Just A Few Natural Jewellery Cleaner Recipes (2024)
, by Nellie Lee Luhrmann. 13 Comments
THE BOTTOM LINE IS
Whichever type of jewellery you own, gentle cleaning and maintenance is necessary to keep its shine. Air and water oxidize metals and can make them dull. Keep them looking new with periodic cleaning and you will keep your jewellry looking good longer. Save money and the environment by making your own inexpensive jewellery cleaner using items from your pantry/laundry cupboard.
Combine ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Pour into a glass jar and cover tightly. Label jar for future use and keep out of reach of children. To use, soak jewellry in the solution for 1-10 minutes (depending on how tarnished it is). Swish intricate pieces in the solution to get into the cracks/crevices. Use a toothbrush or a well-washed mascara brush for hard to reach places. Rinse and dry with a soft clean cloth. Don’t soak pearls in this solution. Rub them gently with a soft chamois cloth dampened in the solution. Do not combine this solution with chlorine bleach – hazardous fumes will result!
Soapnuts can be used to clean gold jewellery or alternatively you can………
Pour cider vinegar in a shallow glass container. Place gold jewellery in the vinegar so that it is covered completely. Don’t overlap any different pieces or parts of chains. Let the jewellery sit in the vinegar for 15 minutes. Remove the jewellry and wipe clean with a soft, clean cloth. The gold should be completely clean.
CLEANING SILVER JEWELLERY
1. Line a glass bowl with aluminum foil, shiny side facing outward. 2. Place the jewellry you want to clean in the bowl making sure it’s touching the foil 3. Cover the jewellry with baking soda – just enough so that you can’t see it. 4. Add boiling water – enough toimmersethe jewellry. 5. Let soak for 3 to 5 minutes ( or less if it’s not really dirty). 6. Use tongs or a fork to lift out the jewellry ( you don’t want to get burned) and rise under cold water. And voila ………. you have sparkling jewellery. If the jewellry is very dirty or very tarnished – like silver or gold – then you may need to repeat the process so just add a little more baking soda and more boiling water – but make sure it’s boiling, that’s key.This method works great on sterling, silver, gold, costume jewellry metals, even Technibond Jewellery . But do be careful if you’re got a lot crystals glued into a setting and limit soaking to no more than 90 seconds – or you might melt the glue. Also,don’timmersenatural pearls in this solution –it’s too caustic. It is however, fine for most gemstones and works wonders on cubic zirconia And in case you’re wondering ….it also works fab for cleaning silverware, silver frames or any silver home decor.Although silver can be cleaned very easily with a bath ofbaking soda and water with a piece of aluminium as mentioned above if you don’t have aluminum on hand, you can use white distilled vinegar. Mix 2 tbsp. baking soda in 3.4 fluid oz. or almost 1/2 cup (100 ml) of vinegar. Soak silver items in the mixture for 10 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with water and dry the items with a soft, clean cloth. Repeat if necessary
CLEANING COPPER, PEWTER & OTHER METALS
Dissolve 2 tsp. of salt in a cup of white distilled vinegar. Place a few tablespoons of flour (any kind) into a shallow container. Add some of the vinegar mixture to the flour until it forms a paste. Spread a thick layer of the paste on the metal that needs to be cleaned. Let stand for 15 minutes. Scrub clean with a soft, clean cloth.
CLEANING PLATINUM JEWELLERY
A recommended natural way to clean platinum is to make a mixture of half ammonia and half water. Let the platinum soak in the mixture and then polish with a soft cloth. Be careful if the jewellery contains gemstones other than diamonds. The mixture may discolor or harm gemstones other than diamonds.
Mix the cleaning solution: Mix 1/2 cup of white vinegar and 2 tablespoons of baking soda in a small bowl. Stir the mixture until it forms a paste. Soak the jewelry: Place your jewelry in the cleaning solution and let it soak for 2-3 hours. For delicate jewelry, you can reduce the soaking time to 30 minutes.
Pour 1 cup of hot water (not boiling) over the mix and stir until dissolved. Leave your jewelry to soak in the solution for 10-15 minutes. By combining each of these components (aluminium, bicarbonate of soda and salt) a chemical reaction happens, helping lift the oxidisation off of your silver.
The Process: Firstly, line your bowl with the foil and add a heaped tablespoon of baking soda. Add a small amount of dishwashing liquid and then place your tarnished/ dirty jewellery in; ensuring all of the pieces are touching the foil. Finally, cover your jewellery with boiling/ hot water.
Baking Soda. Baking soda is abrasive, which is why it's great for cleaning sinks and toilets, but that abrasive quality can scratch gemstones and precious metals. ...
If you'd like to disinfect your jewelry, you can use regular household isopropyl alcohol or hydrogen peroxide, as long as the jewelry is solid gold or platinum and is only set with diamond, ruby, or sapphire. Take care with any other kind of stones and use a gentler form of cleaning.
This process causes a chemical reaction that removes tarnish from the silver within second or minutes. You can see the process happening and the dark, discolored piece of jewelry changing back to its original state. It is truly amazing and is by far our best DIY method yet.
Some jewelers use ultrasonic cleaners with high-frequency sound waves and cleaning solutions that create bubbles that latch on to the dirt on the diamond. The sound waves release the dirt from the diamond. Steam cleaning is the final step in jewelry cleaning that reveals your diamond's brilliance.
Similar to cleaning silver and gold, using a simple cleaning solution of a few drops of Dawn dish liquid and lukewarm water is the best route. Using things like baking soda and toothpaste can scratch the surface of the stones and damage them.
Combine 1 part dish soap, 1 part glass cleaner, and 2 parts warm water in a small bowl. No need for exact measurements. Place jewelry in the cleaning solution. Let it soak a few minutes, or hours, depending on the need.
Our best overall winner is the Made by Mary Restore Jewelry Cleaner. Gentle enough to be used on many different jewelry types, including gold, silver, diamonds, gemstones, pearls, and more, we love that this cleaner is extremely versatile. You can even use it on your costume jewelry to add shine and enhance its look.
Hot water is an easy (and cheap) cleaning solution for hard metal jewelry. Steam and heat loosen dirt and debris from jewelry, making it a snap to wipe away. Simply place your pieces in a heatproof container, then slowly pour in boiling water until they're covered.
Rubbing Alcohol or Hydrogen Peroxide? Both will kill microbes so it's a wash (no pun intended) in terms of disinfecting ability. In terms of ability to solvate grime, alcohol is the clear winner. Oil and dirt is much more soluble alcohol than a 2% solution if peroxide.
A couple common household items with tons of uses are good old vinegar and lemon juice. Their chemical make-up can do wonders on a number of cleaning projects but your jewelry shouldn't be one of them. Sure it can get your jewelry clean, but the acidity and abrasiveness can damage silver.
White vinegar is another great option as well, and your pieces can be soaked in the solution to remove debris. Once again, do not use this on plated or gemstones with a low hardness on the Mohs Scale. Baking soda is a better alternative to the acidity of vinegar and is excellent for silver and gold.
Introduction: My name is Domingo Moore, I am a attractive, gorgeous, funny, jolly, spotless, nice, fantastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
dampened in the solution. Do not combine this solution with chlorine bleach – hazardous fumes will result!