A silver chain goes grey where it touches your neck. A steel bangle picks up a dull film you cannot quite wipe off. Neither piece is ruined, and neither needs a special product to come back.
First: work out which metal you have
The cleaning method depends entirely on this, and using the silver method on a plated piece will strip it.
- Sterling silver — usually stamped 925. Tarnishes to yellow, then brown, then black.
- Stainless steel — heavier for its size, does not tarnish. Gets dull from film, not chemistry.
- Plated — gold-tone or silver-tone over a base metal. Do not use any polishing method on these. See our plated jewelry care guide.
If a listing does not say, it is on the product page under materials. If it is still unclear, email us before you clean it.
Sterling silver
Silver tarnish is silver sulfide — a chemical reaction with sulfur compounds in air, skin, wool, rubber bands and some foods. It is not dirt and wiping harder will not shift it.
Light tarnish: soap and water
Warm water, one drop of plain dish soap, a soft cloth or a very soft toothbrush. Rinse and dry completely. This handles the yellow stage.
Real tarnish: the foil and baking soda method
This reverses the reaction rather than scraping the silver off, which is why it is gentler than polish.
- Line a bowl with aluminium foil, shiny side up.
- Add a tablespoon of baking soda and enough just-boiled water to cover the piece.
- Lay the silver on the foil so it touches the metal. Leave 2-5 minutes.
- Lift it out, rinse in clean water, dry completely with a soft cloth.
Do not use this on: anything with stones, pearls, opals, turquoise, enamel or glued components; oxidised silver where the dark finish is deliberate; or plated pieces of any kind.
Keeping it from coming back
Store silver in a sealed bag with the air pressed out. Anti-tarnish strips work and cost very little. Wearing silver regularly genuinely slows tarnish — the friction of skin contact keeps the surface clean.
Stainless steel
Steel does not tarnish. What you are seeing is a film of skin oil, soap residue and product build-up.
Warm water, dish soap, soft brush, rinse, dry. That is the whole method. For a stubborn film add a splash of white vinegar to the water — safe on steel, and only on steel.
If your steel piece has a brushed finish, wipe along the grain rather than across it, or you will leave visible cross-marks.
Things not to do to any of it
- Toothpaste. It is an abrasive. It works on silver by removing silver, and it destroys plating.
- Ultrasonic cleaners. Fine at a jeweller on solid metal. At home, they loosen glued stones and shake plating off.
- Jewelry dips. Fast, harsh, and easy to leave a piece in too long.
- Bleach. Damages silver permanently.
- Leaving anything wet. Water trapped in a link or a clasp is what causes dullness from the inside. Dry completely, every time.
How often
Wipe after wearing. Wash properly every month or two. Deep-clean silver when you can see the tarnish, not on a schedule — every deep clean costs a little material, so doing it less often is genuinely better.