My Homemade Jewelry Cleaner Recipe

To be honest with you, I don’t wear a lot of jewelry, but if I do, I want it to look nice. So, I decided to share my homemade jewelry cleaner recipe with you today. It’s inexpensive and easy to make and use. Let me be clear here, if you have really fine jewelry, please consult your jewelry maker for cleaning instructions.

It’s been years since I saw my wedding ring under those lights at the jewelry store. I remember taking it in to be cleaned at least once a year to make it sparkle again. It would look brand new after the jewelry store did their magic in the back room.

Recently I visited a local jewelry store to have a ring repaired and have it cleaned at the same time. It looked beautiful when they brought it out to me. It had that “sparkle” again.

Right then and there I thought to myself, I need to make my own jewelry cleaner and not have to have it cleaned at a jewelry store once a year.

Have you ever purchased a jar of that pink “stuff” at a local city Expo when they have one? I would use it to clean my ring and put it under the bathroom sink and forget about it, you get the picture.

Then after a year, it didn’t seem to work as well as it did at the Expo, so I started researching the best jewelry cleaners. I thought why do I need to buy a jar, there has to be a way to make it with regular materials we have in our pantry.

My Homemade Jewelry Cleaner Recipe

Kitchen Items You Will Need:

• Two Small bowls or small mason jars
• Small whisk
• Small soft-bristled toothbrush
• Warm water
• Dawn Liquid dish soap
• Jewelry Cleaning Cloths and White Polishing Cloths 

My Homemade Jewelry Cleaner

Step One: Gather Materials

Gather the bowls, the Dawn dish soap, the toothbrush, the warm water, as well as the jewelry cloths.

Step Two: Add Soap to Bowls

One bowl is for washing your jewelry, and one is for rinsing your jewelry after soaking it. Both bowls will have warm water. Put a few drops of Dawn dish soap in one of the bowls, and stir gently.

Step Three: Place Jewelry In Bowl

Place your jewelry in the soapy bowl. Soak for 15-25 minutes. You may need a small soft toothbrush to remove excess dirt if the jewelry is particularly dirty. Please go with the grain and rub softly so as not to scratch the ring or gemstone. 

Step Four: Use Rinsing Bowl

Now place your jewelry in the rinsing bowl.

Step Five: Blot Dry

Use a lint-free cloth to blot dry and polish with the same soft jewelry cloth, or use a fresh lint-free cloth to polish the rings.

How do I clean white gold jewelry?

This recipe is what the jewelry stores recommend! Yay! We can make it!

How do I clean stainless steel jewelry?

Yep, this recipe works great for stainless steel jewelry too.

Do the dollar stores sell jewelry cleaners?

The answer is yes, and they sell many other types of cleaners as well. But we all know, sometimes they are out of a product we need, and hopefully the next visit they may have it.

Is denture cleaner safe for cleaning jewelry?

As a matter of fact, a denture tablet’s effervescent nature does clean jewelry. If added to a cup of warm water it will make your jewelry sparkle.

How long does jewelry cleaner last?

Here’s the deal with jewelry cleaner, it will depend on how often it is used, but typically it will stay good for about 18 months.

Does jewelry cleaner go bad?

Yes indeed, they can go bad. Even cleaning products for our homes will degrade over time. This is why it’s so nice that we can make our own so much cheaper and in smaller quantities.

How much does it cost to have your jewelry cleaned?

If you have really fine jewelry, I would take it to the place where you purchased it, just to be safe. The cost will depend on the time it took to clean the item as well as the equipment the store used. Plan a minimum of $25.00 to $50.00 per cleaning.

What cleans tarnished jewelry?

Combine two tablespoons of baking soda and one tablespoon of water to make a paste. Then ever so gently rub the mixture onto the jewelry. Set the jewelry aside until it’s completely dry in order to remove the tarnish. Rinse thoroughly and dry with a soft cloth or jewelry cloth.

Can I wash the jewelry cloths?

I wouldn’t recommend washing these because they may shred. They are cut using pinking shear scissors and therefore would likely shred in the washer. You could certainly try it out and see what happens.

Where can I buy jewelry cleaner?

If you want to just buy jewelry cleaner, you can buy it online or at your local jewelry stores. Commercial Jewelry Cleaner

Homemade Jewelry Cleaner Recipe

Are there other recipes out there?

Yes, there are, please make sure the jewelry you have is compatible with the cleaning agents.

• Combine 1 teaspoon dishwashing liquid and 1 cup warm water, then add 1/2 teaspoon of ammonia based household cleaner. Soak, rinse, and pat dry.
• Reader’s Digest suggests, “mixing 1/2 cup of white vinegar and 2 tablespoons of baking soda,” it will fizz, rinse and pat dry after soaking.
• Another recipe I found online: 1 tablespoon table salt, 1 tablespoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon Castile soap, 1 cup water. Stir, soap, rinse and pat dry.

Can you use toothpaste to clean your jewelry?

No, you really shouldn’t, it’s an old wives tale, so to speak. Toothpaste is abrasive and can damage your diamonds, gemstones, gold, and silver jewelry. People have learned that using a hard bristle toothbrush on their teeth can take the enamel off, causing lots of problems. The same may be true of your jewelry.

Does vinegar harm or damage gold jewelry?

Real Gold is a stable metal and will not react with oxygen corroding. Because it is stable, it won’t change colors when exposed to any household vinegar. Fake gold will change colors, so be aware of that.

Does rubbing alcohol damage jewelry?

Some jewelry made from plastic or acrylic should not be cleaned with rubbing alcohol because it will damage it by cracking and discoloring it.

In case you missed this post, 10 Cleaning Tips For The Minimalist

Final Word

Today, I wrote this post so I could share my homemade jewelry cleaner recipe with you. It’s all about being self-reliant at home and not having to depend on others to “get the job” done. May God Bless this world, Linda