Keeping your jewellery clean is essential for maintaining its beauty and value. With regular care, you can ensure your treasured pieces stay sparkling for years.
Fortunately, you don't need expensive cleaners or professional services to keep your jewellery looking its best. With a few common household items, you can easily clean your jewellery.
This guide outlines easy, effective methods to clean different types of jewellery.
Each approach uses safe materials and follows simple steps to preserve your jewellery's brilliance.
General Tips for Cleaning Jewellery
Before diving into specific cleaning methods, consider these universal tips:
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Clean Regularly: The less dirt, grime, and grease accumulate, the better.
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Clean Carefully: Always use lint-free cloths and soft-bristled brushes to reduce scratching on delicate surfaces.
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Know Your Metal and/or Stone: Different metals and stones require different cleaning processes.
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Assess Before Cleaning: If the jewellery has raised prongs or loose stones, do not attempt to clean it, until a professional can repair it.
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Limit Your Area: Always clean jewellery on a towel or in a sink with a stopper. This way, you cannot accidentally lose it.
What You’ll Need
Before cleaning your jewellery, ensure you have the right tools and materials. Here is a simple checklist:
Tools:
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A bowl
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A toothbrush with soft bristles
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A soft cloth
Materials:
1. Antibacterial cleaner
2. Baking soda
3. Dish soap
4. Glass cleaner
How to Clean Jewellery with Hot Water
Hot water is one of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to clean your jewellery. This process is for all hard metals: silver, gold, platinum, and diamond. The process includes:
1. Boiling Water: Boil a pot of water and pour it into a heat-safe bowl/container.
2. Submerging Jewellery: Put jewellery in the heat-safe bowl/container and cover it with boiling water until submerged.
3. Waiting and Wiping: After a few moments, take off the jewelry. Wipe it clean with a soft cloth. The water will still be hot, so be careful.
4. Drying Jewellery: Allow the item to air dry or pat dry with a soft cloth before returning it to its proper home.
Warning: Avoid this technique with delicate stones such as pearls, opals, and other softer gems.
How to Clean Jewellery with Household Ingredients
No jewellery cleaner? No problem! Use these items you already have at home to create your own jewellery cleaner!
Jewellery Cleaner from Antibacterial Cleaner
You don’t need a fancy jewellery cleaner to make your pieces sparkle. You can use antibacterial cleaner. Here’s how:
1. Fill a small bowl with a few inches of antibacterial cleaner.
2. Let your jewellery soak in the bowl for about 5 minutes. You should see dirt and debris settle at the bottom of the bowl.
3. After 5 minutes, take off the jewellery. You can either use a cloth to scrub it in circles or pat it dry with a soft fabric.
Cleaning with Baking Soda
If you're not one to want to scrub your jewellery, let baking soda do the fizzing for you. These products create a chemical reaction that helps loosen dirt and debris from your jewellery. Here's how:
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Place jewellery in a larger bowl and submerge it.
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Add one tablespoon of baking soda.
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Let soak for a few minutes while it fizzes on its own.
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Remove from water and rinse, wiping with a soft cloth afterwards.
This process works well with gold, silver, and diamond jewellery — but not softer stones like pearls.
Cleaning with Dish Soap
For general maintenance, soap and water are the best options and are safe for most metal jewellery. To perform this:
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Combine roughly one teaspoon of non-abrasive dish soap with 1 cup of lukewarm water.
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Place jewellery in a soapy solution for a few minutes.
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Gently scrub with a soft-bristle toothbrush if needed.
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Rinse under fresh water and dry with a soft towel.
This technique works well for pieces worn often with light tarnish but is not as effective for deep dirt and large build-ups.
Cleaning with Glass Cleaner
Glass cleaner can be a quick solution in a pinch, but it’s only recommended for metals like gold, silver, platinum, and diamonds. Here’s how to use it:
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Apply a small amount of glass cleaner to the jewellery.
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Buff or wipe with a soft cloth.
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Rinse in water and pat dry.
Precaution: Be cautious, as the chemicals in glass cleaner can damage specific stones and metals.
How to Use a Toothbrush to Clean Jewellery
A soft-bristle toothbrush is also a great tool for getting into small spaces and tackling tricky spots. Here’s how to use it:
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Use just water if your pieces aren't too dirty.
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Use in conjunction with one of the above at-home cleaning solutions if they are.
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Brush gently and focus on cracks and delicate spots.
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Rinse and dry with a microfiber cloth; do not air dry as this will leave unattractive water stains.
Photo: Vejaa/Getty Images
Cleaning Different Kinds of Jewellery
It's important to understand that each type of jewellery requires its own cleaning method. Therefore, here are some methods for cleaning jewellery of various types:
How to Clean Gold Jewellery
Gold is durable but can lose its shine because of everyday exposure to oils and dirt. To clean it safely:
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Make your solution: Mix a few drops of gentle, phosphate-free dish soap into a bowl of warm water.
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Soak your jewellery: Let the jewellery sit in the solution for 10 to 15 minutes to soften dirt and debris.
