How to clean handmade jewelry at home? Friends, this is one of the major aspects to get rid of dust so that your piece stays lustrous.
Right from taking precautionary steps to prevent your jewelry from tarnishing to practicing the right cleaning methods, we must be wary when it comes to the cleaning process.
By cleaning handmade jewelry, I don’t mean following a single procedure with all jewelry types. Every jewelry piece has a different procedure and we all need to understand this sincerely. So, Let’s begin.
How to Clean Handmade Jewelry at Home – Learn Basic Guide to Amp up your Jewelry
One of the most crucial processes when it comes it hygiene is to clean jewelry at home. We cannot just do hit and trial methods otherwise it will ruin the jewelry shine.
First I will talk about common steps involved in the jewelry cleaning process. I will share the material-wise procedure separately to give you complete clarity on this stance. So, let’s gather the materials listed below.
Things Required to Clean Handmade Jewelry
- Mild dish wash soap
- A bowl of warm water
- Soft cotton cloth
- A soft bristle toothbrush (Brand New Toothbrush)
Follow These Simple Steps to Keep Your Jewelry Clean and Dirt-free
I will walk you through five easy steps and it’s not a tough job at all. Anyone can make a DIY jewelry cleaner at home.
| 1. Mix dish wash soap in warm water |
| 2. Soak jewelry in water |
| 3. Rinse off with a toothbrush |
| 4. Clean up with a cotton cloth |
| 5. Pat dry your jewelry |
Step1. Mix a few drops of dish wash soap in a lukewarm water
Make sure you don’t use hot water it will ruin the jewelry shine. Consider lukewarm water that should be mixed up with mild dish wash soap. Avoid abrasive detergents.
Step2. Put the jewelry into the water for few minutes
Place your handmade jewelry into the warm water for 3-4 minutes but this step is for metallic kinds of jewelry, not wooden jewelry as wood will swell and be damaged when you soak them in water. So be careful.
Step3. Gently rinse off the dirt with a toothbrush
You will need a soft-bristle brand-new toothbrush and gently rub around your jewelry till the dirt is completely removed. Please do not use an old toothbrush as it may contain some bacteria. Let’s keep things completely hygienic.
Step4. Clean it with a cotton cloth
Finally, you have to give your jewelry a final touch by cleaning it using a soft microfibre cloth. Make sure it should be free from moisture.
Step5. Pat dry jewelry
This is an extremely important step here, all you need is to leave your jewelry completely dry because the moisture left in your jewelry will tarnish your handmade jewelry faster.
5 Insanely Easy Steps to Clean Wooden Jewelry
I being a huge fan of eco-friendly jewelry has contributed a lot in making jewelry out of scrap wood. Many of you have seen my work so now it’s time for us to delve deep and learn to clean the skills of artistic wooden jewelry at home.
Here is How you Should Clean your Wooden Jewelry at Home
As you know guys, it is so important to polish your wooden jewelry with the help of varnish but it is also crucial to clean the dirt and dust that gets deposited into your jewelry. So here are simple steps to clean your wooden jewelry.
Step1. Gather cleaning materials
These essential materials are soft cotton microfibre cloth, a bowl of lukewarm water, olive oil, and a seperate dry cloth.
Step2. Take a soft damp cotton cloth
You need to take a soft cotton damp cloth to clean all the dust particles and residues from your wooden jewelry.
Step3. Clean jewelry dust with a damp cloth
Start with gently clean up freaking dirt that fades the shine of your wooden jewelry. Use a damp cotton cloth and gently rinse from your hand.
Step4. Put olive oil into a new soft cloth
Olive oil will bring back the charm and shine of your wooden jewelry piece. So, all you have to do is put few drops of oil into the new cloth.
Step5. Rub wooden jewelry from the cloth
Now, the next step is to gently rub your jewelry with the cloth with olive oil. You will start to observe the shimmering effect of your wooden jewelry.
Step6. Clean oil with a dry cloth
Start to clean the oil using a dry cloth.
Step7. All done
You are all set to wear brand-new and bacteria-free wooden jewelry.
By the way, I have recently shared a guide to make wooden jewelry shine, you can surely check that tutorial and learn to polish wooden jewelry.
Make your Own Homemade Gold Jewelry Cleaner
When it comes to cleaning precious gold jewelry one should handle it with care. Gold jewelry cleaning requires specific procedures. Let me share the right instructions with you.
Mix the mild dish wash soap in lukewarm water. Pour your gold jewelry in the water for about 15 minutes if the jewelry doesn’t have gemstones else soak it for only 5 minutes.
Clean off the excess dirt using a soft bristle toothbrush gently. Buff it up using a microfibre cloth and pat dry your jewelry. You’ll see a brand new look at your gold jewelry. Clean and dirt-free.
Simple Instructions to Make your Resin Jewelry Flawless
To clean up beautiful resin jewelry requires a simple procedure at home. Avoidvoid resin jewelry to soak in hot water as it will spoil your jewelry piece.
All you need is a window or car cleaner spray, a paper towel, and a microfiber cotton cloth. First, spray it on the resin jewelry with a window cleaner and clean the dirt gently using a paper towel.
Use your thumbs for cleaning all over the resin jewelry and finally give a final touch and clean it with a microfiber cloth. Allow it to dry completely.
