If you’ve owned a piece of jewelry for a while, you know that they tend to get tarnished, and cleaning the tarnish can be a real hassle, as well as really expensive. Did you know, however, that there's a quick, free way to clean your jewels at home, with very little effort, if any? By combining a few common household items and very little elbow grease, your jewelry collection will sparkle like new.
What you’ll need:
• Aluminum Foil
• 1 tablespoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of dish detergent
• 1 tablespoon of salt
• A bowl
• An old toothbrush
Instructions:
1. Line a bowl with aluminum foil, shiny side up. The aluminum foil serves to create a mild electrochemical reaction, which helps to clean the tarnish off of silver.
2. In the aluminum foil-lined bowl, add salt and baking soda. These ingredients work together as gentle yet effective abrasives to help scrub off the tarnish.
3. Add the dish detergent to the mixture. Dish detergent is excellent for removing oils and dirt that have built up on your jewelry over time.
4. Pour in hot water, but not boiling. The hot water will help dissolve the salt and baking soda, but be careful not to use boiling water, especially with jewelry containing gemstones, as it could damage them.
5. Once the mixture starts to fizz, carefully place your jewelry into the bowl. Make sure each piece is touching the aluminum foil and is covered by water. Let the jewelry sit in this mixture for about 10–15 minutes.
6. After soaking, use an old toothbrush to gently scrub each piece of jewelry. This will help remove any remaining tarnish or dirt. For delicate or intricate pieces, you can also use a soft cloth or a cotton swab to reach tiny crevices.
7. Rinse each piece under warm water. Make sure to remove all the cleaning mixture to avoid leaving any residue, which can cause more tarnish.
8. Pat dry using a microfiber cloth or paper towel. For best results, let the jewelry air dry completely before storing or wearing.
7. Admire your rejuvenated, sparkling jewelry!
A few bonus tips:
• Always check whether your jewelry has specific cleaning instructions. Some materials may not react well to this cleaning method. • Avoid using this method with pearls, opals, or other soft or porous stones as it could damage them.
• If your jewelry contains glued-in gemstones, be aware that soaking could potentially loosen the glue.
• To prevent future tarnishing, store your jewelry in a cool, dry place and avoid exposure to humidity as much as possible.
• Regularly clean your jewelry to avoid heavy buildup of tarnish. The frequency will depend on how often you wear the pieces.
H/T: popsugar.com
Do You Know All 22 Unique Ways to Use Baking Soda?
Baking soda is amazing - Baking soda can help clean grease off floors, freshen your breath, and even relieve insect bites!
This Video Taught Me How to REALLY Clean My Mattress
After seeing this video, you'll realize that you definitely should devote more time to cleaning your mattress.
Quick Tip: Clean the Gunk Out of Your Kitchen Cupboards!
A quick tutorial that teaches how to clean your kitchen cupboards without damaging them.
Guide: How You Can Clean Your Jewels at Home for Free
Enjoying clean jewels used to be a tedious chore, or an expensive visit to the jeweler's, but this way you can do it at home, for free!
Guide: How to Get Rid of 18 Bad Odors in the House
Familiarize yourself with the 18 items that can help eliminate, neutralize, prevent, and mask any unpleasant smells in every area of your home.
The Easiest Way to Clean and Freshen Your Mattress
There are thousands of small reasons to clean your mattress, and one simple way to do so!
Beware! NEVER Put These Things on Your Credit Card
Credit cards might be convenient but there are some cases where you should avoid using them.
How to Deal With an Angry Person in Your Life
This is a video guide to show you how to deal with an angry person in the best way possible.
Plagued By Liver Spots? Here Are 9 Ways to Get Rid of Them
Skin spots are a reality for many of us and can often be a nuisance. But, fortunately, they can be lightened with these 9 natural ingredients.
If You Wear These Shoes Often, You Are Damaging Your Feet
Wearing these shoes often can damage your feet!
Step-by-step Guide for Removing Scratches from Wood
Use this handy guide to restore hardwood floors and wooden furniture to their former glory.
WD-40 Has So Many Uses I Can Hardly Believe It!
If you think WD-40 has only one use, you'll be utterly delighted by this list of 11 other uses.
Here's One Really Cheap & Easy Way to Clean a Stovetop
Looking for an effortless and cost-effective way of cleaning your stovetop? Then you've come to the right place.
Why Didn't I Think of That? 10 Great Kitchen Tricks!
Lifestyle hack videos are great, because they teach us things that we wish we'd thought of ourselves. Watch this video now to learn 10 awesome lifestyle hacks.
