What you’ll need:

* Aluminum foil
* Pot of water
* Baking Soda
* Pan

Take the pot of water and place it on a stove to begin boiling.
Use this time to cover the pan with aluminum foil
Take the baking soda and sprinkle it on the aluminum foil, be as generous as possible (If your jewelry is extremely tarnished, make a paste of hot water and baking soda and use it to pre-treat it before continuing)
Now simply place the jewelry on the aluminum foil
Take the water which should be be boiling at this time and pour it on top of the jewelry mixed with baking soda
Let it sit for 6 minutes
After it has sat, remove your jewelry and rinse it under cool water, dry it up with a towel and at this time it should be very shiny.

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Warning: If your jewelry has stones make sure this method will not interfere with the stones but if you aren’t sure then don’t proceedwith this treatment

photo credit: Dyanna

I found that when you wear crystals on a daily basis they tend to lose a little bit of their luster. L et’s face it, the reason why we choose Swarovski is because they are top of the line. There is nothing in the market that will catch your eye and sparkle quite like a Swarovski crystal.

But if you wear crystals over a period of time you may find that they appear to be a little bit dull, not quite as bright as the day that you brought them home. I am going to talk about 2 very simple and inexpensive solutions that you can do at home to keep the brilliance in the jewelry that you love so much.

Most of the things that will take away from the beauty of a crystal are from everyday activities that most women do to take care of ourselves. Hairspray, lotions, make-up, and even oils from our skin can sit on the surface of each facet and mute the brilliance that really makes Swarovski crystal jewelry so unique.

The good news is that it is not difficult or expensive to maintain this beauty. You will find that a lot of the ingredients that I suggest, you probably already have in the house or can easily be purchased at any grocery or convenience store and you won’t break your wallet.

My personal favorite is one that a lot of people carry around with them already, Baby Wipes!!! You will be amazed at how easy it is to restore the shine in your crystals by simply holding a wipe between your thumb and a few fingers and rolling the crystals back and fourth once or twice and move along, continuing the process until you have cleaned all of them. Once you have finished, dry them off with a clean cotton cloth or a tissue, just be sure that it is a plain tissue not the kind that contain lotion.

Another simple way to maintain the brilliance of your Swarovski crystals is to make a solution that contains water, rubbing alcohol, and dish soap, it is a very easy and non-abrasive way to get all the hairspray, facial oils and other things off of the surface of your Swarovski crystal jewelry and restore that incredible sparkle.

In a plastic container that has a sealing lid, add 3/4 cups of water, 1 tablespoon of rubbing alcohol, and 1/2 tablespoon of dish soap. Close the lid and shake thoroughly to mix the ingredients. Then place your jewelry in the solution and replace the lid. You will only need to eave it in there for one or two minutes, I would not recommend longer than that unless it is necessary. While your crystals are soaking GENTLY swirl the container for 30 seconds and then let it sit for the remaining minute. Then remove your crystal jewelry and run it under warm water to remove the soap and dry it in a clean cotton cloth. It will look like you just bought it!

Question: How do you clean silver jewelry without buying a fancy jewelry cleaning unit? I need to get rid of the tarnish.

Answer: Use toothpaste, an old toothbrush or soft cloth and water. scrub lightly and rinse well. Only use white toothpaste, works well.

Image by Nancy~still in AZ via Flickr

Very short question and answer, if you need a more detailed or better way I wrote another post on How to clean Silver Jewelry. Remember to send all questions through the contact us page. Love ya.