Your Jewellery Needs Some Spring Cleaning Too!
As the temperatures begin to rise, the ground slowly thaws, and the days become more light-filled, it’s hard not to catch a flutter of springtime energy. I often find myself feeling a renewed motivation to clean and organize my home in order to eliminate the stale air that accumulated over winter, and to welcome the fresh scent of spring!
Amidst the flurry of spring cleaning, you may stumble across some jewels that you had stashed away that have become lacklustre, and maybe even badly tarnished. Just like your home, your jewels need a little cleaning sometimes too in order to look fresh, and just like new.
I’d like to share with you a simple cleaning method for removing tarnish, grease, and dirt on sterling silver jewellery. Following these simple steps, you can bring all your jewels out of winter hibernation, and back to their sparkly original state!
*Note: These instructions are intended for sterling silver jewellery only. For silver jewellery that also contains gemstones, I recommend sticking to a light scrub of warm water and a mild dish soap applied with a soft toothbrush.
What you will need:
Baking soda
Dish soap
Tin foil
Water
A toothbrush
The Process:
Line the interior of a small dish or container with aluminum foil, with the shiny side facing upwards. Make sure the dish you choose is large enough to fit the jewellery pieces you wish to clean.
Sprinkle a spoonful or two of baking soda to cover the bottom of the dish. Add a small amount of dish soap as well.
Fill the dish with boiling water (it may bubble a bit), and give it a light stir to make sure the baking soda and soap are dissolved.
Drop your jewellery into the container, and let sit for about twenty minutes.
Remove jewellery from the container (use tongs if the water is still very hot). Rinse the pieces under warm water, and scrub lightly with a soft toothbrush
Ta-da! Your jewels should be bright and sparkly, and look brand new!
Look at the difference!
The earring on the left was cleaned using the process described above. I hope you will try out my quick and easy cleaning tips so that you no longer have to settle for wearing lack-lustre jewellery!
In other spring news, I’ll be participating in two upcoming local spring markets! You can find me at the Halifax Crafters Society Spring Market on May 4th & 5th, and at the Dartmouth Makers Spring Market on May 10th and 11th.
I’ll have a large selection of newer pieces, as well as some older favourites. If you live in the Halifax/Dartmouth area, both shows are great fun, and worth checking out. They bring together the so many members of the community in such a supportive way, and showcase a wonderful range of local handmade goods. Mark your calendars! I look forward to seeing some familiar faces, and hopefully meeting some new ones as well!
Thanks for reading, and happy Spring! :)