It is important to know how to clean tarnished jewelry as metal jewelry made of copper or silver will tarnish over time. We will provide six easy methods in our guide.
Jewelryshould sparkle, but exposure to dust and dirt, lotions and soaps and even sweat, air, and moisture can dull your favorite pieces over time and rob them of their gleam.
Thankfully, most of the items in your jewelry box can be cleaned at home without visiting a jeweler.
To begin, simply gather the necessary materials. Keep reading!
What Does Tarnish Mean?
When something gets tarnished, it means that it has become dirty, dull, discolored, or lost its luster.
Metal surfaces become dulled or stained by oxidation. The condition of an object’s surface that is lustered or that has a coating on the outside of a metal surface is referred to as tarnish.
How to Clean Tarnished Jewelry? 6 Ways
If you’re curious how to get tarnish off jewelry, how to clean tarnished fake gold jewelry, how to clean tarnished gold plated jewelry, or how to clean tarnished gold jewelry, then you’re in the right place!
You can actually use a ton of DIY at-home techniques to polish your jewelry to get rid of the tarnish! Check out the six techniques listed below for cleaning tarnished jewelry.
1. White Vinegar + Water
Because it leaves your jewelry items incredibly glossy and clean, this method is great if you’re wondering how to clean tarnished costume jewelry. Try this method if you’re just not sure how to clean tarnish off jewelry.! You’ll be surprised.
- Combine equal parts white vinegar and water in a bowl
- Mix in tarnished jewelry
- Get a toothbrush to scrub the crevices of the jewelry item
- Soak the toothbrush in the solution and gently brush every tarnished area
- You can also soak the jewelry item in the solution before scrubbing it with the toothbrush
2. Aluminum Foil, Salt + Baking Soda
Using aluminum foil, salt, and baking soda is sure to work if you’re still stumped on how to clean tarnished jewelry or how to get tarnish off jewelry.
- Get a deep pan/plate and line it with aluminum foil with the shiny side up
- Lay all jewelry in pan, with each piece touching the aluminum foil
- Combine a tablespoon of salt and a tablespoon of baking soda into the pan
- Heat 1 cup of water and pour into pan
- Bubbles should occur
- In a few minutes, the chemical reaction caused by the baking soda, foil and hot water will clean off all the dirt and tarnish
- Rinse with warm water
- Buff dry with a clean cloth
3. Warm Bubble Bath
Yes, you read that correctly—a warm bubble bath will work! Jewelry made of sterling silver, gold, and precious stones can all be cleaned using this simple technique. This straightforward DIY technique works well for cleaning tarnished jewelry at home.
- Combine mild dish soap and warm water into a bowl until the solution is foamy
- Place jewelry in bowl
- Allow jewelry to soak for ~ 30 minutes
- You can add multiple pieces to solution but be careful not to overcrowd the bowl
- After 30 minutes, remove jewelry pieces one by one and place them into a second bowl of clean water to rinse
- Gently scrub pieces with a toothbrush until tarnish comes off
- Place jewelry items on clean cloth to air dry
4. Dry Mango Powder Or Lemon Juice
Although using lemon juice to clean tarnished jewelry might seem like an abrasive solution, it actually works wonders! This is the way to go if you’re having trouble figuring out the best way to clean tarnished jewelry.
- Combine 1 part water and 1 part lemon juice in a bowl
- Place tarnished jewelry pieces in bowl and let sit for 10-15 minutes
- If, after 15 minutes, the dirt and grime doesn’t dissolve, let your jewelry sit in the lemon juice a little longer
- Rinse with water
- Buff with a clean, dry cloth
Or
- If you have dry mango powder at home, mix 2 tablespoons of it with water to make a thick paste
- Rub the paste on the tarnished jewelry and set aside for 10 minutes
- Rinse with water
- Buff with a clean, dry cloth
5. Soft Bristle Toothbrush + Toothpaste
You’re probably perplexed that using toothpaste and a soft-bristled toothbrush to remove tarnish from jewelry actually works. Try this method if you’re not convinced by the others for cleaning tarnished jewelry!!
