and dry the jewelry.^[2]

   • If the piece is only moderately dirty, it should be pretty clean after fifteen minutes.^[3]
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   Add baking soda for a deeper clean. Add a half cup of vinegar to a clean container. Then, add two tablespoons of baking soda. Place your jewelry in the solution and let it sit for two or three hours. Finally, rinse the jewlery under the sink, taking care not to let it fall into the drain, and dry it with a clean cloth.

   • If you are using the kitchen sink, it is a good idea to leave the sink strainer in place.

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   Use vinegar, tea tree oil and baking soda. Find a suitable glass mason jar in your kitchen. Place your jewelry in the bottom. 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.^[4]

   • If you see debris floating around in the solution, you know it is working.
   • If your kitchen sink has a high pressure washer, you should use it. However, remember to leave the sink strainer in place and don’t let go of your jewelry.
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   Scrub the jewlery with baking soda. Coat the jewlery with baking soda. Using an old toothbrush, scrub the jewlery until it regains its sparkle. Finally, rinse and dry your jewelry.^[5]

   See Also

   How to Make a DIY Silver Cleaner at HomeHow to Clean & Polish Silver with Baking Soda | ARM & HAMMER™How To Clean Silver Jewellery at Home — The Beaverbrooks JournalHow to Clean and Polish Silver In 4 Easy Steps

   • Using baking soda at the end with a toothbrush will allow you to get into the cracks and other tough to reach spots.

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   Line a shallow pan with aluminum foil. The aluminum foil should be face up in the pan. You can use any oven safe kitchen pan that will hold your jewelry. Once you have the pan lined, distribute your jewelry across the surface so that each piece of jewelry is making contact with the aluminum foil.

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   Add boiling water, baking soda and salt to the pan. In a medium bowl, mix together a cup of boiling water, a tablespoon of baking soda and a tablespoon of salt. Add the mixture to the pan with the jewelry.

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   Add the vinegar to the pan. Pour half a cup of vinegar into the pan. You should see it bubble.

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   Let your jewelry sit. Leave your jewelry in the pan for ten minutes. If you like, you can stir the jewelry around every few minutes, making sure each piece is touching the bottom of the pan.

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   Rinse your jewelry. Use the pressure washer in your sink to completely rinse your jewelry. Be careful not to let it fall into the garbage dispenser. Then, dry your jewelry with a clean towel and store it in a safe place.

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   Use distilled water in your vinegar pickle. Pickling is a process that removes oxidation and residues from jewelry, such as after soldering or in order to clean a heavily tarnished piece. Start by obtaining some distilled water, since minerals in tap water may react with the acid in the vinegar.

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   Gather the equipment. You will need a safety mask, such as a particulate mask, as well as safety gloves. In addition, you will need a pot or crock pot that you don’t need for cooking, since it is not a good idea to use this pot for cooking afterwards.

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   Mix a non-toxic, vinegar pickle. A great pickle (cleaning solution) can be made with distilled white vinegar, salt and distilled water. For every cup of distilled water, add one teaspoon of salt. Remember to add the vinegar to the water, rather than vice versa.

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   Heat up the pickle. Warm up the pickle to just before boiling. Add the jewelry to the pickle and let it soak until you see signs of improvement.

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   Rinse and dry the jewelry. Use a pair of tongues to remove the jewelry from the pot. Then, rinse it thoroughly. Dry it with a clean cloth.

See Also
All the Ways to Clean Silver: Ranked from Worst to Best

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