How to Clean Costume Jewelry

Costume jewelry can change its color for many reasons, like, for example, due to exposure to water, cleaning products, perfume, hairspray, or sweat. Therefore, if you don’t want to damage your jewelry, limit this exposure to a minimum. Don’t do dishes wearing rings and bracelets, and take off chains during workouts and earrings when applying hairspray to your hair.

5-Minute Crafts would like to tell you about 4 effective ways to clean costume jewelry.

Method 1: cleaning with a toothpick and toothbrush

All you need is a toothpick or toothbrush. This method is especially good for items that have hard-to-reach spots. It can also be used as a first step before wet cleaning.

Use a toothpick to remove as much dirt from the jewelry as possible. A toothbrush will be helpful where the toothpick can’t reach. Choose a brush with soft bristles, so as not to damage the surface of the jewelry and not accidentally tear off crystals.

Method 2: polishing with soapy water

You’ll need:

• Gentle soap or children’s shampoo
• A bit of warm water
• 2 microfiber cloths
• Optional: a cotton disc or Q-tip, a toothbrush with soft bristles, a hair dryer

Action steps:

1. Add a couple of drops of soap to the water and stir.
2. Take a microfiber cloth and dip it into the soapy water.
3. Start cleaning the jewelry gently. You don’t need to rub hard so as not to damage the surface and not tear off the parts. Remember that jewelry is very fragile.
4. Evaluate the intermediate result. If you can’t clean the dirt from small cracks, use a cotton disc or Q-tip. A soft toothbrush can also work. Don’t use anything abrasive: you may erase the beautiful top layer.
5. Rinse the item in cool water so as not to damage the glue base, which is often used in costume jewelry. It’s best to make the cleaning time as short as possible so as not to damage the jewelry by moisture.
6. Dry the item immediately after washing. First, use a soft cloth, then you can use a hair dryer: it will dry the item faster. Remember to keep the airflow cool, again, so as not to damage the glue.

Method 3: cleaning with nail polish remover

It’s important that the nail polish remover is acetone-free, otherwise, the aggressive chemical composition will damage the item’s coating. This method, when used correctly, can work in the same way a special jewelry cleaner would.

1. Take a soft cloth and apply the nail polish remover to it. Instead of a cloth, you can also use a cotton disc. Wipe the surface of the item and lightly rub particularly dirty areas. Be careful not to damage the jewelry.
2. If the stains are deep and don’t get removed this way, soak the jewelry in nail polish remover for 30 seconds.
3. Rinse the item under running water and dry it. Make sure it’s really dry to prevent corrosion.

Method 4: cleaning with toothpaste

You can apply toothpaste with a soft toothbrush or Q-tip.

1. Squeeze a small amount of toothpaste onto the item and rub it over the entire surface. As a result, the jewelry should be completely covered with a thin layer of toothpaste.
2. Take a brush and lightly brush the surface. You can use a cotton disc to speed up the process, but it won’t be able to get to hard-to-reach places.
3. When the jewelry has been cleaned, rinse off the remaining toothpaste with cool water.
4. Dry the item with a soft cloth or paper towel.