Cleaning silver with ammonia has its pros and cons. On the one hand, a caustic substance allows you to quickly clean products. With it, you can easily remove the darkening and dirt in hard to reach places. Ammonia will dissolve everything without tedious friction. But there are also disadvantages. It can spoil low-quality products - cause turbidity and porosity. It can not be used to clean blackened silver, items with pearls and some other inserts. And you need to handle it carefully so as not to get a chemical burn of the skin and mucous membranes of the nose and eyes.
Can silver be cleaned with ammonia?
In the age of technology, using ammonia to clean silver is at least illogical. There are a lot of special tools: HG, Re: Shine, Aladdin and others. They do their job well and are quite inexpensive, given the volume of the bottle (from 250 rubles per 300 ml).
But if you really want to, you can use ammonia. The people also call it ammonia and ammonia. Although this is not quite the same thing. Ammonia is gas, and ammonia is an aqueous solution of ammonium hydroxide, or 10% ammonia in water. In this concentration, the ammonia solution is not dangerous for silver. Except for 3 types of products.
Exceptions
Some types of silver products require special care and gentle cleaning. Ammonia can damage them.
Folk remedies can not be cleaned:
- blackened silver;
- low-quality silver with a high copper content, silver-plated products;
- jewelry with pearls, amber, coral, ivory.
The remaining stones are not afraid of short-term exposure to ammonia. You can clean products with cubic zirconias, sapphire, emerald, ruby, pomegranate, topaz and turquoise completely fearlessly.
How to clean products correctly?
Black on silver is a product of oxidation. Ammonium chloride reacts with oxides and turns them into ammonium salts. It does not dissolve silver, but the impurities that almost always add to the alloy can. In the end, you can get a "dead" decoration - dull, rough, changed color. To prevent this from happening, you need to follow 3 rules:
- Take time. You can not keep silver in ammonia for long. Use a watch.
- Observe proportions. Do not pour liquid on eyes. Often ammonia is diluted with water. Do not increase dosages and adhere strictly to the prescription.
- Clean gold and silver jewelry separately. If you lower them in ammonia together, a chemical reaction may begin that will lead to yellowing of the silver.
Safety precautions
When working with ammonia, precautions must be taken. A pungent smell is only half the trouble. Breathing in pairs, you can get poisoned. And with careless handling, ammonia can cause burns of mucous membranes and irritation on the skin.
7 golden safety rules when working with ammonia:
- Do not try to remove the cover with your mouth!
- Do not lean over ammonia so as not to inhale the vapors.
- Carefully pour the liquid so as not to spray.
- Use tweezers when removing the product from ammonia.
- Wear rubber gloves to protect your skin.
- Open all windows for cleaning. The room should be well ventilated.
- If ammonia gets on the mucous membranes, immediately rinse this place with water and consult a doctor.
Step-by-step instruction
To clean silver at home, you will need the following materials:
- ammonia 10% (ammonia for external use and inhalation);
- water;
- dishes not used for drinking and cooking;
- soft cloth (flannel, suede, woolen).
Step-by-step instruction:
- Prepare a solution of 1 part ammonia and 10 parts water.
- Dip the items into it.
- Waiting time - from 15 to 30 minutes.
- Rub the stains with a cloth.
- Rinse with running water and wipe.
Soak silver in ammonia for a short time. It is better to repeat the procedure than spoil the product.
Folk recipes
Previously, when special compounds for cleaning jewelry were in short supply, people actively used improvised means. Recipes with ammonia were considered the most effective. A pharmacy product was used in pure form and mixed with other solvents for the best effect.
Hydrogen peroxide
Peroxide affects the oxidation process with the help of oxygen. Together with ammonia, she actively dissolves plaque on precious jewelry.
Recipe:
- Pour a glass of water into a bowl, add 2 tbsp. tablespoons of ammonia and hydrogen peroxide, mix.
- Dip the jewelry in the solution and detect for 15 minutes.
- After the indicated time, arm yourself with a soft cloth, preferably lint-free, and rub the items.
- Rinse with water.
With Fairy
Dishwashing detergent acts on grease marks left on the product after contact with human skin. Together with ammonia “Fairy” and its analogues effectively remove plaque and save silver from blackness.
Recipe:
- Add 1 teaspoon of Fairy and 2 tbsp. To a glass of water. tablespoons of ammonia.
- Dip the product into the solution for 20 minutes.
- Remove and rub with a cloth.
- Rinse with water.
With tooth powder
This recipe is suitable for cleaning products with an old coating, but without stones. Tooth powder, as well as ammonia, can be found in a pharmacy. It acts as an abrasive, cleans plaque and polishes the surface.
How to clean silver from plaque at home:
- Mix in a glass of 5 tbsp. tablespoons of water, 1 tbsp. a spoon of tooth powder, 2 tbsp. tablespoons of ammonia.
- Dip a cloth in the solution and clean the items.
- Wash away the rest of the composition with water.
Darkening Prevention
Silver is coated 6 times faster than gold. If gold items need to be cleaned once a year, then silver - on average every 2 months.
The cause of blackness is impurities. For strength, copper is added to silver. The lower the sample, the more impurities in the product and the faster it becomes contaminated. Copper reacts with sulfur from human sweat, and black crystals - silver sulfide - appear on the surface of the jewelry. Sulfur may also be present in the air.
To keep silverware shiny and clean longer, take the following measures:
- Choose a dry and dark place for storage.
- Wrap the items in a soft cloth so that they do not touch each other.
- Remove jewelry when you are about to take a bath, do some cleaning, or apply cosmetics.
- Do not leave silver wet. Wipe off any moisture immediately.
It is believed that silver jewelry darkens faster on people who have problems with acidity of the stomach.
Silver is a noble metal. He is credited with healing, mystical properties. Many people like silver jewelry much more than gold jewelry. But for them to serve for a long time, you must follow the rules of care. Liquid ammonia is an effective home remedy for black on silver. But still its use is associated with a certain risk. Therefore, choosing ammonia for cleaning, you need to study the list of "contraindications" and adhere strictly to the instructions.
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