If you’ve been spending money on jewelry cleaner solutions, you can learn to make homemade jewelry cleaner yourself for less than $1! Save all that money and still keep your jewelry tarnish free and looking its best.
What You Need to Make Homemade Jewelry Cleaners
First, we need to talk about ingredients. Not every household cleaner ingredient works with every metal or stone your jewelry can be made from.
For example, baking soda and vinegar are both great household cleaners, but they shouldn’t be your go to ingredients for cleaning jewelry. Both can damage some finishes.
The good news is that you probably already have most of the items needed for making homemade jewelry cleaner in your kitchen or bathroom.
You will need:
- A small bowl
- Spoon for stirring
- Soft-bristled toothbrush or brush specifically for jewelry cleaning
- Microfiber cloth or a lint-free towel.
Depending which recipe you use, you’ll also need some pantry staples like salt, dish liquid and baking soda.
Related: Best Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaning Machines
Preparing to Clean Jewelry
What your jewelry is made of determines which cleaning recipe you’ll want to use. So it’s important to know exactly what you’re cleaning.
First, if any of your jewelry came with specific cleaning instructions, take note of those and follow them.
Otherwise, separate your gold and silver pieces. Then separate any that contain pearls or gemstones. (Pearl strands will go with the gemstones.)
A Step-by-Step Guide to Cleaning Your Jewelry
Cleaning your jewelry at home can be a simple process with the use of a homemade jewelry cleaner. The process involves a few steps that will leave your precious pieces sparkling clean, without causing any damage.
Whichever recipe you use, the procedure will be like this:
- Mix your cleansing solution together.
- Let the jewelry soak in it for the appropriate amount of time.
- Use a soft-bristled brush to gently scrub the jewelry as needed.
- Rinse each piece under tap water close to the same temperature as the cleaning water is now.
- Pat each piece dry.
Silver Jewelry Cleaner
Note: This cleaning method is safe for sterling silver jewelry that doesn’t contain delicate gemstones like pearls or opals. If you’re not sure what type of silver it is, or if it has pearls or gemstones, don’t use this recipe.
Also, don’t use boiling water on anything but sterling silver.
Ingredients:
- Boiling water
- A few drops dish liquid
- Kosher or sea salt
- A piece of aluminum foil
- Baking soda (only if you’re cleaning sterling silver – otherwise, leave it out)
Instructions:
- Line a bowl with the aluminum foil, reflective / shiny side up
- Spread your silver jewelry on the foil, making sure each piece touches the foil.
- If you’re using baking soda, sprinkle it over the jewelry.
- Pour in boiling water.
- Add the kosher or sea salt and stir to dissolve.
- Let it sit for about 30 minutes.
- After soaking, gently scrub the jewelry with an old toothbrush if needed to remove any remaining tarnish.
- Rinse thoroughly under cool water and dry completely before storing or wearing.
What’s with the Tin Foil?
Great question! This method of cleaning silver jewelry with tinfoil involves a simple chemical reaction.
Silver tarnishes because of a reaction with sulfur-containing substances in the air, creating silver sulfide. That’s what shows up a black layer on your jewelry.
The aluminum foil is critical in this process for two reasons. First, aluminum has a stronger attraction to sulfur than silver does. When you place the silver in direct contact with the aluminum, while both are immersed in the cleaning (baking soda and water) solution, the sulfur atoms will tend to migrate from the silver to the aluminum.
Second, this migration is an electrochemical reaction, similar to how a battery works. The baking soda solution acts as an electrolyte, permitting ions to transfer between the metal objects.
So when you clean your tarnished silver jewelry with tin foil and baking soda, what you’re actually doing is using science (chemistry!) to cause a reaction where the tarnish on your silver pieces is transferred to the aluminum.
Gemstone & Pearl Jewelry Cleaner
If your jewelry has gemstones, especially pearls, you need to use a more gentle formula than the one for silver. This one features nothing but dish liquid, but it works.
Ingredients
- Warm water
- Dish liquid
Instructions
- Fill a small with warm water. Add a few drops of dish liquid. Stir to mix.
