How to Clean Costume Jewelry

In this article I tell you how to safely clean and store your costume jewelry and when you might be better off leaving it to the professionals.

How to Clean Costume Jewelry

You’ve unearthed a box of costume jewelry at a rummage sale. After hauling your “booty” home and digging through it, you discover a few grimy treasures hidden amongst the junk. Follow these instructions to restore your new gems to their former splendor.

Assemble these materials: 2 clean hand towels, a bowl of warm water, dishwashing liquid or a bottle of jewelry cleaner that says it is SAFE FOR COSTUME JEWELRY, a small, soft toothbrush, wooden toothpicks, a soft chamois, white toothpaste, Windex, and cotton swabs.

Lay all the dirty jewels on one of the hand towels. Transfer each piece to the other towel once it is clean. Add a couple of drops of dishwashing liquid to the bowl of warm water and swish it around. If you are using jewelry cleaner, substitute that for the soapy water. Place the jewelry into the cleaning solution only if you are sure the piece can withstand a few minutes of soaking. Check for loose stones by pushing on them very gently with a toothpick. The grime may be the only thing holding the stones in place. If you think this may be the case with a valuable piece, you may wish to set it aside for professional cleaning and repair. Other stones may be damaged by soaking, as well.