In this article you will find easy ways to keep your silver charms clean with a minimum amount of time and effort. Sterling silver really is not that difficult to take care of whether it is your precious silver charms or fine tableware. Keeping your silver charms tarnish free and sparkling is really pretty easy. To remove light dirt, fingerprints or makeup on your silver charms just use a small amount of mild liquid detergent to a 1/2 cup of warm water and rinse thoroughly with clean fresh water. (Remember be careful because too harsh of a cleanser could damage the polish on the stones.) Dry it completely before storing it in an air tight zip lock bag. Clean your sterling silver charms with a soft 100% cotton (nub free) cloth or flannel cloth and gently rub off any excess makeup. Remember silver is a very soft metal and you can scratch it if you aren't careful so don't rub it too briskly. Never use anything but clean 100% cotton or a special silver cleaning cloth or very soft bristle brush, like a babies tooth brush or a horsehair silver brush. Paper, polyester, and coarse fabrics often contain wood fibbers or synthetics, which can cause tiny scratches in the surface of your fine silver. Dirt left over from previous cleanings can scratch the surface as well. Rub your silver charms with a lengthwise motion, never clean in a circular motion because this may cause scratches. Many will leave the tarnish in the deep crevices to enhance the look of the piece. However, if you want to remove the tarnish too hard to reach areas, use a very soft brush like a child's tooth brush or a jewellery horse hair silver brush. A mushroom brush works well for this and can be found at most grocery stores. After cleaning with a silver polish, use a clean cloth to remove any residual cleaner from your silver charms. Don't feel that you have to get every bit of tarnish from lines and crevices. Leaving some of the tarnish in hard to reach areas just adds definition and an antique look. Storing your sterling silver charms in the open air and humidity for extended periods of time can cause it to tarnish quickly. Tarnish first appears as a golden hue on your sterling silver then turns to black. This is a normal process that is caused by oxidization and moisture from air and believe it or not sunshine. To keep tarnish to a minimum store all your jewellery pieces when not wearing them. Avoid storing your sterling silver charms directly on wood surfaces, because wood usually contains acids that can mar the finish. Oak seems to be the worst for this. Also, avoid storing your silver with other metals, like pennies, and rubber, these too cause tarnish and damage.
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