How can I clean jewelry?

[Rilchiam]

Specifically, a rhinestone necklace, and a necklace of glass beads. Are there any substances I might have on hand that I could use, rather than buy a jar of jewelry cleaner that I won't need again for ten years?

(I read once that you can clean a ring by leaving it in a glass of gin for a week. But that sounds like a waste of good gin.)

[Lissa]

An old toothbrush and some Windex would probably work just fine.

[A.R. Cane]

Put them in a container of warm soapy water and, fairly gently, agitate the container for 5-10 minutes, then rinse and wrap in a towel to dry. If they're still dirty you can repeat. You might also use a small amount of ammonia in the soap solution. A low flat container will work better than a tall narrow one, gives more room for the jewelery to slosh around.

[Rilchiam]

Okay, thank you!

[A.R. Cane]

Something w/ a lid is obviously best, I'm thinking of a plastic food storage dish w/ a snap on top.

[LifeOnWry]

One of the things that I've found to work tremendously well for cleaning costume jewelry is the cleaner they sell for bathrooms - specifically, the ones labeled "soap scum remover". It dissolves soap (obviously) and cuts through body oils that accumulate on jewelry. (Caveat: do not use on jewelry with 'soft" stones - pearls and opals.) Soak the jewelry in it a few minutes, scrub with an old toothbrush if necessary to loosen heavy soil, and rinse well.

For silver (sterling) jewelry, one of the best cleaners is Glass Stovetop Cleaner. It's like a finer version of Soft Scrub. Just wipe it on with a soft rag and then wipe it off.

Pearls and opals absorb EVERYTHING, and they scratch very easily, so you should never use any kind of liquid cleaner or abrasive on them, just polish them (dry) with a soft cloth.

If you haven't already soaked the glass bead necklace, I'd advise you to check the stringing material first. If it's cotton or nylon cord and you soak it, the cord will weaken and could stretch or break, and if it's metal wire, there's a SMALL chance you can rust it (most of the stringing wire used in contemporary jewelry is plastic-coated, but some older pieces have bare metal in there, or the plastic coating can have breaks in it.) I generally recommend that glass bead necklaces be cleaned with a soft cloth and Windex or a mild water/ammonia soultion, but I do not recommend soaking.

(FYI - I make jewelry, and the people I know assume this means I also clean and repair it. So... I had to figure out how. The above info comes with a buttload of experience behind it )

[Rilchiam]

That's exactly what I have! Er, a plastic container, that is.

And the glass bead neckace has a very thin, delicate chain.

[Mangetout]

Please DO NOT follow anyone's advice to drop it in a solution of soda with aluminium foil pieces; it will appear to clean it, but will leave the surface of metal parts minutely pitted.

[LifeOnWry]

Originally Posted by Mangetout

Please DO NOT follow anyone's advice to drop it in a solution of soda with aluminium foil pieces; it will appear to clean it, but will leave the surface of metal parts minutely pitted.

Agreed. The silver cleaners that are advertised on television (Tarn-X and the like) will do that, too, and should never be used on jewelry.

(Well, they should never be used, period, but some people prefer pitted silver to hand-polishing.)

[LifeOnWry]

Originally Posted by Rilchiam

And the glass bead neckace has a very thin, delicate chain.

Ah. Then soaking should be OK, as long as you dry it thoroughly. SOME glass beads have coatings on them that can come off, but if you've had this awhile and it hasn't flaked or peeled through normal wear and tear, it shold be fine.

[Shecky]

I've used the Steam Buddy for the last few years. So far, it's been the best cleaner I've seen. And, it really DOES have a thousand and one household uses!

[Nava]

If you know anybody who works in a lab, ask them if they have an ultrasound bath. A few seconds there do wonders (the water has to be new). It shouldn't be used if any of the settings is too weak. Notice I said "seconds", not "minutes"; thinner pieces should be dipped shorter times. And they should be dipped, not dropped in, to avoid anode effects from the metal of the bath.

[Mangetout]

Originally Posted by LifeOnWry

Agreed. The silver cleaners that are advertised on television (Tarn-X and the like) will do that, too, and should never be used on jewelry.

(Well, they should never be used, period, but some people prefer pitted silver to hand-polishing.)

Similarly, all of the folk-remedy style metal cleaners based on acidic things such as ketchup, cola, lemon juice, etc, will all make the metal very bright and clean, but with a matt finish due to microscopic pitting.