This DIY Solution Can Clean Even the Dirtiest of Bathtubs
Nobody likes getting down on their hands and knees to scrub the grime off the bathtub. Thankfully, this fantastic concoction will do all the hard work for you!
10 Household Items You Should Disinfect Every Day
Here is a list of 10 essential household things that you simply must disinfect during the winter months.
Where is YOUR Dog From? The Full Dog Breed Compendium
The complete guide to dog races by country!
These Tips Will Make Your Grocery Shopping a Breeze!
Grocery shopping alone can be a stressful task. Learn the tricks of how to do your shopping with ease, even if you have kids around.
These Uses For Yogurt Will Leave You Very Surprised
Yogurt can do a whole lot more than just taste nice. In fact, it has many different uses. Here are 10 alternative uses for yogurt.
Have You Been Using Antiperspirant All Wrong?
Do you apply antiperspirant correctly? Here's an article that will teach you everything about proper antiperspirant application
11 Great Ways to Use Plastic Hooks Around the House
11 ways to use plastic hooks to find creative solutions to household problems.
Got an Egg Slicer? Here's What You Can Use It For
Creative ways on what to do with your egg slicer. Impressive!
12 Recipes That'll Add Much Needed Green to Your Diet
If your kids or you hate eating your greens, try these 12 recipes and enjoy the health benefit without the taste you don't like.
5 Natural DIY Remedies for Blackhead Removal
In this article, we'll teach you to get rid of blackheads using 5 easy and effective at-home methods
The Egg Secret Tips You Never Knew...
This video shows you some of the best egg life hacks you never knew you needed, but now you'll see them - use all the time!
6 Simple and Important Flexibility Exercises for Seniors
Regain flexibility after 60 with these easy exercises.
One of These Facts May Save Your Life One Day
10 simple facts that we should all know, because they may save us some day.
How to Revive Your Plants to Shiny Green Again
To help you out, we've put together a comprehensive guide that covers eight signs of plant sickness and provides solutions to restore their health and beauty.
How to Keep Greens Crisp and Fresh for More Than a Week
Here are 3 straightforward methods for keeping your greens fresh for longer than a week...
Practical Tips on Adjusting a Home to be Senior-Friendly
Take note of these useful tips that will help you make your home more accessible and safe for your life ahead.
Darken Graying Hair Using Potato Peels!
Do you spend a lot of time fighting gray hair? The following simple idea will allow you to darken hair graying quickly using something we all have: potato peels!
How Woodworking Can Create Additional Revenue for You
The best woodworking business courses teach everything from basic woodworking techniques to advanced marketing strategies.
What Are the Healthiest Cooking Oils? Find Out Here!
With so many oils available in shops nowadays, it's tricky to know which one to buy. This article gives you 9 of the healthiest oils on the market today,
Save Money with These 15 Great Fuel Economy Tips
These 15 great tips will help improve your fuel economy, saving you money in the process.
How to Make a Candle-Powered Snow Globe
If you're still looking for decoration ideas, this one is a whopper!
5 Natural Solutions to Keep Unwanted Insects Away
These illustrations will show you how to reduce your pest problems in your garden.
Start Managing Your Time Right With These 5 Techniques!
Even the most organized people find themselves with little time on their hands throughout the day, but with these techniques, you can get it all done!
How to Make Sure No Spider Enters Your Home
Tired of 8 legged monstrosities roaming your house? It's time to put a stop to it, the natural way.
19 Household Items You Need to Change Now
It's high time you change these household items.
11 Things You Should NEVER Dump Into the Kitchen Sink
Even a garbage disposal won’t be able to handle these 11 things, so make sure to toss them directly into the trash instead of the kitchen sink
The Perfect Morning Guide: How to Start Your Morning Right
Are your co-workers not allowed to talk to you before you’ve had a cup of coffee? You probably need to change up your morning routine!
These Sleep Secrets Are Only Known to a Few...
What are the things that will help make your sleep better?
10 Smart Ways to Neutralize Any and All Shoe Odors
To combat shoe smells, we've compiled a list of 10 simple solutions that are readily available in most households.
Why Your Consumer Brand Loyalty Can Backfire
It happens to all the consumer goods you can imagine...
Experience the Beauty Benefits of Palo Santo Oil: DIY Tips
Find out the amazing beauty benefits of Palo Santo essential oil for your skin and hair.
All 11 of These Ordinary Items Have Clever Hidden Features
Not only is it fun to find out the purpose of these secret features, but it’s also quite useful to know them!
Click to See Unbelievable Uses for These Household Items
Click to learn more! We've collected Ba-bamail's best list of tips and alternative uses for things you've got lying around the house.