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
12 Ways to Remove Odors from a Microwave
If your microwave has lingering smells despite regular cleaning, here are 12 DIY solutions to neutralize those odors effectively.
Quick Tip: Clean the Gunk Out of Your Kitchen Cupboards!
A quick tutorial that teaches how to clean your kitchen cupboards without damaging them.
Who Needs a Professional Cleaner With These Tips?
These stubborn stains can easily be removed with a little guidance.
The Best Way to Clean Your Oven Racks
Let's dive into this clever solution that is set to make your kitchen life a lot easier!
12 New Things You Can Learn For Free From YouTube
Looking to learn something new? Learn some useful new skills with YouTube.
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.
Do This to Revive a Drying Houseplant
Whenever one of your houseplants suddenly looks ill, do this trick.
How to Polish 12 Old Items So They Look as Good as New
If you want to clean and restore the luster to objects, furniture, and items throughout your home, just follow these 12 simple tips...
Speed Up Your Laundry By Reducing Drying Time
Learn to speed up your laundry by reducing your drying time!
Guide: How to Clean Your Car's Side Mirrors so They Shine
This article provides a detailed guide as to how to best clean your car's side mirrors.
Insecure In a Social Situation? Here Are A Few Tricks
How to avoid being influenced by others? Or make sure somebody likes you? This video offers tricks to handling nearly any difficult social situation.
This Is Why You Should NOT Reboil Your Water!
It can be tempting to reboil water for your hot drinks. But when ordinary water is over boiled or reboiled, the chemical compounds change for the worse. Learn about it here.
10 Poisonous Flowers Every Gardener Should Know About
Flowers add an array of color to your garden, but some of these are actually quite toxic. Here are 10 of that you should be aware of.
This is the Right Way to Load a Dishwasher For Best Results
What's the best way to load your dishwasher? Find out in this guide.
A Better Way to Tie Your Gym Shorts or any Drawstring
Here's a nice new knot for you to try that is both incredibly strong and easy to do.
Banish Your Skin's Pimply Blemishes with These 8 Remedies
You thought and hoped you'd left those acne ridden days behind you. Well with these 8 home-remedies you may finally be able to enjoy pimple free skin.
In Case of an Emergency, Keep These 14 Things In Mind
These are essential items for your family emergency kid recommended by the American Red Cross and FEMA which will help protect yourself and your family during an emergency.
We Bet You Don't Know Just How Useful Your Microwave Is
3 great additional uses for microwaves you never knew about.
8 Awesome YouTube Channels For Simple At-Home DIY Guides
Become a home renovation expert with these awesome home DIY YouTube channels.
14 Genius Cooking Hacks You’ll Wish You Knew Sooner!
Try these awesome cooking hacks today to make your life easier.
The Ultimate Guide to Using and Creating Sherry Vinegar
Not only is sherry vinegar delicious, but it also has many health benefits too. Find out more here.
Dermatologist Shares Tips on Applying Makeup to Aging Skin
As we age, our skin changes and with it, the way we apply our makeup. Learn some tips on how to do this from dermatologist Dr. Cynthia Bailey.
How to Help Prepare for a Snow Storm – 11 Vital Steps
Don't let a winter storm take you by surprise. Prepare with these important steps.
10 Great Survival Tips That We All Need to Know!
If you find yourself in a life or death situation it's important you know what to do. These 10 tips could save your life!
Why You Need to Avoid Palm Oil Right Away
Palm oil is harmful to the environment. Here's what to do about it.
Here’s How Men Can Preserve Their Muscle Mass As They Age
Don't feel powerless against the loss of muscle mass that comes with aging - there are steps you can take to counteract it.
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!
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.
20 Incredibly Helpful Things You Can Do With Vinegar
Here are some great tips on how to use vinegar around the house. Try out some of these solutions and vinegar will never just be a salad dressing again!
9 Uncommon Ways to Use Oatmeal in Your Home
Oats are so useful outside the kitchen too!
I Never Knew Scarves Could Be Tied in This Many Ways!
25 creative ways to tie a scarf in less than 5 minutes
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.
Make Cleaning Windows Less Tedious with This DIY Recipe
There is a quicker and more effective way to clean the windows in your house. Take a look at these two methods.
The 7 Biggest Mistakes People Make With Their Wills
Make sure your heirs get what you want them to get by not making these mistakes.
These Tips Will Help You Keep Your Car In Order
These hacks will help you get shinier headlights, organize your interior, and provide a nifty hack to help you remove a small car dent and lots more.
4 Stylish Haircuts that Take Years Off Your Face
Sometimes, all it takes to look years younger is a change in your hair style and color.
Are You Making These 7 Mistakes with Your Cutting Board?
Are you making these 7 mistakes with your cutting board?
12 Fabulous Uses for Socks That Have Lost Their Mate
Here is a terrifically useful list of 12 handy ways that your odd sock or stocking can regain her purpose, get ‘out there’ and reinvent herself.
Hydrators vs. Moisturizers: Who Should Use What?
This article would like to provide clarity on the various types of moisturizers and help you understand what your skin truly requires.
10 Essential Tips to Revamp Your Home on a Budget
Looking to renovate your home? Here's how to do so on a budget.
9 Ultimate Methods for Stain Removal around the House
Things we;ve had for a long time tend to lose their fresh-out-the-box look but this can be remedied! These methods will help you remove those stubborn stains!
DIY Secrets: Make Your Own, Home-Made Ziploc Bags!
This video will teach you how to make your own home-made Ziploc bags.
Bananas Can Do So Much More Than Just Being Food...
Bananas are more than just food, there are at least 15 more uses for them...
These Cool Charts Will Make Your Christmas So Much Better
These cool charts will make your Christmas so much better.
Experts Warn Against Ordering These Foods at Restaurants
According to the experts, you should avoid ordering the following 8 foods at restaurants. You'll want to heed their advice.
If You Wear These Shoes Often, You Are Damaging Your Feet
Wearing these shoes often can damage your feet!
These Tricks Have Helped Me Become Smart About Cleaning
12 tips and tricks to clean your house and maintain your furniture and appliances with ease