How To Clean Sterling Silver Rings
How to clean silver rings. Our jewels are our most precious possessions, especially if they have sentimental value. That is why it is so important to keep your diamond or stone sterling silver rings clean and shiny! There are various ways of cleaning your sterling silver rings at home which, if you follow the right guidelines, will keep your precious jewels clean and shimmery for years to come.
Let’s take a look at some tips on how to clean and care for your sterling silver rings.
How to Care for Sterling Silver Rings
Sterling silver oxidizes over time, causing it to develop a blackish color. If you treat and care for your sterling silver rings properly, they will reward you with lifelong shine. Now, the key to caring for your sterling silver rings is to not only clean them properly, but also to store them appropriately to avoid exposure to air and light.
Regular Maintenance
Prevention is always better than treatment. So, the best way to care for your silver rings is to clean them regularly and pat them dry with a soft cloth. It’s also important to know the rating of your sterling silver ring. If you look at the inside part of your ring, you’ll notice either the number .925 or .950 engraved on it. These digits indicate the sturdiness of the sterling silver and how often it should be cleaned and polished.
If your jewel has a .950 digit on it, you’ll need to clean and polish it a bit more than a ring with a .925 rating. These digits are also a clear indication of jewel authenticity, so make sure your rings showcase one of these number codes!
Another great way to maintain shiny sterling silver rings is to keep them dry as much as possible. The chemicals and contaminants in water can actually cause jewels to turn dull and tarnish. Showering, swimming, relaxing in a hot tub or hot springs, and applying lotions and perfumes all contribute to your rings losing their luster.
Where to store sterling silver rings
Exposure to moisture and air significantly contributes to tarnishing. If you want to know how to shine your silver rings, your first step is not to store them on your basin, nightstand, or in your handbag. The best place to store your most precious pieces are in individual, airtight bags. This might seem a bit difficult, but it’s worth it if you want to maintain your ring’s shine and beauty.
Also, it’s probably best not to group several pieces together as they can easily scratch, tarnish, and tangle.
When to store your rings
There are numerous substances that can tarnish your rings, and while we want to keep them on at all times and watch as they shimmer in the dishwater, it’s best to rather take them off before you do your daily chores. These include:
- Any household tasks
- Exercise
- Showering or bathing
- Swimming, hot-tubbing, or using a sauna
- Heat
- Applying lotion, makeup, hair products, etc.
- Preparing, cooking, or eating foods containing sulfur
- Gardening or any other outdoor chores
Happy silver makes a happy you! Maintain your shine and the shine will maintain your beauty.
The Best Way to Clean Sterling Silver Rings
Now that you’re storing your sterling silver rings safely and appropriately, it’s time to maintain the shine by cleaning your rings regularly. We’ve found some recipes for you to make a DIY cleaner for you to clean silver rings at home. All of these methods are natural to avoid any harsh chemicals from damaging your precious pieces.
What Can You Use to Clean Sterling Silver Rings
The most important thing to remember is to never use rough bristles or sharp at-home cleaning methods to clean your silver rings. Cleaning sterling silver rings at home should be done with extra care and delicate strokes.
This is how to clean sterling silver rings with stones and how to clean sterling silver rings with diamonds, and avoid loosening or damaging the diamonds, gems, and metals. If you’re using an old toothbrush, make sure the bristles are extremely soft - and use gentle strokes.
The best way to clean silver rings at home:
Water and Baking Soda
Mix 2 x parts water to 1 x part baking soda and stir it into a paste. If your rings are extra delicate, add a bit more water to the paste. Use a soft-bristled tooth brush or cleaning brush and apply the paste with gentle motions. Rinse and polish the ring until it’s dry.
Dishwashing Liquid and Water
This is probably the easiest way to clean sterling silver. Simply rinse the ring with the solution and polish until dry.
Salt Water, Baking Soda, and Vinegar
Place a sheet of aluminum foil onto a dinner plate and place your rings onto the foil. Combine 1 x cup of boiling water with 1 x tablespoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of baking soda. Pour the mixture onto the rings and add half a cup of vinegar.
Don’t worry about the bubbles! It’s just the vinegar and baking soda reacting. Leave the mixture for approximately 10 minutes, rinse the rings in cold water, and polish the ring until it’s dry.
There you have it! Now you know what to use to clean sterling silver rings and how to shine to silver rings.
How to Polish Silver Rings
Now that you know how to store and clean your silver rings, let’s look at how to polish sterling silver rings to give it that brightly defined shine of a brand-new jewel! Believe it or not, polishing silver rings isn’t about simply taking a cloth and wiping it a little harder than usual. To avoid scratching the metal or losing a stone or diamond entirely, you need to use a method that will shine your silver rings while keeping them in great condition.
Pretty and Polished
Rule number one when polishing your silver rings, is NEVER use paper towels, toilet paper, or rough cloths. The fibers could get stuck in the hooks and grooves.
Instead, take a microfiber cloth or a special jewelry cloth and use long, up-and-down strokes. Use a different part of the cloth to avoid spreading the dirt or tarnish - and be sure not to use circular motions as it can make the dirt or tarnish worse.
If you find dirt in the tiny grooves that you want to remove, use a Q-tip to polish it right up and out!
Be Proud of Your Silver
…And there you have it! Now you know how to care for your sterling silver rings. Keep your rings good as new, and wear them with pride! See? Cleaning sterling silver rings isn’t so hard after all.
Shop now to get your own jewelry cleaning kit and keep your most precious jewels glowing.