- Put the jewelry in the water and let it sit for 10-15 minutes.
- Use a soft brush to gently remove any dirt or tarnish from the nooks and crannies.
- Rinse each piece of jewelry in warm tap water (so as not to create a temperature shock that could crack a gemstone)
- Pat each piece dry with a microfiber cloth.
Gold Jewelry Cleaner
You’ll clean your gold jewelry with a similar recipe to the gemstones and pearls. The biggest difference is how long do you let the gold jewelry soak in the mixture.
Ingredients
- Warm water
- Dish liquid
Instructions
- Fill a small bowl with warm water. Add a few drops of dish liquid. Stir to mix.
- Put the jewelry in the water and let it sit for 20-30 minutes.
- Use a soft brush to gently remove any dirt or tarnish from the nooks and crannies.
- Rinse each piece of jewelry in warm tap water.
- Pat each piece dry with a microfiber cloth.
Costume Jewelry Cleaner
Costume jewelry deserves some love too. I used to think once it got really dirty, there was nothing you can do. But this just isn’t true!
In some ways, costume jewelry, can be more fragile than high-quality real jewelry. You’ll be following pretty much the same recipe as you used to clean gold, but you want to be even more gentle with the brushing part.
In fact, it’s a good idea to use cotton swab instead of a soft-bristled brush. Take note of how the fake gems are glued or attached to their settings. You don’t want to brush too hard and dislodge them.
Ingredients
- Warm water
- Dish liquid
Instructions
- Fill a small bowl with warm water. Add a few drops of dish liquid. Stir to mix and make sure it’s nice and bubbly.
- Put the jewelry in the water and let it sit for 10 minutes.
- Use a cotton swab or soft brush to gently remove any dirt or tarnish.
- Rinse each piece of jewelry in warm tap water.
- Pat each piece dry with a microfiber cloth.
Tips and Tricks to Get the Best Results
Make sure you always use a soft-bristled brush or cloth when cleaning your jewelry. Using a harsh brush could scratch or damage delicate surfaces.
Avoid using hot water except on sterling silver. It can cause discoloration on other metals and it can also loosen stones.
Additionally, always rinse your jewelry thoroughly after cleaning and dry it with a soft cloth. Leaving any moisture on the surface can lead to tarnishing or buildup over time.
Always rinse with water that’s close to the same temperature as the cleaning water was by the time the jewelry finished soaking. This will probably be room temperature in most cases, or warmer in the case of sterling silver, where you use boiling water.
Maintenance Tips for Keeping Your Jewelry Sparkling Clean
The first thing you should do is handle your jewelry with care. Avoid touching it unnecessarily and avoid wearing it when doing activities that may cause damage.
It’s also important to store each piece separately in a soft pouch or container to prevent scratching. Regular cleaning is also key to maintaining the shine of your jewelry.
While a deep clean every few months is recommended, wiping it down after each wear can help prevent buildup and tarnishing. Use a soft cloth or brush to gently remove any dirt or oils from the surface of the piece.
Lastly, be sure to avoid exposing your jewelry to harsh chemicals such as perfume, hairspray, and cleaning products. These can cause discoloration and damage.
When in doubt, remove your jewelry before using any type of chemical product.
Benefits of Using Homemade Jewelry Cleaner
Cleaning your jewelry on a regular basis is crucial to maintain its shine, sparkle, and longevity. While there are many commercial jewelry cleaners available in the market, they can be costly and contain harsh chemicals.
Making your own homemade jewelry cleaner is not only cost-effective but also allows you to use natural ingredients that are gentle on your precious pieces.
Using homemade jewelry cleaner also gives you the freedom to customize the recipe based on the type of metal or gemstone you are cleaning. For instance, if you have a delicate piece of silver jewelry with intricate designs, using a commercial cleaner can cause discoloration or damage.
However, with a homemade solution using gentle ingredients and warm water, you can gently remove tarnish without harming the surface or design of your jewelry.