how to clean jewelry

How to Clean Jewelry

How to Clean Gold Jewelry. Unlike silver, gold doesn't develop a dull tarnished finish over time.
31. Baking Soda
To remove builtup tarnish from your silver, make a thick paste with 1/4 cup baking soda and 2 tablespoons water. Apply with a damp sponge and gently rub, rinse, and buff dry. To polish gold jewelry, cover with a light coating of baking soda, pour a bit of vinegar over it, and rinse clean.
32. Club Soda
Soak your diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds in club soda to give them a bright sheen. Simply place them in a glass full of club soda and let them soak overnight.
33. Denture Tablets
Has your diamond ring lost its sparkle? Drop a denture tablet into a glass containing a cup of water. Follow that with your ring or diamond earrings. Let it sit for a few minutes. Remove your jewelry and rinse to reveal the old sparkle and shine.
34. Ketchup
Let ketchup do the work of shining tarnished silver. If your ring, bracelet, or earring has a smooth surface, dunk it in a small bowl of ketchup for a few minutes. If it has a tooled or detailed surface, use an old toothbrush to work ketchup into the crevices. To avoid damaging the silver, don
35. Toothpaste
Put a little toothpaste on an old toothbrush and use it to make your diamond ring sparkle instead of your teeth. Clean off the residue with a damp cloth.
36. Vinegar
Make your silverware as well as your pure silver bracelets, rings, and other jewelry shine like new by soaking them in a mixture of 1/2 cup white vinegar and 2 tablespoons baking soda for two to three hours. Rinse them under cold water and dry thoroughly with a soft cloth.
37.
Tarnish is the enemy, and here are your weapons: For items that are merely dull, filmy, or starting to discolor, mix a few drops of mild dish soap with warm water, and dip in a soft cloth. Rub the jewelry, then rinse in cool water and buff with a cloth until dry. For heavier tarnish, mix a paste of three parts baking soda to one part water. Wet the silver and apply the cleaner with a soft, lintfree cloth (not paper towels, which can scratch). Work the paste into the crevices, turning the cloth as it gets gray. Rinse; buff dry. Dont soak silver; this speeds up rather than removes tarnish.
38. Brighten gold and gems
Ever look under your ring? Lotion, soaps, and everyday dirt can clog the prongs, making stones appear facetless and flat. Even gold chains and pendants can get gunked up through everyday wear. Give gold a bubble bath by pouring a few drops of mild dish soap into a small bowl of sodiumfree seltzer water or club soda (in Good Housekeeping Research Institute tests, the carbonation loosened soil and removed debris). Put the jewelry into a small strainer, and place it in the bowl to soak for about five minutes. Swish it around, fishing out each piece to go over settings and crevices with a soft toothbrush. Return items to the strainer and rinse under running water; dry with a soft cloth. For costume jewelry, especially if stones are glued rather than set, dab a cloth into the bubbly solution and gently wipe any smudges or grime, then rinse with a cloth dampened in plain water. Pat dry and lay the pieces upside down so moisture wont soak into the setting.
39. Freshen your pearls
Because theyre so porous, pearls can easily lose their luster. Whether real, cultured, or faux, they must be cleaned with care. First lay the strand on a soft cloth. Dip a clean, small makeup brush into a mixture of warm water and a little shampoo, and go over each pearl. To finish, rinse the pearls with a clean, wellwrung damp cloth. Let the strand dry flat to prevent the string from stretching. This nosoak treatment is also good for turquoise, another porous stone.
40. Antacid
The fizzing power that works to soothe your stomach can also clean your jewelry. Drop two antacid tablets into a glass of warm water, followed by your baubles. Let sit for about two minutes in the effervescent solution, then remove and rinse.