How To Clean Rusty Jewelry
Do your favorite jewelry have traces of oxidation? Take a deep breath and relax, because this is not something that cannot be fixed with a little skill and patience. In this article, we’ll share some tactics for cleaning up rusty jewelry and making it look like new. Don’t miss it!
Caring for your jewelry
Pay attention to the tips we’ll present below to make your jewelry last much longer in excellent condition.
Tips for cleaning oxidized jewelry
Currently, there are many homemade tricks that allow you to remove traces of oxidation from jewelry without the need to resort to abrasive (and expensive) products. Read on to discover different ideas that can help you make your jewelry look like new for nothing!
1. Sodium bicarbonate
Baking soda is one of those products that cannot be lacking at home. This mineral is perfect for cleaning all types of surfaces, from countertops to stains on clothes, and of course it can also be used to remove oxidation from jewelry!
Wet a cloth and sprinkle some baking soda. Rub the jewelry carefully, rinse and dry well. Repeat the process as many times as necessary.
Note : This option is not suitable for gold jewelry as it can damage the color.
2. Toothpaste
This is grandma’s trick and it works perfectly! Polishing your necklaces and other metal parts with toothpaste and a cloth is a good idea. Rinse and then dry the jewelry with a dry cloth to remove moisture and add shine.
3. Aspirin
Take a glass of water and place two effervescent aspirin inside. Dip your jewelry into the mixture and let it sit for about 10 minutes. By removing the parts, there will be no more traces of oxidation!
4. Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is another excellent option for removing oxidation from jewelry. The process is as easy as dipping the jewelry in a Coca-Cola glass and waiting a few minutes. Then empty the cup and simply polish each piece with a cloth.
Note : Do not use this recipe to clean gold jewelry as this may affect the appearance of the piece.
5. Baking soda and vinegar
If oxidation is too strong, try mixing some white vinegar with a teaspoon of baking soda in a bowl. When you start to see bubbles, soak your jewelry for a few minutes. Remove, dry with a cloth and you’re done!
Prevention to prevent damage to jewelry
Now that your jewels are shining again and without any traces of oxidation, you should start taking good care of them!
- Avoid mixing accessories: the ideal is to store them separately to increase the useful life of each one and prevent oxidation from appearing. Jewelry cloths are usually a good option.
- Sort accessories according to material: gold should be stored with gold, silver with silver, and so on, to avoid damaging the other accessories.
- Try to prevent your accessories from coming into contact with seawater, soap, chlorine and other abrasive elements. The jewelry should not accompany you to the beach and you should remember to take them off when you go for a shower.
- Do not wear jewelry when exercising, as sweat can affect the color of the garment.
- Do not let your jewelry come in contact with perfumes or creams to prevent them from affecting your appearance.
- Store your jewelry in a cool, dark place to minimize the chance of oxidation.
- Protect your jewelry with a transparent nail base.
Do not dispose of your jewelry with traces of oxidation. As you’ve discovered here, cleaning up oxidized gems is not an impossible mission. We hope these tricks are useful for you and that your jewelry will look new again!
