Goodbye Grimy Jewelry: Mix Dawn Dish Soap And Windex To Bring Back The Sparkle

Do you remember when you first got your favorite ring? It was so shiny and sparkled just right when the light hit it. And now it's, well, not so nice. You've been meaning to take it to the jeweler to get it professionally cleaned but who has time for that? Fortunately, we found a simple solution that you can do in under five minutes with a few cleaning products you most likely already have. Turns out, your jewelry is one of many unexpected things you can clean with dish soap. Add a little Windex and water, and your jewelry will sparkle like new.

All you're going to do is grab a small, microwave-safe dish and add equal parts Windex and Dawn dish soap. Mix in an equal measurement of water as your cleaning mixture, then pop it in the microwave for about 30 seconds. You just want to warm the liquid, not make it boiling hot. Place your jewelry in the dish with the magical cleaning liquid and let it sit for a few minutes. Then you can use a soft bristle tooth brush to lift away any dirt and grime on the jewelry. Once it's clean, rinse it with room temperature water and dry it with a soft cloth or paper towel. If you are cleaning or rinsing your jewelry in or around the sink, be sure to place a mesh drain cover over the sink drain. If you accidentally drop a piece of jewelry down the sink drain, it will fall into the mesh catch instead of actually sliding into the drain.

Using the Dawn dish soap and Windex cleaning method is a great way to keep your jewelry sparkling like new. In fact, as you're looking for ways to declutter and organize jewelry, you can easily make this quick-clean an added step in your process. However, it is recommended that it be used as a stand-in between regular, professional cleaning by a trusted jeweler. Try to schedule a professional cleaning once or twice a year.

If you're wondering how this particular cleaning concoction works, well, it's no big secret. Dawn dish soap is renowned for clearing grease off surfaces and being gentle in the process. Windex has ingredients like ammonia that can be pretty great at removing oils. When you use things like sunscreen or other lotions on your hands, it can build up on your rings and other jewelry. These two cleaners work great together for getting rid of it all.

While Dawn dish soap and Windex are fairly safe for your everyday jewelry, there are some exceptions. You shouldn't use them on gemstones, like opals, emeralds, or pearls. Soft gemstones tend to be porous and you don't want to repeatedly submerge them in liquid. Any stones that are attached to a ring or bracelet with glue, like some antique jewelry might be, should also avoid this cleaning method.