How to Clean Jewelry with Common Household Items

How to Clean Jewelry with Common Household Items

Diamonds have forever been a girl’s best friend, but do you know how to make sure your precious jewelry stays picture-perfect?

Sometimes it’s a little overwhelming to know which fancy cleaner to use to get the best results. What you might not know is that it’s possible to skip those cleaners and go for something in your pantry instead.

With the right household supplies, you’ll achieve the same results while saving a pretty penny all at the same time.

Keep reading to learn how to clean jewelry without even needing to go to the store!

Aluminum Foil and Baking Soda

This easy silver jewelry cleaner only requires a few items: an aluminum-lined bowl, baking soda, and boiling water. You only need to fill the bowl high enough to cover the silver jewelry you want to clean.

As soon as the water and baking soda mix, they’ll start to react with the aluminum foil. This process is an ion exchange and it rids your jewelry of any tarnished particles while it soaks. Make sure to give it ample time to work, soaking for at least 20 minutes.

After the pieces are done soaking, give them a good rinse to wash away any excess baking soda.

A word of caution: don’t use this method with a piece of jewelry with precious stones inside of it. The hot water may crack the gems!

Dish Detergent

Dish soap is the perfect DIY jewelry cleaner because it’s strong enough to clean through grease and grime without causing any damage.

This makes it a great asset for when you need to clean any jewelry that has precious stones, such as diamonds or pearls.

Use warm water and enough soap to made suds, then let the jewelry soak for a few minutes before giving it a gentle scrub with a soft cloth. Rinse it off with some more hot water to finish up the cleaning!

Soft Toothbrush

Knowing how to clean jewelry with the use of specialized equipment is a great way to ensure a thorough cleaning. This is important if your jewelry has a lot of hard-to-reach crevices and details. If you don’t have that kind of handy item, however, a soft toothbrush is the next best thing.

You’ll want to make sure that the toothbrush is extra soft before using it to scrub at your jewelry. A baby-style toothbrush or even an old one with worn-out bristles give the right kind of result.

Use a little bit of a cleaning solution along with your soft toothbrush to get into those nooks and bring new life to your favorite accessories.

Peroxide and Soap

By using a small amount of dish soap and hydrogen peroxide in a glass of warm water, you’ll create a DIY jewelry cleaner that is both effective and fun to watch. If you’re hesitant to use a toothbrush to clean your jewelry pieces, then this is a good alternative.

The constant soapy bubbles work their way into every crevice and clean everything as the bubbles make their way to the top of the glass. The solution is gentle enough even for the most delicate of jewels.

Plus, it’s kind of fascinating to watch those bubbles as they work their magic.

Baking Soda and Vinegar

Using the same instructions as the cleaner above, it’s possible to use baking soda and vinegar for a similar effect.

The baking soda is a little more abrasive, so it’s a good option for any kind of jewelry that needs a deep soak.

Microfiber Cloth

Sometimes we need a quick solution and don’t have the time to wait for our jewelry to soak. Polishing up dull jewelry does wonders to make it look bright and new again, but if you don’t have a polishing cloth nearby, use a microfiber one instead.

Most of us have microfiber cloths lying around somewhere these days, and they’re easy to use for polishing. Rub at the jewelry until it starts to look glossy and bright once more.

This is also a good way to give your jewelry an extra special shine after you’re done cleaning them, too.

Ways to Protect Your Jewelry

To ensure that your jewelry stays as beautiful as possible, it’s good to take a few precautions after you’re done cleaning.

These are simple ways to give your favorite accessories all of the protection they need to stay stunning. Plus, these precautions mean you’ll have to clean them far less often.

Research Before You Clean

Before doing any of the above steps, it’s best to do a little research on your specific types of jewelry. Most of these household solutions are great for all general jewelry types, but take some extra time to double-check.

This is most important for anyone with uncommon kinds of jewelry. You don’t want to ruin your favorite antique ring once you find out that it has a bad reaction with peroxide.

Proper Storage

Store your jewelry in an anti-tarnishing bag when you’re not using it.

Some people like to put a bit of chalk inside the bag so that it soaks up all of the excess moisture that tends to tarnish things like silver. Keep jewelry out of direct sunlight, as heat tends to crack more delicate stones.

Put On Jewelry After You Spray Perfume

One simple way to extend the life of your jewelry is to put on those pretty jewels after you’ve sprayed on your perfume.

Doing it the other way around tends to leave droplets of liquid on the jewelry, which will tarnish and dull them down over time.

Knowing How to Clean Jewelry at Home Saves Time and Money

With these regular household items, you’ll have no trouble keeping your jewelry sparkling and beautiful.

There’s no need for any special knowledge on how to clean jewelry when these you have things like dish soap and baking soda at home.

The next time you notice that your favorite piece of jewelry starts looking dull, reference back to this list and give it a good clean. The best part is that you’ll have the ingredients already at home so there’s no need to spend extra money to look your best!

For more household tips, tricks, and hacks, check out the rest of our blog!