Over time, the pieces of jewelry that you frequently wear might begin to develop a grimy layer of dirt that can cause even the brightest of your gemstones look dull. To bring back the sparkle you can take your jewelry to a professional to clean it. However, this can take time and get rather expensive. A more convenient, and inexpensive way to clean your jewelry is to make a homemade jewelry cleaner and clean your pieces at home.
When your favorite pieces of jewelry no longer sparkle, you can clean them at home with a simple jewelry cleaner with ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. Commercial cleaners can be a bit on the expensive side and are full of harsh chemicals that are harmful to the environment. The best natural jewelry cleaner costs pennies to make and doesn’t contain any harsh chemicals.
How to Clean Your Jewelry at Home
1. Homemade Jewelry Cleaner with Tea Tree Oil
With the increased popularity of going green, tea tree oil is an excellent substitute for the chemical-laden commercial jewelry cleaners on the market today. Tea tree oil is a natural antifungal and antibacterial essential oil.
Although tea tree oil has a strong odor, it is a useful alternative to the harsh, mainstream chemicals found in most cleaning solutions. Here is how to clean jewelry at home with tea tree oil.
Homemade Tea Tree Oil Based Jewelry Cleaner
- ½ cup white distilled vinegar or witch hazel
- One drop tea tree oil
- Baking soda
Place your jewelry in a glass mason jar and cover it with the vinegar or witch hazel. Add a single drop of tea tree oil and swirl the solution to ensure it is thoroughly mixed. Allow the jewelry to soak in the solution overnight.
More Cleaning Tips: >> What is witch hazel?
In the morning, remove the jewelry from the mason jar and coat with the baking soda. See more great baking soda uses here. Using an old toothbrush, gently scrub the pieces, then rinse with water. This recipe is intended to clean high-quality jewelry and sturdy stones, so avoid using it on opals pearls, or tanzanite.
2. Homemade Silver Cleaner for Jewelry
Over time, you may notice that your silver jewelry is looking tarnished and you have wondered how to clean a silver necklace or bracelet. Jewelry tarnishes because the sulfur that is present in the air creates a chemical reaction to the silver. This homemade silver cleaner is simple to make and won’t cost you a ton of money because most of the ingredients are ones you probably already have in your pantry.
Recipe DIY Silver Cleaner for Jewelry
- 1 cup boiling water
- One tablespoon baking soda
- One tablespoon salt
- ½ cup vinegar
- Flat Pan
- Aluminum Foil
Cover the pan with the aluminum foil, making sure to place the shiny side of the foil up. Place your jewelry in the pan ensuring that each part of the jewelry is touching the foil. Mix the boiling water, salt, and baking soda.
Pour the mixture into the pan. Stir the solution with a spoon to break up any chunks of baking soda, then reposition the pieces of jewelry. Slowly add distilled vinegar. It is one of the many fantastic white vinegar uses. Let the cleaner and jewelry stand for five to ten minutes. Remove the jewelry from the pan and rinse with water.
>> More about cleaning special materials: How to clean pewter jewelry
3. Best Homemade Jewelry Cleaner for Diamonds
Ammonia can clean everything from your floors to your windows and can even be used to clean your diamond jewelry. If you don’t already have ammonia in your pantry, it can be purchased inexpensively at your local supermarket. It is a safe cleaning agent for your precious stones and can keep your jewelry looking new.
Easy-to-Make DIY Jewelry Cleaner for Diamonds
- One cup of water
- One cup ammonia
Place your jewelry in a small bowl. Pour the ammonia and water into the small bowl and let the solution sit for 30 minutes. Remove the jewelry from the small bowl and rinse with cold water. Place the pieces on a towel and let dry.
If soaking the jewelry doesn’t clean the pieces well enough, you can use an old soft bristle toothbrush to get a more in-depth clean. Place the brush in the cleaner and gently tap around the mounting with the bristles of the brush. This should help remove any grime and dirt that may have built up in the crevices and around the mount. Dip the ring back in the solution to remove any loose dirt, rinse and place on the towel to dry.
4. Homemade Gold Jewelry Cleaner
Unlike other precious metals, gold doesn’t tarnish over a period. That doesn’t mean, however, that you don’t need to keep it clean. The oils and dirt from your hands can quickly make it look dull. The baking soda, salt, and aluminum foil used to create this homemade gold jewelry cleaner generate a chemical exchange called an ion transfer, which is a natural way to clean metals.
DIY Cleaner Recipe for Gold Jewelry
- One tablespoon salt
- One tablespoon baking soda
- One teaspoon dish detergent
- 1 cup hot water
Using a small bowl, line the inside with a little square of aluminum foil. Pour the salt, baking soda, and dish detergent into the bottom of the bowl. Add the hot water to the bowl. The mixture should begin to fizz. Drop your jewelry into the mix and let it sit for ten minutes.
Remove the jewelry from the cleaner and using an old soft bristle toothbrush, gently scrub around the prongs and groves of the pieces. When you’ve finished cleaning the jewelry, rinse with cold water and pat dry.
5. Homemade Cleaner for Semi-Precious Stones
This recipe is perfect for the semi-precious stone jewelry pieces that can become damaged if exposed to the harsh chemicals present in commercial jewelry cleaners.