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Lightly scrub: Use a soft-bristle toothbrush to scrub in detailed areas like the settings and engravings.
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Rinse and dry: Soak each piece in lukewarm water.
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Use a non-abrasive cloth to pat dry and restore brightness.
How to Clean Silver Jewellery
Silver jewellery is prone to tarnishing but can easily be restored with these steps:
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Create a solution: Crate a solution of 1 part water and 3 parts baking soda.
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Apply solution: Rub the mixture onto the jewellery with a soft cloth, focusing on super-tarnished areas.
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Brush off: Use a soft brush for crevices.
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Rinse and dry: Run under lukewarm water and dry with a separate clean cloth.
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To restore lustre: Use a silver polishing cloth to restore shine.
For very tarnished silver:
One of the best ways to clean tarnished silver can be:
1. Line a bowl with aluminium foil. Place the silver in the bowl.
2. Pour boiling water and baking soda over the jewellery.
3. Keep it there for three to five minutes. Then, rinse and dry the silver.
How to Clean Platinum Jewellery
Platinum is highly durable but benefits from regular cleaning to ensure its quality:
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Create a soapy solution: Mix warm water with a few drops of gentle dish soap.
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Let it soak: Allow platinum jewellery to soak in the soapy solution for 15-20 minutes.
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Gently scrub: Use a soft-bristled brush to loosen debris from prongs and in between small crevices.
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Rinse well: Place pieces under warm water to remove all soap.
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Dry and buff: Use a non-abrasive cloth to dry pieces and buff for shine.
How to Clean Pearl Jewellery
Pearls are delicate and require extra caution during cleaning to maintain their glossiness:
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Make a cleaning solution: Add a drop or two of gentle soap or baby shampoo to cool water.
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Clean the pearls: Dampen a cloth in the solution and rub each pearl; do not soak the pearls.
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Rinse the pearls: Use a soft cloth and clean water to wipe each pearl.
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Let the pearls air dry: Lay them flat on an absorbent, non-abrasive towel.
Essential Tips for Pearl Care: Pearl jewellery needs extra care. Always wipe pearls after wearing them to remove excess oils and sweat. Wrap pearls in their pouch and store them alone to avoid scratching.
How to Clean Gemstone Jewellery
Different gemstones have unique needs depending on their hardness and porosity:
For Hard Gemstones (e.g., Diamonds, Rubies, Sapphires):
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Mix warm water with mild soap.
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Soak for 15-20 minutes.
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Use a soft brush to clean around the stones and settings.
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Rinse thoroughly and pat dry.
For Soft or Porous Gemstones (e.g., Opals, Turquoise):
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Avoid soaking; instead, wipe with a damp cloth.
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Dry thoroughly before storing.
Important Tips:
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Avoid ultrasonic cleaners for soft or porous stones.
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Store gemstone jewellery separately to avoid scratches.
How to Clean Diamond Jewellery
Regular cleaning is the key factor to keep your diamond jewellery sparkling. Wipe your jewellery with a specialist jewellery wipe or diamond cleaning cloth once a week, especially for items you wear daily. Always be gentle, particularly with delicate pieces like fine pendants or tennis bracelets.
Cleaning Diamond Earrings:
Earrings require more at-home maintenance since they can accumulate hairspray, makeup, and bacteria. Soak your earrings in warm, soapy water for 30 to 45 minutes.
Make sure the water is not hot! After soaking, use a soft brush to gently remove any hard particles. Focus especially on the earring back. Rinse under lukewarm running water. To maintain the shine, then pat dry with a lint-free cloth.
Cleaning Diamond Rings:
To clean a diamond ring, soak it in warm, soapy water for 30 minutes. Use a soft toothbrush to scrub the setting and other hard-to-reach places.
Rinse under running water. Later use a soft, lint-free cloth to pat dry it. Routine maintenance prevents dirt from accumulating and ensures your ring is always at its sparkling best.
Cleaning Costume Jewellery
Costume jewellery requires a more delicate approach due to its plated finishes and adhesives:
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Wipe with a damp cloth: Gently clean the surface to remove dirt and oils.
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Avoid soaking: Moisture can weaken adhesives and damage finishes.
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Spot clean intricate areas: Use a cotton swab for small crevices.
Care Tips:
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Keep costume pieces dry and store them away from direct sunlight.
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Avoid contact with water, perfumes, and hairspray.
How Often Should You Clean Jewellery?
Your jewellery can retain its beauty and brilliance with consistent cleaning and maintenance for years. You can follow a simple routine and some general rules to keep your jewellery in great shape and condition.
For cleaning purposes you can follow:
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Daily wear pieces: Clean every 2-3 weeks.
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Occasionally worn items: Clean after each use.
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Stored jewellery: Clean every few months to prevent tarnish.
Final Thoughts
Maintaining your jewellery's sparkle is simple with the right cleaning techniques.
Whether it's gold, silver, pearls, or gemstones, regular care and gentle methods can ensure your pieces remain dazzling.
For valuable or antique items, consider professional cleaning to avoid any risk of damage.
