I work with silver jewelry for the last 13 years (or more). Many of our clients ask us , how they can clean the jewelry that they have in their shops or how their end clients can clean the jewelry at home . So If you've ever worn silver jewelry, you know how tarnished / dirty or black they can get with time. it can get black in a very short time. Another problem with using silver polish to clean jewelry is that it can be hard clean all the nooks and crannies in your jewelry. so we are sharing here few nice and easy tips on how to clean silver at home . There really isn't much you can do about silver tarnishing. It's just the nature of Silver. Silver metal reacts to chemicals. Whether it is chemicals in the air, or chemicals touching it. Silver reacts! That's why most Sterling Silver sold today is plated with a thin layer of metal protection. This process is called 'Flashing', and they use either Silver or Rhodium to coat the outside of the Rings or Jewelry to make them look Whiter, Brighter, and to keep the tarnishing down to a minimum. So until that plating wears off, your Silver will actually hold up pretty well. Here's a list of things that Silver has a bad reaction with: Wool, Rubber Bands, Latex Gloves, Oils from your Hands and Fingers, Ammonia, Chlorinated Water, Carpet Padding, Air Pollution, Perfumes, Hair Sprays, and believe it or not, some foods can even make Silver tarnish. Foods like: Onions, Mayonnaise, Salad Dressing, Eggs and Salty Foods. (Put down those Chips!) In fact, just the humidity alone can cause Silver to corrode! It's a never-ending battle. The best way to store your Silver Jewelry is in individually sealed poly bags or zip lock bags. Store it with those cute little Silica Gel Packs and it'll help remove any moisture from the air. It won't keep your Jewelry from tarnishing, but it will delay the process. Cleaning your Silver Jewelry with warm water and drying it with a soft cloth after you wear it, will remove any oily residue and slow the process down as well. But, if you have old items that become black , here is the way to clean them : All you'll need it : so let's go to work ! Take the aluminum plate (make sure its clean) . Add 1 tablespoon of baking soda into the aluminum plate. Then pour some hot (but not boiling) water into the plate. Stir the water with the baking soda until you get a nice tick mixture. Now you can take the tooth brush and dip it with the mixture. Start scrubbing the silver piece with the tooth brush until its clean. Wash the silver items with water. Live the silver piece on a clean paper until it dry. Another way to do it : Put the silver items into the aluminum plate . Cover the silver jewelry with baking soda . Pour hot water into the plate . Move the silver items with a spoon or any other thing ( don't forget the water is hot ) . Live the silver items in the water for 2-3 minutes . Take out the silver items and let it dry on a clean piece of paper . please note : We do not recommend this cleaning method for jewelry that has precious or semi-precious stones. Also, be aware that this method is not good for antiqued (oxidized) silver, as cleaning will remove the antiqued finish on the silver along with the tarnish.