Homemade Jewelry Cleaners for Precious Metals and Stones

Your jewelry can add a big smiley to your dresses when they are dazzling; and how much you can make them sparkle depends on what your jewelry cleaner is made of. Here are three safe, organic ways that allow you to maintain the shine of your precious belongings, using ingredients like baking soda and ammonia, instead of the store bought jewelry cleaning products.

However, keep in mind that these are never recommended for cleaning soft stones and gems such as turquoise, jade, amber, opal, coral, and pearl, due to risk of damage.

How to Clean Jewelry at Home with Natural Cleaners

Jewelry Cleaning Solution with Baking Soda and Vinegar

Things required:

• Baking soda – 1 tbsp (Many brands make unprocessed baking soda. Use such a product.)
• White vinegar – ½ cup
• Tea tree oil – Few drops
• Soft-bristled toothbrush – 1
• Glass jar – 1

Jewelry Cleaning Solution with Baking Soda and Vinegar

Procedure:

1. Pour half a cup of vinegar and a few drops of tea tree oil in the glass jar and mix well.
2. Put your jewelry to be cleaned in this solution, and leave overnight.
3. Next morning, take them out of the jar, coat with baking soda, and brush them thoroughly with the toothbrush.
4. Wash the jewelry clean with normal water.

DIY Fine Jewelry Cleaner with Aluminum Foil (Suitable for Gold, Silver and Diamond)

Things required:

• Salt – 1 tsp
• Baking soda – 1 tbsp
• Aluminum foil – 1 piece
• Water – 1 cup

Jewelry Cleaner with Aluminum Foil

Procedure:

1. Heat water in the micro-oven for a couple of minutes.
2. Take a cereal bowl and place an aluminum foil at its base, so that the whole base is approximately covered.
3. Pour the hot water into the bowl and add the salt and the soda to it.
4. Put the gold/silver/diamond or other gemstones and jewelry in this solution (on top of the aluminum foil), and set aside for about 10 minutes.
5. Remove jewelry and rinse thoroughly.

The solution is for one-time use only.

How to Make an All-Purpose Liquid Jewelry Cleaner with Ammonia

This recipe is good for hardy precious stones like diamond, ruby and sapphire, as well as platinum, pure and white gold jewelry. It is equally safe for fake costume jewelry made of copper, brass, stainless steel, and similar metals.

Things required

• Sudsy ammonia – 1 cup
• Water – 1 cup
• Soft-bristled toothbrush – 1
• Small piece of cloth – 1
• Jar – 1

All Purpose Liquid Jewelry Cleaner with Ammonia

Procedure:

1. In the jar, mix the sudsy ammonia with water.
2. Soak your jewelry in this liquid for 10-15 minutes.
3. Use the toothbrush to gently clean through the settings and crevices.
4. Wash with normal tap water and air dry.
5. Use a cloth to buff it clean. Discard the solution if it gets dirty after use.

Tips:

• If you do not have sudsy ammonia in store, you can also use 1 part of clear ammonia with 6 parts of water for similar results.

More Jewelry Cleaning Tips

1. Being gentle and non-toxic, toothpaste alone works as one of the best cleaners, especially for tarnished sterling and pure silver jewelry. Simply rub the paste on your jewelry with a damp cloth and then use a toothbrush to brush them clean, until you get the desired luster. Finally, wash off. Using plain toothpaste is recommended since gel does not contain enough abrasives to effectively clean your jewelry. Whitening agents and tartar controls may also be harmful.
2. For soft stones, use a combination of mild pH neutral baby soap and mild warm water to softly brush them clean.
3. Mix 1 tsp of borax with 1-2 cups of boiling water and soak your silver jewelry in the mixture until it cools. Then wipe them with a soft cloth.
4. For an easy, instant jewelry cleaner, just mix 1-2 tbsp of baking soda with a cup of hot water, put your jewelry in this solution for a few minutes and rinse dry. This mixture peculiarly works great with diamond jewelry.
5. Mere hydrogen peroxide is effective to wash your dirt-filled diamond and cubic zirconia rings. Place your ring in a small cup and pour the liquid over it. Wait until a series of bubbles appear (which means the dirt is dissolving in the chemical). As the bubbles disappear (after a minute or so), wash it in water, and then rinse in alcohol to bring up the shine.
6. Make a paste with 1/4^th tsp of lemon juice and 1 tsp of baking soda. This will initially fizz, and then settle down. Use a small cloth to buff your jewelry with this. Wash off when done.