How to clean your jewelry at home

October 25, 2021

Unless you keep them hidden in a temperature-controlled vault with a humidity regulator, jewelry, whether gold or silver, tends to oxidize when exposed to air, even more so if they are not worn. The same goes for exposure to chlorine, household products and mosquito repellents!

But if you're like me, you love wearing your jewelry! Why deprive yourself?! That's why I'm sharing with you today some tips that can help you keep your jewelry looking its best using products you already have at home.

Even if a piece of jewelry is worn 24 hours a day and you keep it on to wash yourself, that doesn't mean it cleans it... On the contrary. Very often, soap residue accumulates under the stones (same goes for disinfectant gels!!) or in small corners and we quickly notice that the stones shine less and the metal is darker. What do we do?

Step 1: Cleaning!

In a bowl of hot (not boiling) water , pour a little dishwashing liquid, lather it up and soak your gold or silver jewelry in this soapy water. The soaking time may vary depending on the amount of accumulated deposits. The dish soap will act as a degreasing agent and will soften the accumulated deposits that you can dislodge with an old toothbrush.

However, I warn you! If you have a piece of jewelry that has colored stones, pearls or if you are not comfortable soaking your jewelry, use an old toothbrush and wet it in your soapy water instead of soaking it completely and brush your jewelry delicately over the bowl of water to dislodge impurities. Brush, brush, and brush again until you are satisfied with the cleaning! You might be surprised to discover all the things that can accumulate in the nooks and crannies of a piece of jewelry!!! Rinse afterwards in another bowl of clear water and sponge your jewelry well with an absorbent cloth.

Step 2: Remove the oxidation!

Once the jewelry is cleaned, rinsed and dried with a towel or absorbent cloth, the jewelry may need an additional step to remove traces of oxidation that may remain on the surface. For more delicate jewelry with or without stones, I always recommend using caution and not using strong cleaning products to avoid that a lack of rinsing could leave unwanted traces on your precious jewelry or alter your pearls or stones. There are small dry wipes that we frequently use at the jewelry store and that allow us to restore the luster of jewelry, even the most delicate! By rubbing gently, surface oxidation will be easily removed! In addition, these small wipes can be kept near your jewelry and/or carried when traveling so that all your pieces are impeccable when you wear them. They are available on our online store: https://bijouterielepage.com/collections/accessoires/products/lingettes-nettoyantes-pour-bijoux-en-or-et-en-argent

For more robust jewelry that is blackened by oxidation (e.g. silver chain), there are several ways to restore its shine after cleaning. Here are 2 that are frequently used for chains or other jewelry without stones. In a glass dish such as a Pyrex, line the bottom and sides with a sheet of aluminum foil. Place the chains on it, making sure that they touch the aluminum foil, then sprinkle the whole thing with a good layer of baking soda. Once the jewelry is completely covered, pour hot water (not boiling) over it and gently move the container to help small bubbles form. For some pieces, the oxidation will disappear immediately. For others, the soaking will take slightly longer. You will quickly see a difference in the color of the metal! As soon as the desired result is obtained, you can remove your jewelry from the dish and rinse it in a bowl of clear water, then pat it dry on an absorbent cloth.

Another recipe that is frequently used for very oxidized silver jewelry can even be used to clean silverware that often requires long hours of scrubbing. In a pot, heat white vinegar with salt over low heat (not boiling). For 250ml of white vinegar (1 cup), you need 30ml of salt (2 tablespoons). As soon as the salt is well dissolved, soak the blackened jewelry for a few minutes to let the magic happen! Again, you should not use this type of solution for jewelry with stones or pearls. As soon as the oxidation is gone, rinse in a bowl of clear water and dry properly. And that's it!

To prevent your jewelry from continually oxidizing, get into the habit of storing it in small mini ziploc bags that you can find at the dollar store. Each piece stored individually and away from air will stay shiny longer and you will prevent it from mixing with the other treasures you have!

That's it for the maintenance of your jewelry at home! Do you have other tips that you have tried over time that you would like to share with us? Don't hesitate to write to us to let us know! I am curious to discover them!

If you prefer to have your jewelry cleaned and polished by our team to avoid these maintenance steps, we are always happy to welcome you to restore your jewelry to its youthful shine!