While there are many ways to clean your stainless-steel jewelry, one of the most cost-effective options is to use simple, everyday household products like vinegar.
To clean stainless steel jewelry with vinegar, one of the quickest and most simple methods is to dampen a soft, nonabrasive cloth in a mixture of one cup of vinegar and one cup of water and gently rub your jewelry with the cloth.
Using vinegar to clean jewelry has many benefits including being a disinfectant, gentle, common and inexpensive.
Vinegar is a disinfectant and can kill any germs or bacteria that may be on your jewelry from doing everyday tasks.
Vinegar is great as a gentle all-purpose jewelry cleaner for spot cleaning with a cloth or a deeper soak to clean.
White vinegar is not a harsh chemical and is something most people usually have in their pantry.
The price of white vinegar is great too. It can be bought in large quantities and is inexpensive making it a great alternative to chemical jewelry cleaners.
How to clean your jewelry with vinegar and a cloth
To clean your stainless-steel jewelry with vinegar and a soft cloth you will need vinegar, water, a container, a soft cloth and a spray bottle (optional)
- In any container, mix one cup of white vinegar with one cup of water.
- From here you have two options:
- Put the mixture into a spray bottle
- Put the mixture into a bowl
- For the spray bottle option: (this method is great for spot cleaning any stainless-steel jewelry)
- Spray a soft, nonabrasive cloth with the mixture
- Gently rub your jewelry where it needs cleaned
- For the bowl option (this option is great if you have some jewelry you need to soak and any jewelry that has prongs that are hard to clean between)
- Soak your jewelry in the mixture in the bowl for fifteen minutes
- After fifteen minutes, take the jewelry out of the mixture
- Use water pressure (like from a sink spray option) to remove any visible particles
- Use a soft, nonabrasive cloth to wipe the jewelry and restore the shine
How to clean your jewelry with vinegar and baking soda.
Baking soda and vinegar will create a reaction, so be careful or you could have more fun than intended. This method is great for any heavy grime or dirt that needs removed. This mixture creates a reaction that can gently dissolve dirt and other unwanted particles.
To clean your jewelry with baking soda and vinegar you will need baking soda, vinegar, water, two bowls, a soft bristled toothbrush, and a soft cloth.
- First you will make a paste in one bowl by mixing three parts baking soda to one-part water, the result will be a paste.
- Put a half cup of warm water in the second bowl
- Using a soft bristled brush, dip the brush in the paste and lightly brush onto all surfaces of the jewelry. Make sure to focus on crevices or areas where the jewelry is engraved. This method is great to get those tiny areas clean.
- Let the mixture sit on the jewelry for three to five minutes
- Gently scrub the jewelry again with the soft bristled brush
- Rinse the jewelry well in the bowl of warm water
- Using a soft cloth (microfiber is great), gently wipe off the jewelry making sure you have rinsed off all the paste
One final method of cleaning jewelry will combine the use of a baking soda paste and a vinegar dip resulting in a bubbly reaction that will clean your jewelry completely with natural cleaners and a natural chemical reaction.
This is a great way to clean chains, bracelets and other pieces of jewelry with several prongs or spaces to clean between. The chemical reaction from dropping the baking soda covered jewelry into the vinegar will force dirt from the piece.
How to clean your jewelry using a baking soda paste and a vinegar bath
To clean your jewelry with a baking soda paste and a vinegar bath you will need baking soda, vinegar, water, three bowls, a soft bristled brush and a soft cloth.
- Mix two parts baking soda and one-part water in a bowl. This mixture should be thick and resemble toothpaste.
- Pour a half cup of vinegar into another bowl
- Pour a half cup of water into the final bowl
- Use the soft bristled brush to brush the paste onto all parts of the jewelry, ensuring you get each prong and crevice and do not forget the engraved areas.
- Allow the mixture to sit on the jewelry for three to five minutes
- After the allotted time, gently brush the jewelry again
- After the second brushing, drop the jewelry into the bowl of vinegar and watch the bubbles! It is important to not allow the jewelry to sit in the undiluted vinegar longer than a few minutes, but you will see the bubbles force dirt off your jewelry.
- After the vinegar bath, drop your jewelry into the bowl of water to rinse off any leftover paste
- Finally, remove from the water and wipe with the soft cloth.
Stainless steel is one of the best metals for jewelry. It keeps its shine over time and does not tend to bend or break as easily as softer metals such as gold.
Stainless steel jewelry is also incredibly easy to do upkeep on and you do not need an expensive chemical cleaner or ultrasonic machine to get it clean.
Besides being inexpensive, vinegar has an added benefit of being an effective disinfectant.
This is especially important if you wear rings and bracelets as they are exposed to touching and being touched by different hands and surfaces throughout your busy day.
Cleaning stainless-steel jewelry is as easy as going to your kitchen pantry and finding items you probably already have.
Even if you do not have them, getting them is simple and inexpensive, so put a big bottle of white vinegar on your next shopping list and wear your stainless-steel jewelry with pride.
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