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If you're looking to clean your own jewelry at home, y'all've probably stumbled across a lot of DIY jewelry cleaners with baking soda in them. While blistering soda is a bang-up way to scrub off tough stains, information technology can be a trivial likewise abrasive on delicate pieces (plus, baking soda can react with certain types of metal and crusade discoloration). Fortunately, there are many ways you tin clean your argent, gold, or costume jewelry on your own without using baking soda at all.

  1. 1

    Why is it of import to figure out what type of jewelry I have? It will help you pick out the right cleaning methods then you don't hurt or scratch your piece. Silver jewelry is different from gold jewelry, and they're both unlike from costume jewelry.[i]

    • If y'all aren't sure what type of jewelry you take, get information technology appraised by a professional person.
    • Real argent jewelry will often exist stamped with a pocket-sized number on the dorsum or inside of the piece.

  2. 2

    Is costume jewelry stronger than normal jewelry? Non necessarily. In fact, since costume jewelry is usually fabricated of weaker materials, information technology may not hold up as well if you lot apply annoying or acidic cleaners.[2]

    • Oversized or antique jewelry is often costume jewelry.
    • While vinegar and lemon juice are ofttimes recommended as cleaning products for costume jewelry, they can be too acidic for some older pieces. Stick to balmy cleansers, like dish soap, to be prophylactic.

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  3. 3

    When should I accept my jewelry to a professional? Wait for a professional if it's a really valuable piece or something is broken. Repairing your jewelry on your own is never a skilful idea, so if in that location's a stone missing or loose, observe a jewelry shop nearby.[iii]

    • If your piece is actually valuable, you shouldn't attempt to clean it yourself. If you employ the wrong cleaner or materials, you could scratch or impairment it.

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  1. 1

    Use silver wipes to polish while you clean. If your silverish jewelry looks tarnished, purchase a package of argent wipes from your local jewelry store. Gently rub the wipes all over your jewelry, using i side to clean and the other side to polish.[4]

    • Silver wipes are easier to use than liquid silver polish, so they're not bad if you've never tried to clean your jewelry before.

  2. 2

    Try dish lather and warm water for a deep clean. Fill a small bowl with warm water and stir in i to two drops of dish lather until you lot see suds. Soak your jewelry in the bowl for 5 to ten minutes, so apply a soft toothbrush to make clean any dirty areas. Rinse the jewelry with warm water, then dry information technology off with a polishing cloth.[5]

    • If you don't take a polishing cloth, use a microfiber one instead.
    • Stay away from newspaper towels, equally they tin can be too harsh on your jewelry and might leave scratches.

  3. 3

    Utilise toothpaste as a mild abrasive to get tarnish off. Grab a bottle of white paste toothpaste (not the gel kind) and dab it onto your jewelry. Rub the paste in with your finger or a soft cloth, then rinse information technology with warm h2o.[6]

    • Make your jewelry smoothen again with a polishing fabric once you're done.

  4. 4

    Store your jewelry in an anti-tarnish bag. Proceed information technology in a cool, dark place when you're not wearing it to prevent tarnish in the first place. If y'all alive in a humid surround, consider storing your jewelry with silica packets to wick away moisture.[seven]

    • Try not to store your jewelry in the bathroom. The extra humidity tin make silver tarnish much faster.

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  1. one

    Try dish lather and warm water for an easy clean. Mix 1 to 2 drops of dish soap into a bowl of warm h2o and stir information technology around. Brush your jewelry with the soapy solution using a baby-soft toothbrush, and then rinse it in warm h2o. When you're finished, dry out the piece completely.[8]

    • You lot can utilise these steps on yellow, white, and rose gold.
    • If your jewelry is really old or dirty, soak information technology in the soapy h2o solution for fifteen to twenty minutes before scrubbing it with the toothbrush.
    • You tin can either towel dry your jewelry with a microfiber cloth or let it air dry.
    • Golden jewelry is super soft, and then it's the one metal that you definitely don't want to use blistering soda on. Even if your jewelry is just gold-plated, baking soda tin even so scratch or mark upwards your jewelry.

  2. 2

    Polish diamond, ruby, and sapphire gemstone pieces with window cleaner. Mix a three:1 ratio of hot water and window cleaner in a spray bottle, then spritz your jewelry with the solution. Rinse the jewelry with cold h2o and dry it off with a microfiber textile.[9]

    • Only do this if your jewelry has a diamond, ruby, or sapphire gemstone—opals, turquoise, pearls, crush, or coral are likewise soft, and they could be damaged by the ammonia-based cleaner. Stick to dish soap and warm h2o if your jewelry is too soft for anything else.