When choosing the liquid dish soap to use, find one that has grease-cutting properties, but avoid those with harsh anti-bacterial features as they can strip them off the finish on the surfaces of your jewelry.
Simple DIY Cleaning Solution for Semi-precious Stones
- Two cups warm water
- Two tablespoons liquid dish soap
Fill a small bowl with one cup of warm water. Avoid using boiling water as it can damage the surface of your jewelry and some stones. Add the liquid dish soap and swish with your hand to form bubbles. Fill a second bowl with the remaining cup of water; this will be used for rinsing the jewelry.
Place your jewelry in the bowl with the liquid dish soap and let sit for ten minutes. Remove the jewelry and place in the second bowl. Once you’ve rinsed the pieces, you can remove them from the bowl, and place them on a towel to dry.
How Do You Make a Homemade Jewelry Cleaner for Costume Jewelry?
Keeping your costume jewelry in excellent shape is easy. All it takes is a little bit of time and some effort. If you wear your pieces every day, you will need to clean it more often. To get your costume jewelry looking like new, you need to find a good cleaning solution. It is essential you avoid cleaners that contain acids and alcohols, like vinegar and ammonia as they can damage the materials in the jewelry.
Place a small amount of the solution on a cotton swab, and spot clean the jewelry, gently buffing away any dirty spots. Never soak the jewelry in a liquid as the moisture will break down the glue, welding and other adhesives on the jewelry.
You can use a baby toothbrush to dust the metal parts of the jewelry without leaving scratches. If you find residue in the encrusted areas, you can use a wooden toothpick to pick the residue out. Using a towel, dab the jewelry until it is dry.
How Do You Clean Pearls?
Pearls by nature are extremely fragile and must be specially cared for and cleaned. You can’t wash pearls like you do your other jewelry, they must be handled carefully to keep them in their best condition.
Fill a spray bottle with a small amount of mild soap and water. Spray a soft, lint-free cloth with the solution. Take the damp cloth and gently rub the pearl to remove dirt and oils. Immediately pat dry with a clean, dry towel. Never submerge your pearls in liquid and avoid using abrasive cleaners that contain ammonia or other harsh ingredients.
What are the Best Commercial Jewelry Cleaners in the Market?
Making your homemade jewelry cleaner can save you a lot of money since many of them can be created using simple and inexpensive ingredients that are found in the pantry. However, if you don’t have enough time to make a natural jewelry cleaner at home, here are some of the best commercial jewelry cleaners that you can purchase from Amazon.
Brilliant Jewelry Cleaner is an excellent cleaner for cleaning your gold, platinum, and diamond jewelry. It will also work on other semi-precious gems and precious jewelry. It is one of the best and most affordable cleaners on the market and will leave your jewelry looking like new. Avoid using on pearls due to their very porous nature.
Best Solution jewelry cleaner will clean all your precious and semi-precious stones, as well as gold and silver. It doesn’t contain acid, ammonia, or other abrasive chemicals, making it environmentally friendly. You can also use it on your costume and antique jewelry.
Black Hills Gold Source’s Professional Gem and Jewelry Cleaner is non-toxic and meets the highest quality standards for use as an at-home jewelry cleaner. It is useful in removing dirt and restores jewelry’s natural shine. It is formulated to clean precious metals and stones, as well as semi-precious stones. Do not use on porous stones like jade, pearls, amber or turquoise.
How to Clean Jewelry
Both the jewelry that you wear every day and the pieces that you bring out for special occasions need to be cleaned on a regular basis if you want them to continue to sparkle and look like new. Here are some simple ways to clean all your jewelry at home.
How to Shine Silver
If your silver is dull, filmy, or starting to discolor, you can mix a few drops of mild, liquid dish soap with warm water, and dip in a soft, clean cloth. Rub your silver jewelry with the towel, then rinse the pieces in cold water and buff with a dry cloth.
If you have heavy tarnish on your silver pieces, create a paste of three tablespoons baking soda and one tablespoon water. Dip the silver jewelry in water and apply the paste. With a soft, lint-free cloth, work the paste into the crevices. Rinse the jewelry and buff dry.
How to Brighten Gold and Gems
You can clean your gold and precious and semi-precious stones in a simple solution of mild liquid dish soap and sodium-free seltzer water. Mix a few drops of the dish soap in a bowl of the seltzer water. Place your jewelry in a small strainer and place it in the bowl.
Allow the jewelry to soak for five minutes. Remove the jewelry and softly brush the settings and crevices with a soft toothbrush. Return the pieces to the strainer and rinse with cool water. Remove and dry with a soft cloth.
How to Freshen Your Pearls
Pearls can quickly lose their luster due to their porous nature and must be cleaned with care. Lay your pearl jewelry on a soft cloth. Dip the end of a small, clean makeup brush into a mixture of warm water and a little bit of shampoo.
Brush the mixture over each pearl. Using a clean, damp cloth, rinse the pearls. Lay the pearls back on the cloth to dry. This will also work for other porous materials like turquoise and amber.
You’ve spent a lot on your jewelry, and you want it always to look new and keep its illustrious sparkle. Taking care of your precious and semi-precious jewelry is essential to it looking its best. Whether you wear it often or only for special occasions, you will need to clean it on a regular basis.
We’ve provided you with several homemade jewelry cleaners that are inexpensive and easy to make at home. We hope you were able to learn something from this article and will pass it on to everyone you know.
