I love yard sales. You can find practically anything at one. I just started collecting vintage rings and necklaces. At first I asked a local store to polish them up for me, but that got expensive. Do you know what to use to clean jewelry at home? I don’t want to spend a lot of money on things that cost so little.
Daniella Saunders, Memphis, TN
Collecting vintage rings and necklaces sounds like a fun hobby, but I can understand why you want to know what to use to clean jewelry at home. It’s important to know what type of jewelry you have so that you know the best way to clean it without harming the metal. Cleaning a silver necklace is a little different than cleaning costume jewelry and silver plate.
Here, I’ll tell you about five of the eight methods you can use to shine up precious metals and polish gems. Although I’ll give you an overview of each one, you can see the full details at https://www.tipsbulletin.com/7-great-ways-to-clean-jewellery-at-home/.
First, ammonia is useful for making diamonds look brilliant again. Instead of using it full-strength, however, dilute it by adding four parts ammonia to one part warm water, then let the jewelry sit in this mixture for about 15 minutes. After that, you should only need a soft toothbrush to get out the grime. Rinse the jewelry well and dry thoroughly.
Second, white vinegar is safe for gemstones and gold, but don’t use it on turquoise. The same acid that dissolves dirt can destroy soft stones. Silver cleaning with vinegar works wonders. It is also used as a cheap and straightforward homemade remedy to clean brass, pewter, and copper.
Third, white toothpaste is excellent for shining up metals and polishing gems without scratching them. Non-gel toothpaste is ideal for cleaning silver jewelry and will take off the tarnish from silver in a flash. Use an old, soft toothbrush to work the toothpaste into the crevices to ensure that you get the entire piece clean.
When you finish cleaning, however, be sure to rinse the jewelry thoroughly to get rid of all the toothpaste. And if you apply a dusting of diatomaceous earth to your silver, it helps prevent tarnish in the future.
Fourth, to clean stainless steel jewelry, use a soft cloth dipped in water and dish soap. This should remove most of the “tarnish” or discoloration from your stainless pieces.
For cheap jewelry that has lost its luster, it is best to start with plain old dish soap and water. Clean cheap jewelry by swishing the pieces in a bowl of warm water and a couple of drops of dish soap. You could use an old toothbrush to get into tiny crevices but don’t scrub too hard. Rinse and dry the jewelry. If it is still not clean enough for you, you could try one of the other methods listed.
Finally, to learn how to clean costume jewelry, you can try to use effervescent antacids that will bubble away the filth that builds up in the crevices of jewelry. Place the items in a glass of warm water with a couple of tablets. Once they’ve finished fizzing, take the jewelry out of the liquid and see how things look.
The jewelry might be clean enough so that you can rinse and dry them. Or, you might try gently using a toothbrush with some dish soap and water or use one of the other jewelry cleaning steps above.
I hope your collectibles turn out sparkly and clean with these jewelry cleaning tips.
Joan