Jewelry can be a marker of special life events such as anniversaries and weddings. It is also an investment in personal style. Jewelry is even passed down from one generation to the next. For this reason, the thought of using harsh detergents or toxic chemicals to clean your jewelry will probably make you think twice.
Hard as it may be to believe, jewelry does accumulate dirt. Over time, jewelry left without cleaning gets less than shiny and becomes tarnished. This is especially true if you wear your jewelry every day. If you want to make your earrings, rings, and necklaces shine like new, you can do this in a non-toxic way. In fact, you may be under the impression that you will need jewelry polish and cleaners, but really, all you need are these tips that we are giving out right here.
It is not really easy to know what ingredients are in conventional jewel cleaning solutions. On the other hand, one sniff of any of the chemical-based polishes will tell you immediately that these are not made of natural ingredients. In fact, you can be sure that the strong smell that comes from the chemicals is caused by a toxic combination of various non-natural substances. You definitely don’t want this toxic cocktail anywhere near your skin. Do you see jewelers wearing gloves as they clean jewelry? There is a really important reason for this. The reason is that the chemicals are too toxic to expose your skin to.
If you do some of your own research, you will find that hardly any jewelry cleaning solution companies will disclose their ingredients. The reason for this is that the chemicals used are simply too toxic to reveal. For instance, central nervous system impairment is caused by tetrachloroethylene, which happens to be the main ingredient in most cleaning compounds. This does not even mention the fact that it is toxic to aquatic life and the environment in general.
Of course, people were not that environmentally conscious in the past. All these years, people would use ammonia to create sparkling diamonds. Window cleaners remove silver and gold jewelry tarnish. No one really knew any better until now. Here is a way to get your jewelry squeaky clean without having to harm the environment or your health.
Heavy Duty Jewelry Cleaning Solution
Jewelry that is more heavily tarnished will require a cleaning solution that is more intensive. Keep in mind though that no matter how dirty gemstones and pearls are, heavy duty cleaners may cause abrasion and damage. It is a good idea to use heavy duty cleaners just on more durable jewelry such as gold and silver. Don’t worry as there are methods to clean pearls and gemstones specified down below as well. Okay, now back to this particular cleaning solution.
Hot Water, Baking Soda, Aluminum Foil
This cleaner works particularly well on silvery jewelry. All you need is hot water, baking soda, and aluminum foil. The first thing to do is fill up a small boil with hot water. The bowl needs to be lined with aluminum foil. Add in three tablespoons of baking soda. Ensure that your silver jewelry is touching the foil. Let the jewelry sit in this solution for about half an hour. The jewelry tarnish will come off leaving the silver and attaching instead to the foil. Hard to believe but true. Let’s just say you gotta see this to believe it. If you want even shinier jewelry, keep repeating the process. You can also get rid of tarnish by soaking your jewelry in club soda for twenty-four hours.
Dish Soap and Water
Dirt and grime get washed away, and all your jewelry gets back their original sparkle when you use this cleaning solution. All you need is dish soap and water. Most types of jewelry can be cleaned safely using good ol’ water and soap. Choose a natural dish soap brand with minimum chemicals. All you need to do is to take warm, soapy water and clean your jewels using a toothbrush with soft bristles. Clean gemstones with a soft cloth. Even pearls which are quite delicate can be cleaned using this method. Find dish soap that is ecologically friendly and free of toxic chemicals and ingredients like ammonia which can abrade fine jewelry. Remember that lotion, bacteria and dirt can get trapped in tiny diamond jewelry gaps. A toothbrush will help get rid of grime on this types of jewelry as well as the dish soap solution.
Vinegar By Itself
Believe it or not, vinegar by itself is a natural cleaner for gold and silver. Remember not to use it on pearls or gemstones, though! Vinegar can be poured into a bowl with gold baubles in it. Soak these for fifteen minutes. Use a soft toothbrush to scrub jewelry spots. Use lukewarm water to rinse the gold. Use a cloth to dry your jewelry.
A Lint-Free Cloth
There are types of jewelry that are more delicate than most. Gemstone jewelry falls under this category. Even if diamonds and pearls can withstand dish soap, gemstones such as rubies and sapphires tend to be too delicate. Opaque gems like porous stones, turquoise, malachite, opals, lapis, and Jade tend to be absorbent to liquids. In other words, keep liquids away from them. Rather, dampen a lint-free piece of fabric slightly. Use this to rub off dirt and dullness on your gemstones.
No individual should lock up their jewels just because cleaning is necessary. Or because what was once silver and gold are now charcoal-black pieces covered in tarnish! If you don’t want to use toxic chemicals to clean your jewels, have no worries as these environmental alternatives are the answer. Use eco-friendly cleaning agents on your pieces of jewelry. This is the perfect way to maintain their beauty with no toxic elements involved.