From your everyday jewelry to unique pieces you only where on special occasions, chances are, all of your jewelry could use a good polish. Lotion, soaps, and everyday dust and dirt are just a few things that can clog jewelry settings and make stones, chains and pearls appear dull and lifeless. And it’s usually not until you’re getting ready for a night out on the town that you notice your rings, necklaces and bracelets need some attention.
The good news is you can clean your jewelry at home — and it’s easier than you might think. Here, the experts at the Good Housekeeping Cleaning Lab explain exactly how to shine up all the jewelry in your box so you can keep it looking beautiful longer.
How to clean silver
The best way to clean tarnished silver pieces and keep them from re-tarnishing as quickly is with a good silver polish, like Good Housekeeping Seal holder Weiman Silver Polish, which contains ingredients that dissolve and remove tarnish while leaving behind a protective coating to prevent new tarnish from forming.
Liquid polishes can be a bit messy to use, especially if you’re in a hurry, so wipes (like the ones below) can be a more convenient alternative. Specially treated multi-layer cloths, which have one side to clean and remove tarnish and a second one to shine, are also a good option.
How to clean gold
Give solid gold bracelets, chains and earrings a gentle bath in a solution of a few drops of dish soap and a little warm water. Put small jewelry pieces into a strainerbefore placing in the solution; large pieces can go directly into the bowl to soak for about five minutes. Swish the items around, then take them out, lay them on a soft cloth and go over the crevices and chain links with a soft toothbrush to dislodge any dirt trapped there. Return small pieces to the strainer and rinse everything under running water. Buff dry with a soft cloth.
How to clean gemstones
It’s easy to restore the sparkle of precious and semi-precious stones, like diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires set in gold. You can use the same instructions as the ones above for cleaning gold, but instead of using regular water, mix the dish soap with seltzer water. In Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab tests, the carbonation helped loosen soil and removed debris trapped in the settings and on the facets.
Brush stones and settings with a soft toothbrush; then, dip in clear water to rinse or place the pieces in a strainer and rinse under running water. Buff dry and admire the sparkle.
To clean rings on-the-go, keep a jewelry cleaning stick in your purse. You’ll find them from Town Talk, Connoisseurs, and Baublerella. Simply twist the wand to release the cleaner and use the soft brush tip to remove dirt and grime. Rinse well, and see your gems shine!
How to properly care for your jewelry
- Remove rings when washing your hands, applying beauty products, cleaning the house, or applying lotions to keep the settings grime-free.
- Don’t wear jewelry while swimming — chlorine and salt water can damage it.
- Wipe pearls with a soft cloth after each wear to remove body oils and perfume that can yellow them.
- Don’t let silver sit in your jewelry box — wear it! It becomes shinier the more it’s worn (the friction slows down tarnishing). When you’re not wearing it, store pieces in an anti-tarnish bag.
- Get valuable jewelry checked regularly by a reputable jeweler to make sure the stones are in good shape and the settings are secure.
Source : https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/tips/a25736/how-to-clean-jewelry/
