How to Clean Jewelry with Homemade Solutions

When times are tough and the economy is down, it is the non-necessities that people stop purchasing first. That doesn't mean you can't do things just as well at home yourself. This is a great time to get more frugal and look to household items to do double duty for us. One of these duties is cleaning jewelry. Real gems, gold, silver and even pearls can be safely and effectively cleaned and restored to their original luster at home with common household products.

Things You'll Need

• Tabletop or counter space
• Large towel
• Small, soft cleaning cloths
• Coffee cup or small container
• Soft toothbrush
• Paint brush
• Baking soda
• Toothpicks
• Distilled water
• Shampoo
• Club soda (sodium free)
• Strainer
• Dish soap
• Rubbing alcohol
• Cotton balls

Instructions

1. Set up the cleaning area by laying down a large bath towel, folded once over on a table or countertop or small tray. Fill a small cup or container with 1 part dish soap and 3 parts distilled water. Measure another cup with 3 parts baking soda and 1 part water to make a paste. Gather the rest of the items together in the work area along with the jewelry that needs cleaning.

2. To clean gold, silver and other metals, use a soft toothbrush and dip it into the baking soda and water mixture. Scrub gently to remove heavy tarnish. Rinse it in water, but do not soak as this promotes silver tarnishing. Buff it dry with a soft cloth. For dull or discolored metals, simply dip a cotton ball into the dish soap/water mixture and gently rub. Pat it dry and lay it out to air dry.

3. To clean pearls, turquoise and other porous gems, lay the pearl strands out onto a soft towel. Dip a paint brush or cotton ball into a mixture of 1/2 cup distilled water to 3 drops of shampoo. Gently rub each pearl or gem individually. Do not submerge or hold under water to rinse, rather wet a soft cloth and wipe off excess shampoo when done. Do not hang stranded pearls or turquoise, but lay the strand flat out on a soft towel to dry.

4. To clean diamonds, saturate a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol and thoroughly wet the diamond(s). Using a soft bristled tooth brush, gently scrub all surfaces, trying to get in between the prongs. Use a toothpick to remove any small chunks of gunk. Soak it in a cup of club soda to help loosen any gunk, then try again with the toothbrush to remove any remaining dirt. Rinse it with water and buff dry with a soft cloth.

5. To clean rings, necklaces, and earrings, place items in a small sieve or strainer. Pour 2 parts club soda to 1 part dish soap into bowl, enough to submerse the strainer containing the jewelery. Leave in for several minutes, allowing the carbonation from the soda to jiggle free any gunk or dirt. Clean each piece with a soft toothbrush or toothpick and return to the bowl. Once every piece is completely scrubbed clean, rinse in the strainer with running water. Pat dry with a soft cloth and lay out to completely dry on a towel. Turn rings or earrings several times in order to "drain" any remaining water from crevices or prongs.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep small containers with lids filled with the various solutions for seasonal jewelery cleaning.

• Make a homemade jewelery cleaning container by storing all jewelery cleaning supplies such as solutions, towels and bushes together in a labeled shoe-box or plastic container.

• Purchase new club soda each cleaning for the best carbonation.

• Do not hang stranded gems such as turquoise, pearls, or opals to avoid damaging the strands.

• Remove jewelery when gardening, applying lotions, cooking or using harsh chemicals to avoid damage or gunky build up.