How to clean jewelry from darkening at home?

Jewelry is an important attribute for many of the fair sex. Like any jewelry, it is difficult for jewelry to maintain its original gloss for a long time. Over time, darkening of products occurs, which seems to many an irreversible process. In fact, there are many ways to help return jewelry to its original appearance at home. Given a number of important nuances, you can effortlessly give a second life to even those jewelry that you have been wearing for a long time.

Most jewelry begins to darken in the process of contact with various substances. Many materials are based on metal, which begins to oxidize and lose its luster.

Especially fast jewelry begins to darken if the following types of mechanical manipulations occur with it:

• Contact jewelry with water. Even if the product is in contact with moisture for a short time, this interaction still affects its appearance.
• If all the elements of jewelry lie in one box and cling to each other, then not only darkening, but also other mechanical damage can occur. Some materials require their own storage compartment.
• Contact with household chemicals - dishwashing detergents, washing powder, window cleaners - significantly accelerates the loss of the appearance of the product. Costume jewelry is more chemically affected than precious metals, so the oxidation process can occur quite quickly.

If you notice that your watch, ring or other jewelry is darkening, then do not take drastic action right away. It is recommended to clarify what material things are made of, because the choice of cleaning will depend on this. The most common types of raw materials from which jewelry is made include: copper, plastic, metal with various types of coating, glass. Additional elements include rhinestones and stones, which are artificial and semi-precious.

Based on the characteristics of the materials used in the manufacture of jewelry, there are several means by which you can clean the products from darkening.

• metal accessories without spraying and additional elements can be cleaned using ordinary baking soda. Adding a pinch of soda to a small vessel, pour a few drops of water into the same place and mix until a slurry is formed. The composition is applied to the darkened areas and after a while it is carefully removed. During the time spent on the decoration, the particles of the mixture exfoliate impurities from the product. Another way to clean metal jewelry is to use tooth powder. It is rubbed over the surface, and then washed off with water.After that, the decoration is wiped with a soft cloth. An alternative cleaning solution is the similar use of chalk.
• plastic products are easiest to clean - just put them in a container and pour water with detergent. For some time, the jewelry is left in the solution, then the container is shaken and the accessories are washed under warm water.
• To clear glass, you can use powder or soap, making a solution out of them. To make the surface glossy, it is treated with ammonia.

• Soapy solution is also used to remove browning from rhinestone. But it is not recommended to apply it to products coated with rhodium - it is preferable to use a weakly concentrated ammonia.
• To restore shine copper decorations, special compositions are prepared from commonly available ingredients: Medium-sized edible salt is mixed with nine percent vinegar essence so that the mixture has the consistency of a paste. By rubbing the jewelry with this product and rinsing it with water, you can return the bracelet, earrings or pendant to its original appearance. A garlic mixture provides a similar result. The cloves are crushed and a little salt is added to them. The composition is left on the decoration for 5 minutes, and then washed off.
• gold plating - a very popular coating for metal jewelry. Such products are especially fragile and unstable to various mechanical and chemical influences. Sometimes, as a result of oxidation, a patina forms on them - a foreign film that covers the surface. Gilding on such jewelry must be constantly maintained in perfect condition.

The easiest way to care is to place the accessory in warm water with soap and a couple of teaspoons of ammonia. The most preferred soap is baby soap, because it does not contain fragrances. Jewelry should be lightly rubbed with a soft sponge or cloth, it is not recommended to keep them in water for more than a minute, otherwise a humid environment may have the opposite effect on the condition of decorative products.

Each time after use, the jewelry should be wiped with a special soft microfiber cloth. Flannel material will also work. This way you will save the surface from darkening and pollution for a longer period.

Wine vinegar will be a good tool for cleaning gold-colored jewelry. Gold-plated earrings and other jewelry are wiped with a swab dipped in this liquid, and then washed under running cold water. After washing off the vinegar, do not wipe the product, but let it dry on its own. You can use a cool blow of air from a hair dryer to speed up the drying process.

For safe cleaning of gold-plated surfaces, commonly available products such as egg yolk or good quality beer are suitable. It is enough just to leave the product in a glass of beer for half an hour, then rinse and dry.

Do not try to restore gold-plated accessories to their original appearance with concentrated or caustic compounds. It is strictly forbidden to use acetic acid, soda and even powder for teeth.

Special attention deserves the cleaning of some stonesrequiring special care:

• Turquoise and imitation pearls are very fragile materials that do not tolerate any exposure to foreign substances, even water. The best way to keep them in good condition is to polish them with a dry, soft cloth.
• Aquamarines and mother-of-pearl stones are washed in clean cool water, then wiped with a cloth or dried with a hair dryer.

The process of refining precious and more expensive metals is also important, because they are affected by the same factors as jewelry.

• To refresh the appearance of silver, it is placed for a couple of hours in water with chopped raw potatoes. After the time has elapsed, it is rinsed.
• The easiest way to clean silverware is to use a stationery eraser. Just a few movements will restore the original beauty of the jewelry.
• To enhance the brilliance of gold items, they are placed in water with a small amount of sugar.
• An uncommon remedy for cleaning gold is the use of lip balm. It is applied to a cotton pad, which is subsequently wiped with jewelry. The composition of the lipstick picks up dirt on a cotton pad and leaves the surface of gold accessories sparkling.

Sometimes gilded plating is applied to silver items. After a certain period of wear, there may be a desire to change the appearance of the jewelry and make it completely silver. A similar need may also arise due to damage to the gilding. Exists A few tips for transforming jewelry:

• The first method is based on the action of a strong oxidizing agent - "royal vodka", which has a very pungent odor. This composition is obtained by mixing nitric and hydrochloric acids in high concentration.The proportions of the mixture are 1: 3.
• Another way is to use an electrolytic bath.

The top layer of the decoration is a varnish coating, which is removed with sulfuric acid, acetone, or alcohol.

To keep jewelry and other jewelry in an attractive form for a long time, you need to follow proven tips.

• Be sure to remove your jewelry before taking a bath or sauna. Even if there is no open contact with water, humidified air can also adversely affect the condition of accessories.
• Avoid interaction of jewelry with substances such as cologne, perfume, acetone.
• Jewelry does not tolerate contact with formulations that have a greasy consistency, such as creams or oils.
• Inspect the jewelry carefully before cleaning. Sometimes it may contain elements that need to be cleaned differently than the rest of the surface of the product.
• If the jewelry is made of surgical steel, in no case should you use vinegar essence to clean it. This may result in blackening of the material.

• When it is necessary to remove scratches from a plastic product, nail polish of a suitable color can be used. This option is acceptable only if the damage is small. Otherwise, it is unlikely to restore the fully aesthetic appearance of the jewelry.
• Coated or gold-plated pieces need to be cleaned no matter how often you wear them.It is unstable to contact with vapors flying in the air, and may lose its beauty even without active use.
• After cleaning the jewelry, be sure to check that it is completely dry. Otherwise, rust may appear, the material can change color and begin to peel off.

Following all the recommendations, you can easily extend the life of your favorite jewelry.

For information on how and how to clean jewelry, see the following video.