How To Clean Tarnished Jewelry

How To Clean Tarnished Jewelry

Jewelry can make or break your style.

We all love to accessorize, and if you're a jewelry enthusiast, you have favorites you like to wear daily (am I right?)

Unfortunately, all good things end, and the same goes for your jewelry which gets tarnished and dull after a certain period. 

But worry not! You won't have to replace your favorite pieces every time. Your tarnished jewelry will look brand new with a few quick DIY remedies! 

What Does Tarnish Mean?

First, let's talk about what tarnish is.

After an extended period of use, jewelry becomes dull and lackluster. It's not your fault, though! Since it is worn close to the skin, your body oils, pollution, water, and other factors cause jewelry to lose its shine. 

Some things are unavoidable, especially if you're busy and can't take off your rings every time you wash and moisturize your hands. That's why we've listed quick and easy solutions to your problem. 

Here are a few tried and tested DIY methods for cleaning tarnished jewelry. See which one works best for your favorite pieces!

DIY Cleaning Methods To Fix Tarnished Jewelry

1. Aluminum Foil + Baking Soda 

If you search for DIY cleaning remedies, you'll often find baking soda at the top of the list. After all, it's a great cleaning agent that effectively removes dirt and grease.

To clean tarnished jewelry using baking soda, here's what you need to do:

Step 1: Take a glass baking dish or deep pan and place a piece of aluminum foil in the pan with the shiny side up. 

Step 2: Place the jewelry piece you want to refurbish on the foil and cover it with one tablespoon baking soda. Or mix it with a tablespoon of salt (recommended if you're cleaning sterling silver jewelry).

Step 3: Pour hot water into the dish until the jewelry is submerged, and wait for approximately 20 minutes.

Step 4: Rinse the jewelry with warm water, and you're done!

2. White Vinegar + Water 

Another magic ingredient commonly used to remove stubborn stains is white vinegar. 

White vinegar has a variety of uses, one of which is removing tarnish from your favorite rings, necklaces, etc., especially gold-plated or gold jewelry.

The process of cleaning tarnished jewelry using vinegar is quite simple: 

Step 1: Mix equal parts water and white vinegar in a bowl and submerge your jewelry. 

Step 2: Take an old toothbrush to scrub out the tarnish from the crevices of the jewelry pieces. 

That's it!

3. Toothpaste + Toothbrush

Toothpaste works wonders in removing stains from kitchen utensils and can be used to treat tarnished jewelry. So, if the previous methods have failed you, surely this one won't. 

Here's how it works:

Step 1: Apply toothpaste to all the crevices of the jewelry.

Step 2: Use an old, soft-bristled toothbrush to gently scrub the tarnish off your cherished pieces. 

Step 3: Rinse with warm water, and hopefully, your rings, bracelets, and necklaces will be brand new again!

4. Lemon Juice

Lemon juice may sound the exact opposite of a solution, given its abrasive nature. However, it works wonders for jewelry! 

Follow these steps to clean tarnished jewelry using lemon juice:

Step 1: Mix 1 part lemon juice and 1 part water in a bowl.

Step 2: Place tarnished jewelry in the bowl and let sit for 15 minutes. 

Step 3: Rinse the jewelry with water and dry it with a soft cloth.

Parting Thoughts

There are multiple ways to get your favorite jewelry pieces back to their original, shiny form. Hopefully, with tips shared above, you won't have to replace your favorite bling just because it's tarnished.

But by chance your jewelry is beyond repair, you can always count on us to give you the best!

Check out DezLin's high-quality pearls and jewelry. Most of our pieces are coated with rhodium, which makes them anti-tarnish and rust-resistant. So, your DezLin jewelry will definitely last longer and won't give you a hard time!

Leave a comment

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.