- Squeeze some toothpaste onto your tarnished jewelry items
- Work the paste into all the nooks and crevices of the jewelry item
- Once the paste is smoother over the jewelry piece, gently clean the toothpaste off of the jewelry item with a soft bristle toothbrush
- Rinse with warm water
- Buff dry with a clean, dry clot
6. Shampoo + Toothbrush
You can avoid having your priceless jewelry become too badly tarnished and keep it looking shiny by taking a little extra care and diligence. Since you can use these techniques to clean tarnished jewelry, you don’t have to worry about your jewelry items becoming too tarnished to wear.
- Take 2-3 drops of mild shampoo or baby shampoo and mix it with 3 drops of water directly on your tarnished jewelry pieces
- Use a soft bristle toothbrush to clean the grime off of the jewelry items with the mixture
- Rinse with cool water
- Dry jewelry items with clean, dry cloth
Also Read: How to Clean Brass Jewelry?
Why Does Jewelry Tarnish?
Tarnished jewelry is the result of a chemical reaction. The metals in your jewelry can react with moisture in the air, acids and oils on your skin, and even just oxygen to corrode them over time. When they are pure, certain metals like silver and gold are very stable and won’t tarnish.
Other metals, such as copper, are unstable and react with other things quite readily. Imagine your skin turning green if you were to wear a copper ring.
Theoretically, the issue of tarnishing can be resolved by making jewelry out of fine silver or 24K gold, but doing so is impractical. Pure gold and silver are very soft in addition to increasing the cost of jewelry. After just one day of use, a pure gold ring would have scratches and pockmarks all over it.
Most jewelry is made with a metal alloy, which is a combination of harder metals, to address the softness issue and help silver and gold retain their shape for a much longer period of time. Unfortunately, this brilliant solution is also the reason why our favorite pieces tarnish.
How to clean silver and gold jewelry
When dealing with metal-only pieces, tarnished jewelry is very simple to clean with inexpensive household items.
You can gently clean jewelry using warm water and a few drops of dish soap as part of routine maintenance. Rinse off the soapy water after soaking your jewelry in it for a few minutes, using a soft cloth to remove any stains. Remember to carefully dry it.
If the pieces are severely tarnished, line a glass bowl with tinfoil, shiny side up. As soon as your pieces are inside, place them so that they directly touch the foil and cover them completely with baking soda. After that, pour hot water into the bowl. A few minutes later, take the pieces out, wash them in water, and dry them with a cloth.
Related Reading:
How to Prevent Future Tarnishing?
By keeping your items out of the elements and away from moisture, you can stop them from tarnishing. When taking a shower, swimming, or applying lotion or perfume, always take off your jewelry.
After wearing your accessories, clean them frequently with a soft cloth. You can extend the life of your jewelry by taking these simple extra steps.
Final Thoughts on How to Clean Tarnished Jewelry
The sight of tarnished metal makes a jewelry lover sadder than anything else. It can be upsetting to discover those brown and black stains on your furniture.
It’s a good thing that polishing tarnished jewelry isn’t difficult, and we’ve provided some tips in this post on how to keep it from tarnishing in the first place.
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FAQs
Can Tarnished Jewelry Be Restored?
Yes, you read that right—a warm bubble bath can work wonders! Both sterling silver and gold jewelry, as well as precious stones, can be cleaned using this simple technique. This is an easy DIY technique for cleaning tarnished jewelry at home.
Does Vinegar Remove Tarnish from Jewelry?
Use vinegar, water, and baking soda to quickly clean and polish your jewelry or dinnerware. This cleaning agent is a great option for many things, including your tarnished silver.
Is Baking Soda Safe for Jewelry?
Baking soda is a gentle cleanser perfect for cleaning gold, silver, faux gold, and silver-plated jewelry.
