Keep your Jewelry Shining with Homemade Cleaner

Let’s face it. Jewelry cleaning machines are quite pricey, and some don’t want to spend that much money on something they only get to use once or twice every month.

Luckily, you can find recipes for homemade jewelry cleaning solutions online. Here’s one that may fit well with your budget:

What you need: An old toothbrush; Baking soda; White vinegar or witch hazel; Tea tree oil

First, put your jewelry in any type of jar, then fill it up with about half a cup of white vinegar or witch hazel, and a drop of tea tree oil. Swirl it gently to mix everything and soak them in the solution overnight. Take them out in the morning, coat them in baking soda and scrub them with the toothbrush, then rinse with water (it’s best if your faucet has a high pressure setting to ensure a thorough rinse and cleaning).

White vinegar, because of its highly acidic nature, works well with high-quality jewels and stones that can withstand their acidity. If you want a milder fix, opt for the witch hazel. Either way, both are effective soaking solutions.

The tea tree oil, on the other hand, works as an anti-fungal agent and disinfectant. It is not necessary to add this to the solution, but if, for example, you wear your jewelry while working in the garden then it’s best to add a drop to your cleaning solution.

Lastly, scrubbing with baking soda helps get rid of dirt even in the little crannies of your jewels. Baking soda is an abrasive agent and works well with gold, tarnished silver and diamond rings.

Upon soaking them in the vinegar/witch hazel solution, you will already see the accumulated dirt and grime on your accessories start to float around the solution. It will be relatively cleaner and shinier after soaking, and scrubbing it after seals the deal since, again, it takes care of hard to reach spots on your precious jewelry.

If you want more easy household jewelry cleaning hacks, you can also try these methods:

Alka-Seltzer
Are your jewels getting duller? Soak them in a glass of Alka-Seltzer to get their wonderful shine back in just a few minutes.

Ammonia
Mix half a cup of clear ammonia in a cup of warm water to make a solution that will brighten up your silver and gold accessories. Soak for about 10 minutes, then wipe with a soft cloth and let it dry.

Beer
It is not only good for parties; it cleans gold jewelry as well! Just pour some on a soft cloth and rub it on your accessory until it’s shiny again. Don’t use this method on gemstones.

Club soda
Soda helps bring back the beauty and shine of your favourite gemstones such as sapphires and rubies. Simply drop them in a glass of club soda, and let them soak overnight. You will have good-as-new gems in no time.

There you have it! Jewelry cleaners that are cheap and doable in the comforts of your own home.