I had a customer tell me that she uses Windex to clean her silver
jewellery.Comments?
I recommend Windex, but only the Windex with vinegar, not ammonia
(ammonia can dull silver if used continuously). I also recommend
rinsing jewelry with distilled water afterwards if it’s going to come
in contact with skin. “Green” products are also fine as long as they
don’t leave a film.
Jeff Herman
Marilyn, I boil it in ammonia, water, and dove soap. Wind ex has
very little ammonia in it and is pretty benign.
Don Meixner.
Perhaps I should ask, are you cleaning silver daily with windex or
after you polish it on the wheel.
Don
Oddly enough I like Dow basin Tub and Tile cleaner. The scrubbing
bubbles stuff. It doesn’t even turn copper or brass colors. I even
use it before plating. It makes metals so clean that the water will
just sheet off.
Don, the suggestion to use Windex to remove the tarnish from silver
came from one of my customers, and I was wondering if I should pass
it on to students in my chain mail classes. (We use vibratory
tumblers & shot to clean our rings.) I’m always on the lookout for
customer/home-oriented ideas for cleaning chain mail jewelry,
especially for pieces that incorporate pearls or soft stones.
Jeff, I wasn’t aware that Windex came with ammonia or with alcohol.
I’ll check that out.
Marilyn
Marilyn,
Whenever I receive chain mail purses, I first try cleaning them with
hand sanitizer. If that doesn’t give me the desired results, I’ll use
Blitz Silver Shine Polish or Earth Friendly Silver Polish.
Vibratory shot can alter the surface of an object to the point that
it looks too shiny, the edges are no longer crisp, and the
possibility of producing minute dents. Polishing by hand will always
be the safer method.
Jeff Herman
A solution of Calgon water softener (liquid or powder), salt, water,
glass or plastic container, aluminum foil on the bottom of the
container, tarnish is removed as soon as the silver touches the foil.
Does not affect patina, I only used LOS, so test please.
1 or two cups cold water, Tbs or Tsp salt, Tbs or Tsp Calgon, put
water and water softener in non metallic container.
We used this for tens of thousands of pieces of sterling jewelry over
at at least 15 years, every and any type of gemstone, pearl, shell,
rock, mineral, some say no amber (I did it quickly with no problem).
Take out foil keep covered when not in use.
The foil will dissolve if left in.
Marilyn- I make my own “windex” for my household cleaning use by
pouring into a spray bottle 1/8-1/4 cup ammonia, two cups of
denatured alcohol, and 3 cups of water. I vary the ingredients
depending on what I have to clean.
I would never use this on turquoise, pearls, lapis, malachite or
opals.
You can use vinegar instead of alcohol, but I’d still not use it on
the above. Vinegar is after all acedic acid.
Please tell me that when you clean rings in a vibratory tumbler that
you are not putting in rings with valuable or fragile stones. A sonic
and steamer are a little less risky.
Have fun and make lots of jewelry.
Jo Haemer
timothywgreen.com
A solution of Calgon water softener (liquid or powder), salt, water, glass or plastic container, aluminum foil on the bottom of the container, tarnish is removed as soon as the silver touches the foil. Does not affect patina, I only used LOS, so test please. 1 or two cups cold water, Tbs or Tsp salt, Tbs or Tsp Calgon, put water and water softener in non metallic container."
For those of you who do not have access to Calgon, this technique
was traditionally done simply with water, baking soda, and aluminum
foil. Janet in Jerusalem