[Rilchiam]

Well, I'm not worried about the metal. The metal is not a feature; it's merely a casing for the rhinestones.

It's clean, but it does not sparkle! I used glass cleaner, but it doesn't seem to have been enough. I really want this thing to give off Disney brilliants, because I'm going to be wearing it in a relatively dark environment. Should I just scrub harder? Use baking soda? (Again, the metal is not a concern.)

[Rilchiam]

(I won't be wearing them both at the same time. The glass bead necklace was an afterthought.)

[A.R. Cane]

Originally Posted by Rilchiam

Well, I'm not worried about the metal. The metal is not a feature; it's merely a casing for the rhinestones.

It's clean, but it does not sparkle! I used glass cleaner, but it doesn't seem to have been enough. I really want this thing to give off Disney brilliants, because I'm going to be wearing it in a relatively dark environment. Should I just scrub harder? Use baking soda? (Again, the metal is not a concern.)

You could try agitating the jewelery in a container w/ some course grain, like cornmeal, or oats. This might have a mild polishing effect. Maybe LifeOnWry has another suggestion.

[Nava]

Pitted metal will break apart. One day you'll be wearing it and then you won't, and what happened is that the chain broke.

[LifeOnWry]

Originally Posted by Rilchiam

It's clean, but it does not sparkle! I used glass cleaner, but it doesn't seem to have been enough. I really want this thing to give off Disney brilliants, because I'm going to be wearing it in a relatively dark environment. Should I just scrub harder? Use baking soda? (Again, the metal is not a concern.)

No seriously - try the bathroom cleaner. Most of the "dull" on faceted stones is soap scum and body oils and perfumes - all of which leave gunky protein deposits that are a bitch to cut through with regular cleaners. Bathroom cleaners are made specifically to cut through that exact gunk. The ultrasound baths are awesome, but not usually in the average person's medicine cabinet.

[nashiitashii]

Originally Posted by LifeOnWry

For silver (sterling) jewelry, one of the best cleaners is Glass Stovetop Cleaner. It's like a finer version of Soft Scrub. Just wipe it on with a soft rag and then wipe it off.

Well, why spend money on glass stovetop cleaner* when you can get Wright's silver cleaner for pretty cheap? It's about $4 US in my area, and available in just about every grocery store. It works well, is formulated to clean silver, and won't cause pitting over time. *I can only imagine that the stovetop cleaner costs more, even if only by 20 cents or so.

As for non-metal jewelry, sometimes a good buffing with a lint-free cloth (like the kind that are used with eyeglasses) will polish them out.

[leo rider]

Originally Posted by Lissa

An old toothbrush and some Windex would probably work just fine.

Needn't be an old toothbrush. The ring is cleaner than your mouth (in fact I bet you put it in your mouth now and then, just to lick off the pizza drips) and windex rinses clean.

[LifeOnWry]

Originally Posted by nashiitashii

Well, why spend money on glass stovetop cleaner* when you can get Wright's silver cleaner for pretty cheap? It's about $4 US in my area, and available in just about every grocery store. It works well, is formulated to clean silver, and won't cause pitting over time. *I can only imagine that the stovetop cleaner costs more, even if only by 20 cents or so.

Wright's is the brand of cooktop cleaner I use, and as far as I recall, the price is actually SLIGHTLY less than the silver cleaner. Plus, the silver cleaner is a paste*, and it's thick and messy, whereas the cooktop cleaner is a liquid and is easier to rinse off. Though Rilchiam didn't say she was cleaning silver, she did ask about cleaning stuff she might already have on hand, rather than buying something specific for jewelry, so I thought I'd throw that out there for anyone who might find it useful.

(*I might be wrong about this brand being a paste, but the silver cleaner I have IS a paste, and I'm pretty sure it's Wright's.)

[freckafree]

Originally Posted by Rilchiam

I really want this thing to give off Disney brilliants, because I'm going to be wearing it in a relatively dark environment.

That might be due to the age of the rhinestones. The silver or foil backing on the stones is the source of the sparkle, and if it has darkened or started to flake off, there's only so much you're going to be able to gain through cleaning.

[Rilchiam]

Phooey. Well, I'll let you know how the stove cleaner works out. Thanks to all who replied!