Now You Can Have Clean Jewelry Without Paying Too Much

Whether we like it or not, our jewelry gets tarnished unless it’s 100% pure gold or 100% pure silver. That’s because they react to different compounds in the environment. That’s why you have to know how to clean tarnished jewelry.

It doesn’t mean they’re fake though.

It’s just the metal’s natural reaction to the chemical in the surrounding.

Since tarnishing is a natural occurrence, does this mean you need to have it professionally cleaned every time?

Not at all.

There are plenty of homemade jewelry cleaners with common items you have at home. Here are some of them.

How To Clean Tarnished Jewelry with DIY Jewelry Cleaner

Method 1:

Baking soda

This is probably one of the most common DIY jewelry cleaners out there and rightfully so. Within a few minutes, you can have sparkling jewelry like it’s brand new.

This method is best for stubborn dirt that’s been sitting on your jewelry for quite some time.

What you need:

• Baking soda
• Aluminum foil
• Heat-resistant bowl 
• Boiling water
• Soft-bristled toothbrush
• Paper towel or cloth for drying

Procedure:

1. Line the bowl with aluminum foil.
2. Add the boiling water. It should be enough to cover the jewelry.
3. Add at least a tablespoon of baking soda. But you can add more if you think there’s too much grime.
4. Soak the jewelry for about five minutes or until the baking soda and water mixture stops bubbling.
5. Remove remaining dirt in the crevices using the soft-bristled brush.
6. Rinse well using tap water.
7. Dry it with the paper towel or cloth.

Important note: Do not use this method for jewelry with pearl or gemstones. It may damage its finish.

Method 2:

Dish soap

Our trusted dish cleaner can polish our beloved jewelry too! What’s more, you can use this method for both metal and gemstones.

This is perfect for not-so-stubborn dirt. However, for textured jewelry, we recommend using Method 1.

What you need:

• Warm water
• Dish soap
• Soft cloth
• Soft-bristled brush
• Paper towel

Procedure:

1. Add a few drops of soap to a few tablespoons of warm water. Mix thoroughly.
2. Dip the soft cloth in the mixture and use it to remove the tarnish on the gemstones while gold chains, earrings, and others may be soaked directly for 5 minutes. 
3. Go over crevices with the brush to dislodge any trapped dirt.
4. Rinse with tap water and dry with another soft cloth or paper towel.

Method 3:

Toothpaste

Who knows our go-to teeth cleaner works well with jewelry too?

While this is an effective solution, note that this works with silver jewelry only. For gold and others, use the methods above.

What you need:

• White toothpaste (not the gel ones)
• Soft-bristled toothbrush
• Paper towel or cloth for drying

Procedure:

Cleaning jewelry with toothpaste is pretty much like brushing your teeth. You’ll put pea-sized toothpaste onto the brush and use it to clean your jewelry. Rinse with cool water and dry thoroughly afterward.

Method 4:

Laundry detergent

For slightly tarnished jewelry, a few tablespoons of bleach-free laundry detergent powder may do the trick. This method creates the chemical process, ion exchange, a common purification and softening process.

Note that this should not be used for gemstones and pearls.

What you need:

• 1 tbsp bleach-free laundry detergent powder
• hot water (enough to cover the jewelry)
• Aluminum foil
• Bowl

Procedure:

1. Line the bowl with aluminum foil.
2. Put hot water and add the detergent. Add detergent as desired.
3. Mix until the detergent is dissolved.
4. Soak the jewelry for a minute.

Method 5:

Apple Cider Vinegar

ACV has been used for different household purposes from baking, health, and beauty, to cleaning different parts of the house.

When used properly, ACV can bring back the sparkle of your pure gold and silver jewelry sans the gemstones and pearls.

What you need:

• 1 cup ACV
• Bowl for soaking

Procedure:

1. Soak your jewelry in ACV for 15 minutes.
2. Rinse thoroughly with cold water and dry.

Note: Others recommend mixing ½ cup of vinegar with 2 tbsp baking soda. The next step is soaking the jewelry for at least 2 hours. Last is to rinse it thoroughly and dry with a soft cloth.

However, there are notions that advise against soaking jewelry in vinegar for more than 15 minutes as it may cause damage to the surface. Nonetheless, an article mentions this applies to gold jewelry. Silver is not mentioned.

Method 6:

Seltzer water

This method is highly similar to Method 2 above, but instead of using regular water, use seltzer water instead. Also, this is designed for gemstones.

The carbonation this method creates loosens dirt and removes trapped debris.

What you need:

• Seltzer water
• Dish soap
• Soft-bristled brush
• Paper towel

Procedure:

1. Add a few drops of soap to a few tablespoons of seltzer water. Mix thoroughly.
2. Dip the brush in the mixture and use it to remove the tarnish on the gemstones.
3. Go over crevices with the brush to dislodge any trapped dirt.
4. Rinse with tap water and dry with another soft cloth or paper towel.

Method 7:

Shampoo

Who knows shampoo can make our jewelry shining and sparkly again? Pearls can lose their luster over time for natural reasons, but with this method, you can make them sparkle like new. This works for other porous stones as well.

What you need:

• Shampoo
• Warm water
• Small makeup brush
• Soft cloth
• Damp cloth
• Small bowl

Procedure:

1. Mix warm water and shampoo in the bowl.
2. Place the soft cloth on a flat surface and rest the pearl on top.
3. Dip the brush in the water and shampoo mixture and go over each pearl carefully.
4. Rinse each pearl with the damp cloth
5. Let it dry flat on the soft cloth.

How To Prevent Jewelry From Tarnishing

As previously mentioned, the different chemicals and elements in the surrounding cause tarnishing on the jewelry. Hence, avoiding it completely may be impossible.

That doesn’t mean, however, that you can’t prevent it from happening too soon. Here are some things you can do to prevent jewelry from tarnishing.

1. Avoid liquids. One of the most common reasons jewelry gets tarnished is liquid--water, wine, oil, etc. Hence, it is highly recommended to remove all jewelry when taking a shower, swimming, cooking, and washing dishes. 
2. Clean after each use. Use a soft cloth to wipe off dirt and oil after every use. The accumulated sweat and oil from your body tarnish jewelry.
3. Use a protective solution. Silver solution and other types of polish provide a protective coating to your jewelry. This will delay tarnishing.
4. Use jewelry often. If you think wearing your precious collection often will wear them out, think again. According to experts, friction is actually good for jewelry especially silver. It delays tarnishing.
5. Use an anti-tarnish bag. As the name suggests, anti-tarnish bags slow down tarnishing.
6. Keep jewelry wipes handy. As we do our daily business, it’s not uncommon for us to accidentally wet our jewels; hence, it’s crucial to have wipes handy to keep them from tarnishing.
7. Don’t soak gemstones, pearls, and custom jewelry. This is not really for tarnishing but when these are attached by glue to chains or others, do not soak the. The liquid will loosen the glue and the pieces would get detached.