You have a party to go to come weekend and so you take out your jewelry that you only wear on special occasions, only to realize that it has lost its sparkle. The once shining, shimmering accessory has become dull and you’re thinking that you need to head to the mall to buy some jewelry cleaner. But you don’t actually need to buy one because you can make your own jewelry cleaner at home. And the best part is, you can make sure it’s environmentally-friendly.

Dishwashing Soap

This is one reason why you don’t need to buy a chemical cleaner for your jewelry. It can even be found in your home. Dishwashing soap can clean more than just dishes. It can be used for your jewelry’s daily basic cleaning. It works well for pearl and turquoise to name a few gems. But you can test it with your other jewelry to see how well it cleans other types. All you have to do is fill a bowl with a couple of pumps from your dishwashing soap and warm water. Put your jewelry in and let it soak for a couple of minutes. After soaking, you can also try to scrub it gently with a small brush--like for mascara--so you can clean better. Pat dry after you’re done.

Baking Soda

My mother often used baking soda to clean our silverware. It took me a while to realize that it can be used to clean silver jewelry, too. The first thing you have to find is a cleaning cloth. You have to make sure that it’s non-abrasive so that it doesn’t scratch your jewelry while cleaning. Rub some baking soda on it and you can use it to polish your silver accessories. This cleaning method helps prevent tarnish. Cleaning diamond rings, however, are a different matter. You need to get a cup of hot water and mix in about one or two teaspoons of baking soda. Again you will need to soak in your rings for about a few minutes before you take them out. After which, you dry them using a damp cloth.

There are other ways you can clean your jewelry in an eco-friendly way. Another method involves toothpaste and a toothbrush, but you have to make sure that your toothpaste is all natural. It should be free of all BPA, too. You can explore other ways of cleaning but it’s safe to do some research first before you do irreparable damage to your accessories.

image from David Yurman