  3. three

    Endeavour an ultrasonic cleaner for a deep clean. Fill up your ultrasonic cleaner with a jewelry cleaner, then fill the tank in the back with hot water. Put your jewelry within and plough it on, so let information technology run for i to 20 minutes depending on how dirty your jewelry is. Have the jewelry out and clean information technology off with a soft brush to remove whatsoever residual dirt.[10]

    • Don't employ an ultrasonic cleaner on any jewelry with soft, porous gemstones, like opals, turquoise, pearls, shell, or corals.
    • You lot tin can find ultrasonic jewelry cleaners online for every bit little as $40.
    • If you vesture your jewelry a lot, you can clean it using an ultrasonic cleaner around one time a week.

  4. 4

    Employ an ammonia solution to make your jewelry shine. Mix one⁄2   c (120 mL) of clear ammonia with 1  c (240 mL) of warm water. Let your jewelry soak for around 10 minutes, then wipe it off with a microfiber textile.[11]

    • Don't utilize ammonia if your jewelry has pearls in it. The harsh chemical tin can harm soft pearls.

  5. five

    Store gilt jewelry in a jewelry box. When y'all aren't wearing your jewelry, continue information technology protected by putting it in a box or a dresser drawer. Endeavour to keep the humidity low in your home to prevent wet buildup, too.[12]

    • Always take off your jewelry before cleaning, putting on lotion, or going swimming.

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  1. 1

    Use dish soap for a gentle clean. Dab a cloth into a mixture of warm water and 1 to 2 drops of dish soap. Carefully wipe downwards your jewelry pieces, then rinse them in warm water and leave them out to air dry.[xiii]

    • Although costume jewelry is generally less expensive than regular jewelry, it frequently needs extra intendance and attention while cleaning considering of the many crevices it has. Plus, you can't exist 100% sure what information technology'south fabricated out of, so use caution with abrasive or acidic materials.
    • When you lot brand your mixture, don't use hot water. If the water is too hot, it could loosen the gum in your jewelry and cause it to fall apart.

  2. two

    Shine your jewelry with toothpaste. Dab a dot of toothpaste onto your jewelry and use a material to buff it in. Wipe the toothpaste off with a clean cloth and rinse it in warm water, then let it air dry.[14]

    • Toothpaste is a balmy abrasive, so it works well without scratching the surface of your slice.

  3. iii

    Choice out dirt and grime with a toothpick or cotton swab. If you notice any clay, grime, or discolored dark-green areas (also called verdigris) in your jewelry, grab a toothpick or a cotton swab and gently pry them out of the piece. Go slowly to avoid scratching the surface of your jewelry as you clean it.[15]

    • If you lot can't go everything out with a cotton swab or toothpick, try a tin can of compressed air instead.

  4. 4

    Buff your jewelry with a microfiber fabric. Make sure your jewelry is super dry out, and then grab a make clean, dry microfiber towel. Rub your jewelry in a circular motion to buff out marks or lines and brand it polish.[16]

  5. 5

    Store your jewelry in its original box to keep it safety. When yous aren't wearing your costume jewelry, put it back in the box it came in for the all-time storage solution. If you don't have the box anymore, use a jewelry box instead.[17]

    • If y'all're on a upkeep, even plastic baggies volition work. Make sure they're sealed all the way to go on moisture and air out.
    • If your costume jewelry has silver in information technology, yous may want to store it in an anti-tarnish bag.

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Add New Question

  • Question

    What is the all-time mode to make clean diamond jewelry?

    Kennon Young

    Kennon Young is a Gemological Institute of America (GIA) Graduate Gemologist, an American Club of Appraisers (ASA) Primary Gemologist Appraiser, and a Jewelers of America (JA) Certified Bench Jeweler Technician. He received the highest credential in the jewelry appraisal industry, the ASA Master Gemologist Appraiser, in 2022.

    Kennon Young

    Primary Gemologist Appraiser

    Adept Answer

    Back up wikiHow past unlocking this expert reply.

    The best bet is to make clean it with a mixture of warm h2o and a drop or two of liquid dish soap. Dip a soft toothbrush in the soapy water and gently scrub the top of the stone, then flip it over and clean the pavilion, or the underside, as well. Then, rinse the jewelry and dry it thoroughly.

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  • Stick to mild cleansers unless your jewelry is really muddied.

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Things You'll Demand

  • Silver wipes
  • Dish soap
  • Microfiber cloth
  • Toothpaste
  • Toothbrush
  • Anti-tarnish bag
  • Dish soap
  • Bowl
  • Microfiber cloth
  • Window cleaner
  • Ultrasonic jewelry cleaner
  • Dish soap
  • Toothpaste
  • Toothbrush
  • Microfiber cloth
  • Toothpick or cotton wool swab

References

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