Choosing the Best Jewelry Cleaner

Jewelry is a treasured accessory for many of us, and it should be kept clean to maintain its luster. Oil and dander from our skin, dust from the air, build-up of hand and dish soap, as well as chemicals from perfumes or cleaners we may use can all cause a jewelry piece to lose its sparkle and dullness over time. Whether it’s a gold bracelet or a pair of copper costume earrings, a schedule for cleaning jewelry is important to keep it in pristine condition.

To find the best Jewelry cleaner to meet your needs, we consulted experts from the GH Institute Home Care & Cleaning Lab who evaluated cleaners for their ease of use and ingredient labels. We curated a range of options including wipes, liquid formulas and convenient pens that are perfect for on-the-go cleaning. We also included a few hacks that even the most novice of jewelry wearers can do at home to refresh their favorite pieces and make them look new again!

A simple and effective way to clean your silver jewelry is to use toothpaste. Using a soft-bristled toothbrush and some warm water, rub the toothpaste over your jewelry, let it sit for a few minutes, then rinse it. Be sure to dry each piece of jewelry thoroughly before wearing it again.

Keeping your jewelry in good shape also requires avoiding contact with thick lotions, heavy perfumes and household chemicals such as chlorine and ammonia. Always remove your jewelry when washing dishes, swimming or doing chores, and it’s a good idea to take off your jewelry before applying sunscreen or bug spray as these can also damage the metal.

Another option for cleaning jewelry is to bring it into a professional jeweler to have it professionally cleaned in an ultrasonic cleaner or with steam. An ultrasonic cleaner works by creating high-frequency sound waves that create bubbles that latch on to dirt on the surface of a piece of jewelry, and a special chemical that is safe for use on most precious stones will be added to the solution so that the jewels can sparkle once again. This is especially recommended for diamonds and other hard gemstones.

This professional jewelry cleaner from Lavish Foam is safe for use on a wide range of stones and metals, including platinum and yellow gold. It’s designed to revitalize the scintillating luster of these pieces, as well as enhance the brilliance of porous stones like emerald, opal and turquoise. It’s also safe to use on heirloom jewelry and other finer pieces that need extra care.

The kit comes with a deep cleaning tray, a jewelry brush and a bottle of professional Jewelry cleaner. The brush has an “ice pick” tip that makes it easy to get under settings and around larger set stones, a spade-like brush that cleans in and around wider pave rings, and a wedge-shaped tip that can get gunk out of tightly set diamonds. It’s also very portable, fitting easily in a small jewelry box or bag for on-the-go polishing.