Let’s be honest, we all love to wear jewelry. I mean, who doesn’t want to look classy and chic? No one, right! But it’s also true that keeping those tiny ornaments sparkly clean can actually prove to be a cumbersome task. So, to help you with it, we’re going to share tips on how to clean jewelry.
Jewelry needs some care and attention to keep it at its sparkling best. The good news is it’s way easier than cleaning a yoga mat. If you’re unsure where to start, we have some tips on how best to approach the problem for different types of jewelry. Here are various ways to clean jewelry at home, be it real or artificial.
Keep an Eye Out
According to a study when jewelry isn’t cleaned properly, bacteria can grow at a rapid rate and with the average person touching their face an estimated 16 times an hour, we could be spreading the organisms that cause MRSA, diphtheria, food poisoning and even thrush – all from our go-to ring or favorite pair of earrings.
It is common for us to be in a hurry, so we just put our jewelry on without really glancing at it. But we can at times miss how grimy or dull the pieces may become due to constant use. The good news is it’s fairly easy to clean your jewelry without going into the hassle of going to a jeweler and getting them cleaned.
Giving It a Good Washing Works Best for Gold Pieces
This is always the first step you should try, especially if you’re looking for ways to clean gold jewelry. Because sometimes all your ornaments need is a Lil bit of cleaning. So, give your precious pieces a little rub to wipe them clean, especially for solid gold jewelry; this tip works like magic.
Simply dip your jewelry in a mixture of warm water and liquid soap, preferably one which is colorless and odorless. Soap for woolens, castile soap, or even a hand soap (make sure it is free of antiseptic and harsh chemicals) is good enough for the job. Thus, if you’re wondering how to clean jewelry with dish soap, this is the way to do it safely.
Likewise, you should use a cloth or soft-bristled brush to help get the grime out of crevices. Best not to leave pieces with gems such as opals or pearls soaking in water for too long as it may dislodge them or affect the integrity of the gem itself. Once you’re satisfied it’s clean, rinse and dry it quickly.
Deep Clean Jewelry with Ultrasonic Cleaner
If grime and dust are too stubborn to remove (and believe me, it often is), especially from the finer jewelry pieces.
Then it is best to invest in a cheap ultrasonic cleaner and follow the instructions. It will do an excellent job of dislodging dirt and debris, even from otherwise impossible-to-reach places. This is in fact, the best way if you’re looking how to clean jewelry DIY at home.
Just to be clear, an ultrasonic won’t remove tarnish, but it will work great with complex, intricately designed pieces which have lots of crevices where dust can gather and stick.
However, it is not wise to always use an ultrasonic. Often jewelers give vintage jewelry some blackened areas to create a patinated look with a greenish hue. These areas are usually part of the design and decoration with soft gemstones like opals, lapis lazuli, turquoise, or pearls, which gives them their unique look. To be safe, you should avoid ultrasonic cleaning to be on the safe side, as it can do irreversible damage to the pieces.
Removing Tarnish Using Natural & DIY Methods
Everyone who wears jewelry is well aware of the damage and ruin humidity can do to your pieces. Unfortunately, this is a battle we often lose, especially with jewelry made up of sterling silver. However, other pieces like those with lower carats of gold or artificial jewelry have a similar problem. Tarnish is a normal process that occurs over time with metal, and its removal is easy enough. If you are careful with the cleaning process.
Even if you know to clean jewelry naturally by using a lemon peel. You must already know how easily you can clean out blackened, rusted, or tarnished metal ornaments. For instance, if your silver earrings or chain is getting rust or is tarnishing because of the atmosphere. You can simply rub lemon juice all over it, leave it for some time, and then clean it off with a clean cloth. You’ll notice that the blackness and tarnish have readily reduced.
Similarly, if your precious metal jewelry is tarnishing, use a precious metal jewelry cleaning cloth to remove it. Once it’s clean, give the piece a rinse and dry it carefully so as to remove any chemical residue. As we know how much you cherish the family heirloom that your great-grandma has passed on to you as part of her legacy. So, to boost your self-esteem by wearing your favorite jewelry pieces, the best way is to keep them sparkling clean.
