Jewelry can be expensive, and you want to keep it looking just as beautiful as the day you bought it. You can keep your jewelry shiny and sparkling with products you already have at home. Learn how to clean jewelry with everyday ingredients and our tips.
There is no need to buy expensive jewelry cleaners to maintain your jewelry. A little time and accumulating the right ingredients is all that is necessary to ensure that your diamonds shine and your gold radiates.
Ammonia
Many people use ammonia to clean their floors, but it also works well to clean diamonds without damaging them.
Mix the ammonia and water in a jar or a bowl. Place your diamonds into the container and allow them to sit for about 15 minutes. After your jewelry soaks, take a soft-bristled toothbrush and gently scrub the jewelry to remove any grime that remains.
Make sure to target the setting and crevices on the piece because grime and dirt often stick in these areas. Rinse the piece with water, and use a soft cloth to dry it thoroughly.
Vinegar & Diatomaceous Earth
Vinegar cleans almost anything, but it is especially appropriate for gold and gemstones.
Using only white vinegar, pour into a jar or a bowl, and completely cover the jewelry you are cleaning. For cleaning jewelry with vinegar, allow the jewelry to soak for about 15 minutes and swish it around every few minutes to agitate it.
Once it finishes soaking, use a soft-bristled toothbrush to gently scrub your jewelry to remove grime and residue. Rinse with plain water and dry. Dusting a bit of diatomaceous earth on your jewelry prevents it from tarnishing, too.
Toothpaste
Toothpaste is a highly effective jewelry cleaner, and this is a great option for cleaning your jewelry on the go. Combine a tablespoon of warm water and an inch of toothpaste to make a loose paste.
This is mildly abrasive, so it gets the grime off of the jewelry, and you can apply it with a soft-bristled toothbrush for added scrubbing power. While toothpaste is mildly abrasive, it does not scratch your jewelry. Rinse thoroughly.
You can use toothpaste to also clean car headlights and get rid of that unsafe haze that can coat them after a while. Use a rag and straight non-gel toothpaste to scrub dirty headlights and make them shine again.
Boil Your Jewelry
Not all jewelry can be boiled, like delicate gemstones, but you can use boiling water on solid gold. Make sure that no parts are glued together and that the gold is not cold before putting it into boiling water. This solution works better for pieces that cannot be cleaned in any other way.
Place the jewelry into a bowl and slowly pour boiled water over it until the water fully covers the jewelry. Let it sit until the water cools and carefully scrub every piece with a soft-bristled toothbrush. Dry thoroughly.
Antacids
The antacids you take for heartburn also keep your jewelry sparkling clean.
Use an antacid like witch hazel that works like an effervescent solution because the bubbling and fizzling clean the jewelry. Put two antacid tablets in a cup of warm water and let it fizz.
Add jewelry into the glass and let it sit for a few minutes before removing your jewelry. Rinse the jewelry and pat dry with a soft cloth.
Aluminum Foil
Clean tarnished silver jewelry by cleaning with aluminum foil. It is the perfect way to clean silver at home.
Line a tray with a clean piece of foil and spread your jewelry out on it. Sprinkle baking soda onto each piece of jewelry so that each piece is covered. Boil a few cups of water and carefully pour onto the jewelry.
The foil collects the tarnish from the jewelry and picks it up and off to clean it. Use this method with a good homemade jewelry cleaner, and your silver will shine once again.
It is wise to do one side of your jewelry first, turn it over and then do the other side so that it cleans evenly. Use warm water to rinse and then dry gently.
Soap and Water
Good old water and soap work just as well on jewelry as it does on almost everything else for removing grime and dirt.
This is an ideal cleaning solution for stones that are porous and soft, such as turquoise or pearls. Combine two cups of warm water and three drops of gentle laundry detergent or dish soap.
Dip the jewelry into the solution quickly and use a soft cloth to wipe and dry it. Before storing, allow jewelry to air dry for the day.
Conventional Jewelry Cleaner
There is always a commercial alternative to clean jewelry with an excellent jewelry cleaner. On our list of best cleaning products, the experts at tipsbulletin.com completed a detailed review of jewelry cleaner wipes here. It’s worth reading.
Thank you for reading our information about cleaning jewelry with items you already have at home. Please share our tips for cleaning jewelry with others on Facebook and Pinterest so everyone can benefit.