How to Take Care of and Clean Jewelry

Ever wonder how to clean your jewelry at home with almost no cost?

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Household ammonia
• Soft bristle toothbrush
• Small bowl

1. Place full strength ammonia in a small dish. I would recommend lemon scented ammonia as it helps to keep the odor down. As a professional jeweler I would recomend that you never buy another jar of commercial jewelry cleaner again. It's a waste of money as it's a small amount of ammonia, perfume to keep the odor down and a whole lot of water!

2. Let your jewelry soak in the solution for about an hour. The ammonia will soften whatever needs to be cleaned off (hand lotion, soap, etc.)

3. Scrub gently with a soft bristle toothbrush and rinse under warm running water making sure the sink drain is closed. Let dry and enjoy the new sparkle! If you want a deeper cleaning, visit your local jeweler and ask them to clean it in there ultrasonic machine. That's what I use in my shop and will clean them back like new.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not attempt to clean soft stones such as pearls, cameo's or turquoise.

[vickymom64]

on 12/7/2009 Great article!