UPDATED June 2nd, 2018
Good news! You don’t need to pay big bucks for the best jewelry cleaner, it’s actually super easy to whip up in your own kitchen. A few simple ingredients will keep your bling (in the words of Rihanna) shining bright like a diamond. Just as you need to protect your skin in the summer, you also need to protect your baubles. Rough sand can scratch delicate gemstones and pool chemicals, like chlorine, can damage or discolor some items. Even sunscreen can take a toll. Jewelry specialist Keith Saxe says, “Sunscreen can coat gemstones, which reduces refractive and reflective light. Essentially, this means your stones won’t be as brilliant or bling-y.”
Toothpaste is a well-known hack for last-minute freshening but it really isn’t the best jewelry cleaner. It can be abrasive and scratch metals (especially plated items) and some gemstones. No doubt you also know someone who swears by soaking her baubles with a denture tablet overnight. That’s not a good idea either because denture cleaners can contain chemicals, which may degrade settings. You don’t want to lose any of those rocks!
The best jewelry cleaner is the simplest—mild dish soap and warm water. Most of the DIY recipes say to use an old toothbrush to scrub away gunk in nooks and crannies but, if you want to avoid transferring old germs to your like-new bling, you may want to invest in a brand new soft baby toothbrush for gentle scrubbing. Then all you need is a soft chamois for buffing and shining. Each type of jewelry has it’s own special technique.
