Cleaning your jewelry? Do it easily and quickly using eco-friendly, all-natural products!
@scottscustomjewelers/Instagram
Rings, earrings, bracelets and necklaces are amongst the most valuable accessories most people have and keeping them in pristine condition is important. That said, time and wear can tarnish jewelry, despite storing them properly and, for this reason, periodic cleaning is necessary.
Instead of buying expensive, aggressive jewelry cleaning products or resorting to the help of a professional, you can use simple, all-natural home remedies and products to clean your jewelry. In the following guide, we show you how to do this:
The correct cleaning method for each type of material
The first thing to do when approaching the chore of cleaning your jewelry, is to identify the different materials they are made of: for example, metals are more resistant than precious/semi-precious stones and need to be treated differently.
Gold and silver jewelry can be cleaned easily by using all-natural products (listed below) and a soft brush. Jewelry that has precious stones set in it, requires greater attention and delicacy in order to ensure that the settings remain firm and the stones are not damaged. Hard stones (sapphires, rubies, emeralds and diamonds) can be cleaned in a number of different ways (also described below); soft stones (jade, opal, aquamarine) should only be cleaned using a neutral soap and warm water and without scrubbing them.
Hot water
Hot water alone will be sufficient to make your metal and gemstone jewelry shine again quickly. Simply place your gold and/or silver jewelry in a bowl and fill it with boiling water: leave the jewelry to soak until the water has completely cooled down, then brush/wipe with a soft brush or cloth and air dry.
This method is suitable for the regular cleaning of jewelry if there is no tarnish or stubborn dirt present and should not be used on jewelry with soft stones.
Domestic detergents for cleaning jewelry
As mentioned above, for cleaning soft stones, you should only use a neutral, mild detergent. Add this detergent to a bowl of warm water, immerse the jewelry and clean it gently using a soft cloth.
For more robust jewelry, however, you can use various other household detergents:
- Dishwashing liquid: mix a little dishwashing liquid in warm water, immerse your jewelry in this for a few minutes before scrubbing it with a soft brush; dry off with a soft cloth;
- Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda): this product is suitable for cleaning silver jewelry and you can use it by covering a small bowl with aluminum foil (with the shiny side facing up) and adding a teaspoon of baking soda for each cup of hot water you use; immerse the jewelry in this mixture, making sure that the pieces touch the foil; soaking your jewelry in this mixture for a while will remove any tarnish and dislodge any stubborn dirt; dry off using a soft cloth;
- White vinegar or lemon juice: these products are perfect for cleaning tarnished costume jewelry; you just need to squeeze lemon juice over the jewelry or immerse the pieces in a bowl of white vinegar for 15-20 minutes; then dry off using a soft cloth.
With these simple remedies, your jewelry will stay clean and in pristine condition!
