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
Upgrade Your Favorite Foods With this Common Ingredient!
How to use baking soda and drinking soda to upgrade different foods.
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.
12 New Things You Can Learn For Free From YouTube
Looking to learn something new? Learn some useful new skills with YouTube.
Overwhelmed by Your iPhone Update? Here's Our Guide
New iPhone update isn't your cup of tea? Here's how to make your iPhone feel more familiar.
How to Tell Your Children You Have Cancer
What's the right way to tell your children you have cancer, and are there situations where you shouldn't?
Who Needs a Professional Cleaner With These Tips?
These stubborn stains can easily be removed with a little guidance.
Never Put Your Phone in These 8 Common Places!
If you care about your cell phone and your health, then make sure you never leave your device in any of these places.
10 Super-Effective Tips No One Else Will Tell You About
Fix and do just about anything with the following 10 supercool tips and tricks!
8 Ways Your Home is Sneakily Draining Your Bank Account
Since your house cannot talk to you, here are some tips that will reveal the hidden ways in which your house could be costing you more money than it should.
This Little Kitchen Tool Can Do Wonders for Your Skin
we have compiled a list of ten exercises that can help reduce, eliminate, and prevent wrinkles on your facial skin.
Here Are 10 Foods You Should Never Keep in the Pantry!
Are you the type of person who stores most of your food in the pantry? If so, you really must read this as there are foods that should never be stowed there!
Chef's Tips: Chop Your Veggies Quickly Like a Pro
If you want to save yourself some time in the kitchen, follow these fantastic veggie chopping tips from the experts!
7 Cleaning Mistakes Most of Us Still Make
All of these 7 cleaning mistakes are extremely common, and what’s worse, all of them can completely ruin your hard work while cleaning
Challenge Your Friends to 10 Bets They Can Never Win!
Amaze and annoy your friends by showing them off with these 10 "unbeatable" bets!
Learn 10 Simple Tricks For Regaining Control Of Your Body!
We've all experienced laughing when inappropriate, crying uncontrollably, and even annoying hiccups. With these 10 tricks, you'll be able to regain control!
10 Tips for Cleaning With Salt - Number 8 is My Favorite..
Salt can be found in every home, but besides for cooking, it is efficient and useful for cleaning. Here are 10 effective ways to use salt for cleaning.
8 Crucial Car Tips Everyone Should Know About
Learn 8 great car tips that are useful even after years of sitting behind a steering wheel!
Eye Wrinkles Can Be Smoothed. Just Use These Methods...
Although they are often called "laugh lines," eye-wrinkles don't make us smile or laugh. With these 10 natural remedies, you can easily eliminate them.
7 Ways to Trap Pesky Fruit Flies
Fruit flies can be incredibly gross and annoying, but you're about to learn 7 novel ways of trapping the little critters.
WATCH: 10 Microwave Tips You've Never Heard Of
These 10 tips will help you get the very best out of your microwave - replenish old food, keep it clean and simply master it!
Learn This Amazing Two-Step Fix For Scratched Furniture
You can give your scratched furniture a whole new lease of life by learning this super-easy two-step solution. Take a look.
Guide: 10 Stunning Hairdos You Can Do Yourself at Home
These simple yet impressive hairstyles will leave you feeling confident and stylish for any occasion.
10 of the Fastest-Growing Vegetables
There is a variety of fast-growing vegetables, including legumes, leafy greens, and root vegetables. We feature 10 of the fastest-growing veggies in this article.
7 Common Bank Scams and How to Avoid Them
Banking scams continue to evolve with time, but with proper knowledge you can learn to avoid them.
Financial Planning for Widowhood - 7 Important Tips
Losing a spouse can be extremely stressful and overwhelming. But there are some important financial steps you must take immediately.
Where is YOUR Dog From? The Full Dog Breed Compendium
The complete guide to dog races by country!
How to Use Your Iron to Get Crisp Shirts, Pants, and Sheets
Your ironing skills make a much bigger difference in the appearance of your clothes than you think!
Is Honey Always Better to Use Than Sugar?
Isn't it a good idea to replace the sugar we add to our coffee and baked goods with a healthy alternative like honey? Not necessarily...
You Can Do So Much More With a Coke Than Just Drinking It!
Coca-Cola is one of the world's favorite sodas, however it can do a whole lot more than refresh you with its sweet taste. Here are 16 of its highly unusual uses
How Waking Up at 5.30am Will Change Your Life!
Find out how waking up at 5.30am will have a positive impact on your life.
Give Your Shoes a New Life with These Clever Hacks
Everyone should know these life-changing shoe hacks.
Baby Oil Can Do Things You Never Even Considered!
Baby oil is usually used to keep your baby's skin soft, but in the next article, you'll get ideas for six more effective and surprising ways to use it.
Who Knew Duct Tape Prevents Blisters & Has All These Uses!
Is any one object more multitasking than duct tape? We really doubt that, and here are just 18 genius ways you can start using it right away
Olive Oil Has so Many Different Uses - Here Are 25 of Them
Olive oil has so many different uses it's unreal. Here are 25 uses of olive oil that you may not have heard of!
Rice Water - 6 Unexpected but Super Helpful Uses
After reading this article, you will never throw away rice water again.
12 Indoor Gardening Hacks You Must Know
Even if you can’t say about yourself that you have a green thumb, you can try yourself with indoor gardening, and these 12 tips will help
19 Charts about Food and Cooking That Will Come in Handy
These food and cooking charts and guides can come in real handy someday!
I Never Imagined You Can Use Coca-Cola to Do These Things!
A bottle of Coca-Cola goes a loong way, it turns out! From tenderizing meat, to cleaning jewelry & repelling bugs, the magic drink can do it all!
Make Your Home Look Expensive With These Low-Cost Tips
Transform the look of your home with these low-cost tips and tricks.
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!
Relieve Joint and Back Pain with Desk Ergonomics Tips
Do you know how to set up your desk and how to work at the computer without wreaking havoc on your joints and spine? This video shows
Give Old Furniture a New Lease of Life with These Tips
Give your old furniture a new lease of life with these 14 tips.
This Common Item is More Helpful Than You Ever Guessed
Binder clips are a very common item at every office and in most houses. But did you know how many functions this simple-looking tool is capable of?
How Observant Are You? Can You Spot What's Wrong Here?
So how's your observational skills and eye for detail? Can you identify what's wrong with this picture? See if you can spot all 21 mistakes.
Tutorial: How to Grow Roses Using the Stem Cuttings
This tutorial is only a few minutes long, but it gives you a very simple, straight-forward and practical way of growing your own rose bush from stem cuttings.
Are Your Houseplants Leaking Water? This Is What It Means
Is it good if your indoor plants are emitting droplets of water? Every houseplant owner ought to know the answer to this one...
The 11 Best Places to Retire to in 2024
Before you is a list of recommended places to retire to in 2024, all of which offer mix of affordable living, quality healthcare, vibrant communities, and diverse cultural experiences.