How to stop fashion jewelry from tarnishing

Maintain Your Fashion Jewelry

We have all seen one of our fashion jewels oxidize at some point. Although some products can make the tarnish appear sooner, fashion jewelry gradually deteriorates. Therefore, it is helpful to have the right tips to restore their shine or avoid tarnishing.

These simple techniques are done with everyday products that you can easily find in supermarkets. Using some methods to clean jewelry is not well known, but it is still very effective. Following our cleaning tips, you can work miracles with jewelry that was thought unrecoverable.

Our 10 Tips For Cleaning Your Fashion Jewelry

There are many reasons why jewelry becomes dull or dirty. However, the most common problem with costume jewelry that has been packaged is that over time, the metal is exposed to elements in the air, causing a chemical reaction that makes your jewelry tarnished or discolored.

This problem is easily solved with the correct cleaning methods. Whether it’s an earring, necklace, pendant, or bracelet, these best home remedies for removing tarnish will give your timeworn jewelry new life!

1. Baking Soda And Aluminium Foil1

Cleaning silver or costume jewelry with baking soda is quick and effective. Place aluminum foil on the entire surface of a soup plate or bowl. Then place your jewelry on the other, less shiny side. Mix a tablespoon of baking soda and a tablespoon of salt with warm water and pour it into the dish.

When you mix it all, a chemical reaction will occur with the aluminum. This reaction produces bubbles that offer cleaning of your costume jewelry. Clean with cold water and dry with a clean cloth.

2. Clean your fashion Jewels with Lemon

Lemon juice to clean jewelry is a method anyone can use without unique products. Before soaking your jewelry, you need to mix one part of water and one part of your lemon juice to produce a solution.

Pour this solution into a bowl, then place your jewelry in the mixture for 10 to 15 minutes. Thanks to the acidity of the lemon juice, your jewelry will be thoroughly cleaned.

However, if you find that it has not removed all the dirt and grime, quickly rinse your jewelry and place it back in the mixture for a few more minutes. Once the shine is back on your jewelry, you can clean it again under cool water and dry it with a soft cloth.

3. Toothpaste against tarnished custom jewelry

A grandmother’s trick that has been surprising us for decades. Place a small amount of toothpaste on your tarnished jewelry and spread it with your finger.

Once the jewelry has a thin layer of toothpaste on its entire surface, clean it with a toothbrush, scrubbing it well in the nooks and crannies. The toothpaste has a gritty texture that will thoroughly clean the hardest-to-reach dirt. Rinse with cold water and dry with a clean cloth.

4. Water and Soap

Fashion jewelry is often not rich in hardy metals and therefore requires more careful care. When cleaning costume jewelry, the best ingredient is baby shampoo or a mild, non-aggressive soap.

Add an equal amount of baby shampoo and water to a dish. With a toothbrush, you can gently scrub your jewelry’s entire surface. For hard-to-reach areas, use a cotton swab or toothpick.

Then, as usual, you can put them under cold water and dry them well. If your jewelry has rhinestones, it is essential to ensure they do not get too wet, as they could come off.

5. The Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola is an ultra-powerful liquid that will strip your jewelry perfectly. For a long time, this soda has been used to clean raw gold or any other metal.

So, pour some Coca-Cola into a bowl and soak the jewelry for about ten minutes. Then you can remove your jewelry and rub it with a clean cloth to restore its original shine.

6. How to clean your jewelry with Olive Oil

Another natural product that we love to use in the kitchen, but this time we will use it for a completely different purpose. You can also use olive oil to clean jewelry. Olive oil makes jewelry shine, but you must ensure that you wash it afterward.

So let the jewelry soak in oil for a while and rub it gently with a toothbrush. Your ring or cuff will then regain all the shine it had lost. Then put it under cold water and wipe it dry.

7. Water And Alcohol

A few drops of alcohol are enough to clean any glass or jewelry. However, it would help if you made a solution with as much water as alcohol. You should also avoid using only alcohol on a non-crystal gemstone. Only diamonds, emeralds, and other gems will benefit from a primary alcohol bath.

8. Vinegar, Salt, and Flour

The vinegar, salt, and flour mixture are made into a paste that should remain pretty liquid. Soak your tarnished jewelry for a few minutes and clean it with cold water.

Cleaning your jewelry with vinegar, salt, and flour will make your little treasures shine like when you bought them. The soft bristle toothbrush can also help if the jewelry contains gems by getting into the cracks.

If you want to do the cleaning faster, you can apply the vinegar to a sponge and use it to clean the jewelry.

9. Salt Water

Saltwater is also very effective in cleaning your jewelry and restoring the shine it once had. First, put three tablespoons of salt and warm water in a bowl, place the tarnished bracelet, and let it sit for 5 minutes. Remove and rub with a soft cloth. Your jewel has now been restored to its former glory!

10. Entrust them to a jeweler

Suppose you are still unable to clean your precious costume jewelry with these different techniques. In that case, we advise you to give it to a professional who will be able to remove the oxidation with specialized products.

Make Your fashion Jewelry Shine.

The best solution to keep your costume jewelry in perfect condition is to apply a layer of transparent varnish.

This varnish is available everywhere, in a jewelry store or the supermarket next to you. It would help if you coated your jewelry, especially on the surfaces in contact with your skin, to keep its shine, avoiding blackening and tarnishing the jewelry.

Tips For Caring For Costume Jewelry

1. Keep Them Dry

The fastest way to tarnish your jewelry is in contact with moisture and liquids. To avoid this, we advise you not to handle them with wet hands, spray them with perfume, and not wear them while sweating. Even oils on your skin or chlorine from swimming pools can wear out the plating and metals over time.

2. Store Them Carefully

As previously mentioned, exposure to moisture in the air can wear down your jewelry. It is, therefore, essential to store them properly. The best solution to keep them intact for as long as possible is probably to organize them in a jewelry box.

For the smaller version, the box is also suitable. Place your storage box in a dry, temperate area. When it is closed, air and moisture will not hold your precious jewelry collection.

However, if your home is humid, you can always find moisture-proof bags in stores. Place one in your storage unit to ensure your jewels are no longer tarnished.

If you would like to know more about storing jewelry, we recommend that you read our article on how to keep your jewelry.

3. Try a Jewelry Protector Spray

Give your jewelry a protective shield against the elements that contribute to tarnishing. These sprays have several advantages; they not only protect your jewelry for a more extended period. They will also save you from any irritation some costume jewelry can cause.

Conclusion on how to clean tarnished fashion jewelry

If you take care of your jewelry with love, it will shine for much longer just for you. Your original jewelry will also be in better condition with our homemade recipes.

It indeed takes work. Once you get used to keeping your jewelry dry and in your velvet pouches, you will see that the work is worth it. If there is a piece of jewelry that you are absolutely in love with and want to keep for a long time, now you know what you can do to keep it in the best condition.

We also have an article on silver jewelry cleaning that you may be interested in.