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Ditch the Dirt! These Are the 5 Best Jewelry Cleaners We All Need ASAP
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Whenever I walk by a jewelry store, I find myself captivated by all the shiny, beautiful baubles on display in the windows. Even styles that I wouldn’t necessarily want to wear myself just look so darn dazzling. And then I look at my jewelry, all of which I loved when it was new but now somehow just looks, well, less than dazzling. Over time, oil from our skin, dirt, body lotion, soap, and even air pollution can dull the sparkliest diamonds, gold, silver, gemstones, and more.
Rather than taking your jewelry in for professional cleaning—who’s got time for that?—we’ve rounded up the five best products you can use at home. From a convenient, throw-in-your-purse pen to professional-grade steamers and ultrasonic cleaners, you are sure to find a solution that has you falling in love with your jewelry all over again.
Magnasonic Professional Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaner
Ultrasonic cleaners generate ultrasound waves that create millions of tiny air bubbles that wedge into the crevices of jewelry and pull out particles like dirt and oil. You may buy this to clean your jewelry but trust me, once you have it you’ll be using it to clean all sorts of other things like eyeglasses, watches, utensils and more. It’s really easy to use—just place your items into the basket (making sure they don’t touch one another), fill the tank with tap water, and turn it on. The default setting is 90 seconds, but you can also choose one of four longer settings up to 10 minutes. (Tip: For silver items that have oxidized you may need to add a mild detergent with the water.)
GemOro Brilliant Spa
High-pressure steam cleaning is one of the best ways to blast away dirt and grime from jewelry. Just fill the top of the unit with tap water and turn it on—it’s ready to use when the green light illuminates to indicate the water has reached the proper temperature and pressure. Then you either put your jewelry in the attached mesh basket under the steam nozzle or hold it with the included tweezers and press the steam activation button in short bursts. Take heed: Your jewelry will get hot, so you’ll want to let it rest before trying to put it on (trust me!). Steam works best on gold, silver and hard stones like diamonds, sapphires and rubies. It’s not meant for opals, pearls and other semi-precious gemstones that are sensitive to pressure.
Goddard’s Jewelry Cleaner
This is a great budget-friendly option that can be used on all sorts of precious metals and stones, from gold and silver to pearls, turquoise, amber and more. The cleaner is ammonia-free—so it’s gentle and doesn’t have a nasty smell. Just drop your items in the dipping basket, let it soak for two minutes, and then rinse. For stubborn dirt, use the enclosed brush to gently scrub it away. I was amazed how my gold and diamond ring sparkled after a quick dip! (Tip: This may not be strong enough to remove stubborn tarnish from your silver.)
BUY FROM: Bed, Bath & Beyond, $4.99
Simple Shine Silver Complete Care Kit
Silver can pose a unique cleaning challenge because it’s very susceptible to tarnish from humidity or reaction with cosmetics, lotions, perfumes and other chemicals. This kit has everything you need to restore your silver to its shiny self. Immerse the jewelry in the cleaning solution for about a minute, then rinse it and polish it with enclosed cloth. Use it on jewelry, coins, silverware and more.
Connoisseurs Diamond Dazzle Stik
We’ve all been there—you’re heading to dinner with your girlfriends and notice you’re your engagement rings looks so dirty, you might as well have just mined it from a cave yourself. Enter, the Dazzle Stik! This is a great option to throw in your purse for cleaning jewelry anytime, anywhere. Just twist the pen to dispense the cleaning gel into the brush. The tiny bristles are great at getting in those hard-to-reach spots. Be sure to rinse your jewelry and the brush tip when you are finished.