You can also learn more about its do’s and don’ts with my recent blog post.
Avoid Abrasive Solutions for Silver Jewelry
Do you know how important it is for us to learn the right cleaning skills when it comes to Silver Jewelry? I want to share the ins outs of homemade silver jewelry cleaner because silver naturally tarnishes over time.
Mild dish wash soap works fine with cleaning handmade jewelry because it will retain back its shine. Avoid abrasive detergents as they will fade away the sparkling effect of silver jewelry.
Avoid rubbing your silver jewelry in a circular motion because it will highlight the blemishes. Instead, rub it in up and down motion which is a correct way to clean the dirt and scratches. The entire procedure has been explained in one of the leading sources – Express.co.uk you must check it out.
Last but not least, Keep silver and brass jewelry completely dry and free from moisture-free else it will tarnish faster.
Which Homemade Cleaner You Should Avoid with Precious Stones?
If you want to clean precious stones, metallic jewelry, vintage jewelry, or anything that has high monetary value, avoid making homemade cleaners at home as it will weaken the spark of your jewelry. This is because some substances are acidic and should be avoided.
Homemade acidic cleaners like witch hazel and vinegar are common cleaners that are widely searched online for cleaning purposes.
I strongly insist, go straight for professional cleaning especially when you have high-valued precious jewelry pieces.
Keep Pearls and Precious Stones Dry
Pearl jewelry and stones like opal, coral, turquoise are porous and lose their luster if you soak them in warm water. The reason being is the moisture that ruins the spark of pearls. Here the cleaning procedure is a bit different so let me share it with you.
Take a bowl of water and mix with a few drops of baby shampoo. Dip a makeup brush into the water and start to clean pearl jewelry gently. Take a damp clean cotton cloth and wipe your jewelry. Allow it to dry completely before storing.
7 Nifty Tips and Tricks to Prevent your Handmade Jewelry from Damage
Prevention is a way better idea than cure. Isn’t it? I am gonna share the seven easiest jewelry care tips to make your jewelry last longer.
| 1. Remove your rings while washing |
| 2. Wear Silver More Often |
| 3. Do not clean wooden jewelry with water |
| 4. Don’t Use Hot Water |
| 5. Don’t try homemade cleaner with precious stones |
| 6. Avoid jewelry while swimming |
| 7. Clean pearls with a soft cloth |
1. Remove your rings while washing
Avoid wearing rings while dishwashing, wearing perfumes and beauty products, or anything that involves contact with moisture. It will tarnish faster.
2. Wear Silver More Often
Wear silver jewelry more often than keeping it in a jewelry box. The more you wear the jewelry, the better it will shine brighter because of the friction once you wear it. It eventually slows down the tarnishing process.
3. Do not clean wooden jewelry with water
Do not clean natural materials like wooden jewelry with water. It will start to swell and damage faster.
4. Don’t Use Hot Water
Avoid using hot water to resin jewelry. The correct method has been explained above. Follow that procedure and bring back its spark.
5. Don’t try homemade cleaner with precious stones
Avoid homemade cleaners with pearl and precious stones like a mammoth, opal, bone, etc. There are no hits and trials when we have high-valued pieces. It should be handled with lots of care. Hence, Go in for professional cleaning from a jeweler.
6. Avoid Jewelry while swimming
Avoid wearing jewelry while swimming or taking a shower because chlorine will react to the jewelry and it will tarnish faster.
7. Clean pearls with a soft cloth
Always clean your pearl jewelry piece with a soft cloth after each wear as it will turn down to yellow color.
Have Doubts? Here is an FAQ that will Address your Queries
While penning down this tutorial I thought to put a small section that will give additional information on cleaning handmade jewelry because each jewelry requires a specific solution and procedure. Take a quick look here.
| Q1. Which jewelry doesn’t require toothpaste for cleaning? |
| Ans. Toothpaste should be avoided for jewelry that isn’t made of gold, silver, and soft stones because it is abrasive and could leave blemishes. |
| Q2. How to remove brown spots on gold-plated jewelry at home? |
| Ans. Take a bowl and wrap an aluminum foil over the top. Pour warm water on the foil and mix 1 tbsp of baking soda and salt. Place your jewelry for less than 10 minutes and pat dry using a lint-free cloth or paper towel. Continue soaking if the tarnish spots are visible. Clean it completely. |
| Q3. How to clean turquoise? |
| Ans. Mix a mild dish soap in warm water and clean it using a damp cloth. Finally, pat dry. Avoid soaking them in water as it will lead to stone discoloration. |
| Q4. Can beer be used for cleaning jewelry? |
| Ans. Yes, you can clean gold-plated jewelry that does not have gemstones. Take a clean cloth and dunk some beer and start to clean the dirt areas. Finally, pat dry using a paper towel or lint-free cloth. |
| Q5. What DIY cleaners we should avoid for cleaning jewelry at home? |
| Ans. Bleach, ammonia, boiling water, lemon juice, vinegar, and hard bristle toothbrush and toothpaste. |
Friends, I hope you got a fair idea of the right cleaning process. Each jewelry piece differs in material and procedure. I have compiled them into a separate guide to give absolute clarity on this stance.
Do share your valuable feedback with me. Stay tuned for more informative ideas coming your way. Happy Crafting!