Use Silver Dip for Blackened or Tarnished Jewelry (For Removing Tarnish)
A relatively less time-consuming method of cleaning jewelry, especially if you’re looking for ways to clean jewelry that has turned black, then this method is definitely for you. Because it can help you get rid of all your tarnish efficiently, removing them entirely from your silver pieces.
It is particularly useful when cleaning silver chains, which can be challenging to clean with a jewelry polishing cloth alone. We know how all gals love to style up their fav pair of jeans and tops with just a few silver pieces because it not only looks chic but classy as hell! Ultimately, we all want to look the best right version of ourselves.
Silver dip or some similar product is usually readily available at your local supermarket, larger pharmacy, or hardware shop. If not, you can always pop in at a jewelry store and buy some. Follow the instructions carefully and always rinse well and dry when you finish cleaning.
While this method sounds too good to be true both in terms of time and cleaning, it can only be used for silver jewelry unless you’re feeling extraordinarily daredevil and want to try it on your gold jewelry. Don’t risk it, though, as you’ll end up ruining your precious piece.
Avoid Harsh Cleaning on Your Precious Jewels (Don’t use Harsh materials)
Although we are pretty sure that you must have already seen and heard of ways to clean jewelry with baking soda and toothpaste. But be careful before you actually try them out because these old tricks do not always work. In fact, many jewelers actually advise their customers not to use toothpaste on their gold and silver jewelry, especially the ones with precious gems.
Therefore, keep it away from abrasive materials if you want your precious jewelry made of gold, silver, or platinum to last longer. Likewise, you should also take care when using a polishing cloth, brush, or anything else, for cleaning your jewelry so it does not scrape against the metal doing more harm than good.
Particularly if your jewelry is more delicately made or has metal plating such as gold plating, platinum plating or silver plating. Because in metal plating, a very thin film of the metal is deposited on the jewelry piece, which can easily be scratched away.
Being too excited about cleaning your jewelry is not always the best course of action! So, think twice, especially before taking any risks with your precious real gold/ silver or diamond jewelry.
How to Clean Artificial Jewelry
You must have already heard that there are really easy ways to clean jewelry with baking soda. In fact, it’s not only baking soda instead of water and baking soda mixture that you can use. The use of baking soda with warm water or even using a toothpaste and a toothbrush works best for cleaning artificial jewelry, where the risk of damaging your pieces is considerably low, given that they are cheaper.
But we are well aware that even though artificial ornaments are a bit cheaper than real gold ones so, they provide you with an economical alternative to look chic and classy on a budget. Therefore, we recommend that you keep a check on the amount of toothpaste or baking soda you use, as too much can rip off the plating completely.
Keep it Safe
Last but not least, the best way to keep your jewelry clean is to store it away safely. If you want to know how to clean jewelry naturally, just store it away properly. Avoid keeping your precious metal jewelry in a humid place – particularly the bathroom – as it will speed up tarnishing. If your living environment is heavily humid, then your jewelry may require more cleaning sessions.
The main point is to keep the jewelry front from getting exposed to free-flowing air. This will also slow down tarnish, plus avoid contact with dirt and dust. Keep it in a small jewelry box, pouch, or something similar if you can. If jewelry is on display, it’ll need cleaning at a constant rate.
Similarly, avoid keeping your jewelry clustered together. When metal is rubbing against metal, harder gemstones, or other hard surfaces it will likely cause it to get scratched. So, the best way is to store them individually.
Final Words
Here you have it, folks; we hope that the tips, tricks, and cleaning hacks that we have shared with you above will help you keep your precious jewelry pieces shining like new for ages to come.
Moreover, we hope you’ll continue to shine regardless of your physique, body color, or shape because a woman who knows her true worth will shine brighter than a diamond. So, my lovelies, love yourself because you are the true gem of all! PS. Do check out this lingerie choosing guide that we have created especially for you. And if you’ve any more suggestions or queries, feel free to reach out in the comments section below!