Your jewelry comes into contact with a lot of different things over the course of the day. Everything from dog slobber to naturally occurring oils on your skin. Over time all that gunk starts to build up. This simple DIY jewelry cleaner recipe will allow you to clean your jewelry at home and keep it looking fresh and clean.
Ingredients
- Warm Water: Not too hot, not too cold, just right.
- Gentle Dish Soap: We like dawn, but any mild dish soap will do the trick.
- Two Small Bowls: This part is pretty self-explanatory.
- NEW Soft Bristle Toothbrush: Yes, it really needs to be new. We don’t want any residual toothpaste to rub off on your jewelry. Once you buy a dedicated jewelry cleaning toothbrush you’ll be able to use it every time you clean your jewelry.
- Dirty Jewelry: The dirtier the better.
Directions
- Add half a cup of warm water to 2 to 3 drops of gentle dish soap. Stir it up with your new soft bristle toothbrush.
- Let your jewelry soak in the soapy water for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Gently scrub your jewelry with the toothbrush.
- Add half a cup of warm water to a different bowl.
- Dip your jewelry in the bowl of water without soap for a minute or two.
- Pat your jewelry dry with a clean, soft cloth.
Brace yourself because this before and after photo is awesome. I swear, no photoshopping, no professional cleaning, just the ingredients above and a little elbow grease.
Not only is this the best homemade jewelry cleaner, but it’s the best option for cleaning your jewelry at home period. A lot of the DIY jewelry cleaning solutions, and even some of the store-bought options, can cause scratching or unwanted wear. Play it safe, stick with our tested and easy DIY solution.
Not All Jewelry Should Soak in This DYI Solution
Fragile jewelry, pearls, for example, shouldn’t soak in the cleaning solution. Instead take a clean, soft cloth and dip it in the solution. Then lightly rub pearls, emeralds, or other delicate jewelry with the damp cloth. If you ever have questions about what jewelry you should or shouldn’t soak in this solution, call us. We’re happy to help ensure your jewelry lasts for generations to come!
Don’t Skip Professional Jewelry Cleanings
At home cleaning does not replace a professional cleaning. It’s important to have your jewelry cleaned professionally a few times a year. R.F. Moeller Jeweler offers this service for free. Every 6 months or so, have a jeweler look at the pieces you wear regularly. They can give your jewelry a deep clean and check to make sure it’s in tip-top shape. If there is anything that needs attention, maybe a loose prong, they’ll be able to fix it before the problem gets worse.