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Jewelery cleaning solutions can be expensive and tend to have a limited shelf life, not to mention rife with chemicals. If you’d rather keep things green (and save a little green at the same time), why not learn how to clean and maintain your precious metals and gems yourself? With a few basic household items that you most likely already have kicking around, you can bring luster back to pieces you’d long ago relegated to the back of your drawer. Read on for a how-to guide on how to clean your jewelery, DIY style.
Beer
Not just a delicious libation, beer can be an excellent way to gussy up your gold. Just pour some suds (anything but dark ale) onto a soft cloth, gently polish your piece, and then wipe off with a clean towel. Since you’ve already cracked it open, may as well finish the brew while you’re at it.
Club Soda
Next time you’re in the drink aisle, pick up a bottle of club soda and use it to shine up your gems. Diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and the like all take nicely to being soaked in the fizzy stuff, especially when left overnight.
Dish Soap
Simply dilute a little gentle dish soap (nothing too harsh), drop in your diamonds and get ready to be dazzled. After you’ve let your rocks soak for a bit, carefully remove them from their bath and gently scrub them with a soft bristled toothbrush. Let them dry and prepare to be amazed with how bright they’re gonna shine.
Baking Soda
Combine 1 cup water and 2 tablespoons baking soda into a small bowl and get ready to be impressed. Only a few minutes of soaking will result in absolutely resplendent stones, as shiny as the day you bought them.
Water
When it comes to pearls, less is definitely more. Because of their extremely delicate nature, avoid washing pearls with anything more than water and a soft cloth. The best method is to spray a cleaning cloth with a little bit of water, wring out the excess, and gently polish the pearls to remove any built up grime or dirt. Once clean, lay on a soft towel to dry.
Cider Vinegar
To get your old gold looking new again, place your jewellery in a shallow dish and cover completely with the vinegar. Let sit for 15-20 minutes, remove, and wipe with a soft cloth.
