I have lot’s of costume jewelry, let’s face it we can’t all afford real diamonds. I don’t wear it often so many times I go to pull it out, and it’s tarnished. You can’t use regular jewelry cleaner, meant for real stones and metals, on costume jewelry, or it will eat away the finish. I’m going show you how to clean costume jewelry safely and not ruin the finish.
I was getting ready to attend a school fundraiser for a friend of mine and pulled out this necklace and pair of earrings. They were tarnished with some green corrosion on them. Sterling silver and silver plate have copper in them, so they oxidize from air and body oils causing tarnishing.
I recently started using a few essential oils and love them for making homemade cleaners. Lemon is a great essential for cleaning and disinfecting. Take a small bowl and fill it with 1/3 cup of water. Put 3 drops of lemon essential oil in it. Place your jewelry in  and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Don’t worry if you leave it in longer it won’t hurt it.
After they soak, get out an old toothbrush and a towel. Place your jewelry on the towel and scrub lightly with the toothbrush. You will see the tarnish start to come off onto the towel.
Rinse under clean water and wipe dry with your towel. You can see how much better they look now, and their gems are sparkly! By the way, the brown you are seeing in one of the earrings is the reflection of my hand.
If you’d like to try other cleaning tips with essential oils, you might want to try this homemade carpet deodorizer. It works great, you just sprinkle it on your carpet and vacuum it up. The best part is it won’t make you sneeze from the strong perfume smell!
Adam Rich says
Love the tips, thanks for the share!!
Lolbeh says
You are so right, most of us use costume jewelry because it is affordable. But we really don’t know how to clean it, that’s why it gets worn out easily. But with this recipe, I’m 100% sure that it’s going to work.
Elsa says
Thanks KELLEY WILSON for Simple but very technical guideline. Really appreciatable. One more question, Do you recommend to clean costume jewelry? Though I always like to use Ultrasonic Device and think it is best to clean all type of metals. But if anyone can avoid his cost by using a home remedy, it is always good and appreciable.
Katherine J. Pare says
Such an informative article you had shared.Thanks for sharing this.all the information you had clearly given here. I had no idea that i can clean my jewelry so easily. Your tips will help me to clean those correctly. Keep posting this type of helpful articles. 🙂
Aubrey Cota says
Thank you, Katherine.
eindiawholesale says
Taking care of your jewelry is important for retaining its sparkle and extending its lifespan.so, thanks for sharing these amazing tips with us
Jewelry says
Thanks for sharing a great post with us it really gave lots of ideas to clean a piece of costume jewelry, the tips are given are very helpful to me.
Mai says
Nice tips. What do you think about using jewelry machine and using this natural way? Which one is better? Thanks.
Aubrey Cota says
It’s all dependent on personal preference!
Sarah Smith says
Thank you, great tips. I use baking soda with vinegar before, but I will try this.
Aubrey Cota says
That’s a great way also… You’ll have to tell us which method you prefer after trying this.
Happy says
I’m looking at the first picture now – and I wonder. If the toothbrush is not “super soft” it would leave marks on the silver if you push it a bit.
Adrienne Farmer says
Hi, there! I am happy I landed on your website. I tried it and it worked great. My jewelry are shining like brand new ones. Best wishes!
Natasha Williams says
Our fashion jewelry deserve to take care of. So thanks for sharing the ideas and tips on your page!