How To Clean a Silver Anklet [5 Crucial Tips]

If you're looking to diversify your bejeweled look, then why not invest in an anklet? These circuits rest gently on the anklet and come in a variety of styles, from hemp to fine silver. How, though, do you go about cleaning and caring for a silver anklet?

• Wash your silver after wearing.
• Use silver butler clothes to clean your anklet.
• Avoid air-drying your silver.
• Hand-clean your anklet.
• Store your silver anklet in an airtight container.

If you've noticed some tarnish on your favorite anklet, or if you've just added one to your collect, why not try out one of the cleaning methods in this guide? Your anklet will thank you for the extra care.

A History of Anklets

Anklets are among some of the oldest pieces of jewelry. They appeared over 8000 years ago in Mesopotamia, where women wore them as a physical symbol of their partners' wealth. Since then, anklets have continued to grow in popularity in the Middle East, though their meanings have diversified. Anklets nowadays, be they worn in the Middle East or in the West, can reflect a person's relationship status, wealth, or personal sense of style.

That said, anklets didn't arrive in the United States until the 1950's. As civil rights movements began to take off, their popularity skyrocketed. As was the case with those trends embraced by activists during that time, however, anklets soon came to face villainization.  Mothers who were uncomfortable with the anklet's history or its modernized meaning began to affiliated anklet wearing with Christian sin.

Even so, anklets rose to become fashionable in many circles. They have maintained their popularity into the 21st century, appearing at events like Coachella as part of the festival aesthetic.

Anklets have always been made out of a variety of materials. Wealthier wearers were able to make theirs out of fine metals and adorn them with precious stones. Wearers who came from less influential classes hand-wove their anklets from metal or from hemp. Both variations on the anklet were meant to bring good fortune to the wearer.

How To Clean Silver Anklets

To properly clean a silver anklet, you need to know what tarnish is. Tarnish is what we call the layer of corrosion that forms over silver jewelry. It appears when hydrogen sulfide or sulfur is heavily present in the atmosphere. The chemical reaction these substances have with your silver makes your jewelry appear darker in color.

If you want to stay ahead of tarnish, take the following steps:

• Wash your silver as soon as you take it off. Use warm, soapy water and dry your anklet thoroughly.
• Alternatively, use a silver butler cloth to clean your anklet.
• Never let your silver air dry, as the water that stays behind will spot the metal.
• Absolutely do not put silver jewelry into the dishwasher.
• Store your silver anklet in a air-tight container or plastic bag to delay the tarnishing process.

How Do You Clean Silver Anklets With Aluminum Foil?

If you want to quickly and easily clean your silver anklet with aluminum foil, make sure you have these additional materials on hand:

• A soup bowl
• Foil
• Boiling water
• Baking soda
• Tongs
• A clean cloth

From here, you can clean your anklet by taking the following steps:

1. Boil your water
2. Line your soup bowl with aluminum foil, shiny side up
3. For every cup of water you add to your bowl, add 1 tablespoon of baking soda. Be prepared for the bowl to bubble!
4. Place your anklet into the bowl, and make sure it is touching the aluminum foil. Do not burn your fingers!
5. Let the anklet sit for up to five minutes. Jewelry that hasn't been cleaned for some time can remain in the solution for up to ten minutes.
6. Remove the anklet safely and dry with a clean cloth

How Do You Clean Silver Anklets With Toothpaste?

Everybody has a tube of toothpaste in their bathroom. If you're looking for a quick and easy way to clean the tarnish off of a silver anklet, just take the following steps:

1. Wet your anklet in warm water
2. Add fluoride toothpaste directly to the silver
3. Rub the toothpaste into the silver until it turns black
4. Let the anklet sit for two minutes
5. Rinse the toothpaste off of the anklet with warm water
6. Repeat the process until the anklet reaches your preferred level of cleanliness
7. Dry the anklet with a soft rag

Don't let your silver anklet fall victim to tarnish. If you work to stay ahead of the chemical reaction that darkens your jewelry, you'll be able to wear it out in public more frequently than you would otherwise. There are also a number of different, easy ways you can clean tarnish off of old silver anklets, so you have no reason to let your old jewelry go to waste!