Your silver won’t always sparkle and your gold won’t always dazzle. Like all metals, with time you will see your expensive jewelry getting dull. It’s natural. And if you thought getting it professionally cleaned is the only solution you have, not really. Many people are blissfully unaware that they can also clean their gold and silver jewelry at home.
Basic household items can be perfect cleaners for your precious baubles. Read on to know more:
How to Clean Gold Jewellery
1. Dishwashing Liquid:
The simple dishwashing liquid can be a powerful answer for the question how to clean gold Jewellery items. Put a few drops of the detergent in a bowl of lukewarm water and soak the gold in the solution for 15 minutes. After that, gently brush the crevices and the edges of the item using a toothbrush. After the wash, run the jewelry in warm water and wipe it off with a soft cloth.
Warning: If you are washing a gold-plated item, make sure you don’t rub too much. The entire layer might be wiped off!
2. Toothpaste:
Toothpaste can really work wonders for cleaning gold jewelry. You can use a small amount and again use a toothbrush to get into the edges and crevices of the ring. Mild, abrasive toothpaste is very good for loosening the dirt and grime in the items. Rinse thoroughly with warm water.
3. Ammonia:
A solution of ammonia mixed with a warm cup of water can brighten up gold jewellery in a matter of few minutes. Wash off after a while and blot it off with a soft cloth.
Warning: Do not use ammonia with items which have pearls attached. This can damage the surface of the pearls.
How to Clean Silver Jewellery
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1. Salt Bath:
This is one of the gentlest ways to clean silver jewellery. Simply mix some hot water and some salt and submerge your silver items in them. The salt bath can take away the tarnish very easily and make your silver look as good as new.
2. Silver Polish:
Sometimes a deeper tarnish won’t be removed by a simple salt water bath. You need to buy a silver polish because it can remove the toughest of stains. These are specially formulated polishes and are the safest option for dealing with antique and vintage jewelry. Rub the item with some polish and gently wipe it. Don’t scrub the piece because it can be abrasive. Later you can rinse it under cool running water.
3. Aluminum foil:
Aluminum foil can work wonders for silver jewelry. You can use aluminum foil to clean your tarnished silver jewelry similar to the way you would clean your silverware. The method is pretty simple too. You have to line a tray with a piece of crumpled aluminum foil and place the silver jewelry on the foil. You can then use some baking soda and sprinkle it as a layer over the jewelry. Now, pour boiling water over it. The tarnish will then transfer from the jewelry to the foil. You may need to do this a number of times and also flip or move the jewelry around so all sides come in contact with the foil. Once all the sides are done, you can remove the silver jewelry and rinse them all with water.
[Also Read: Recycled Jewelry]
So, you see, cleaning jewelry is not that hard. How to clean silver jewellery with stuff lying all around your home is easy!