As pretty as a pair of wide band huggie earrings or dainty silver studs can be, they may not look their best if your jewelry is dull or even tarnished. Fortunately, there are simple and effective methods for cleaning silver jewlery that will have your favorite accessories shining like new.

Several common pantry and household staples can be used to remove tarnish from your silver jewelry, including baking soda, lemon juice, white vinegar, salt, and toothpaste. The exact ingredients and method you use will depend on the metal composition of your silver jewelry. For example, pure silver is too soft to make into jewelry, so it’s typically mixed with another metal, such as copper, to create the durable sterling silver that’s most commonly worn in fashion jewelry. Silver-plated jewelry, on the other hand, isn’t made of any silver at all; it’s simply a thin layer of sterling silver over a base metal, such as brass or copper.

The mild abrasives in toothpaste can effectively scrub away tarnish from silver. Apply a small amount of white paste toothpaste (not gel) to a cloth and work it into the tarnished surface of your jewelry. Gently rub in circles and move to a clean area of the cloth as the tarnish is removed. Rinse the jewelry thoroughly, dry it with a lint-free microfiber cloth to avoid water spots, and buff to a shine. Alternatively, you can also use a silver polishing cloth, which is a special soft cloth infused with cleaners that doesn’t require the use of additional products or messy dips. silver jewlery cleaner