Jewellery Cleaning Hacks You Can Do at Home to Give Your Gems a Refresh

We’ve all learnt to become more self-reliant in the last year. Whether it’s mending clothes or DIY-ing furniture, outsourcing projects because of incompetence simply doesn’t cut it anymore.

Cleaning your own jewellery is yet another skill you can add to your arsenal. Outlets that offer jewellery cleaning can often be expensive and take a long time to complete the task. It’s crucial to regularly clean our jewellery to avoid a build-up of bacteria, so if you’re not keen on paying and waiting for a professional, we’ve outlined everything you need to know about cleaning it yourself.

Whether it’s silver jewellery or gold jewellery, this guide will help you make it sparkle again.

Cleaning your jewellery at home is an easy and cost-effective way to renew sparkle – you just need to make sure you’re using the right equipment. There are thousands of articles filled with at-home jewellery cleaning methods. Still, some of them could actually be damaging your pieces rather than helping (read: do not ever put anything in the washing machine).

When it comes to caring for our precious pieces, it’s really important to get it right the first time. Here, we’ve rounded up the best at-home methods and the equipment you’ll need.

How do you clean jewellery?

Liquid solutions, polishing cloths, and ultrasonic cleaners are among the most popular methods for restoring your jewellery’s shine. Below, we’ve gone into detail on each of them to help you determine which one is best for you.

How do you clean silver jewellery?

The best way to clean silver jewellery is by using a decent silver polish. These solutions contain ingredients that dissolve and remove tarnish while forming a protective coating to prevent new tarnish from appearing.

This silver polisher from Goddard’s comes highly recommended for cleaning and protecting your silver jewellery in one simple step. The 3-in-1 cleanser allows you to clean, shine and protect your pieces from grime, dirt and tarnish.

You can also grab a small pot of liquid solution with a cleaning basket inside (like this one here). Place your jewellery inside the basket and let it soak for a few minutes before cleaning it off with a small brush. You’ll usually notice a difference in the shine of your jewellery afterwards.

How do you clean gold jewellery?

One of the best ways to clean gold jewellery is with an ultrasonic cleaning machine — one of the best ways to give your jewellery a thorough clean without all the hassle and stress. This nifty device will do all the hard work for you and take the stress out of the entire process.

Ultrasonic cleaners are a great way to clean your jewellery and remove tarnish. The machine works by using ultrasound waves and chemicals, which create bubbles that cling to particles like dirt and oil. The high-frequency waves are then sent out and pull the contaminants off the object. It’s a simple way of giving your items a professional-level clean without paying to take them to the jewellers. The entire process only takes a few minutes and will have your pieces sparkling like new again.

Most ultrasonic machines are suitable for gold, silver and platinum jewellery items, but it’s always worth reading the fine print before investing in one.

What are the best ultrasonic cleaning machines?

Ultrasonic Cleaner $73.99

This machine can remove contaminants like oil, grease, wax, shavings, dirt, dust, clay and sand. 46,000 cycle ultrasonic energy waves create millions of microscopic cleansing bubbles that work to attack and remove any kind of blemishes for a powerful yet gentle clean.

Kogan Ultrasonic Jewellery Cleaner (now $65.99, usually $45.99)

For the price, this ultrasonic cleaner has a lineup of positive reviews. You can watch through the transparent cover as your jewellery’s shine is restored before your eyes. It’s extremely compact and portable, making it great for both at-home and professional use.

You can save on this ultrasonic jewellery cleaner by stopping by our Kogan promo codes page. 

Ultrasonic Cleaner Stainless Steel Wave Tank, $37.85

Glasses, watches, rings and even dentures can be cleaned in this multi-purpose baby, which means you’ll be able to see your own reflection in your favourite silver ring again. It also comes in sleek black or white colourways, so you can store the jewels away when they’re not in use.

What are the best cleaning solutions?

When it comes to jewellery cleaning solutions, there’s no shortage of options available – it just depends on what kind of clean you’re looking for.

You can opt for the concentrate by itself (like the one below, which can be used inside the ultrasonic cleaner). Alternatively, you can grab an all-in-one cleaning kit that includes extra accessories like a brush.

Connoisseurs Sonic Cleaner Concentrate ($29.95)

The right clean starts with the right cleaner — this specialised concentrate is highly regarded for restoring jewellery’s shine in a gentle yet effective way.

Connoisseurs Quick Jewellery Cleansing Gel ($17.95)

If you want to make your beloved gems look brand spankin’ new, this Cleaner Concentrate is a quick, convenient way to give your diamonds, gemstones and platinum jewellery the A-list treatment. The gel formula in this baby is gentle enough that you can clean your rings right on your hands but strong enough to give them that luxe shine you’re after. Just make sure you keep it away from any pearls.

What are the best polishing cloths?

A polishing cloth is another effective (and relatively cheap) method for cleaning jewellery. If the damage to your pieces are minimal or you’re just looking to maintain shine between cleans, you should always keep a polishing cloth on hand.

This little piece of fabric works to remove fingerprints, grime, scratches and dullness from metals like silver, gold, platinum, brass and copper. One side contains a very fine polishing compound, while the other side buffs your jewellery without harming them.

Silver and Gold Polishing Cloth ($19.54)

Silver and gold jewellery can’t always be cleaned with the same cloth, so it’s important to invest in a specialised one for each. This 2-pack is the perfect option for people with a variety of jewellery that needs some added shine.

Ashley Mill Cleaning Cloth ($12.95)

Buff up your silver, gold, and plated jewellery with these handy cloths that’ll give a lasting shine and work to prevent future tarnish.

Hagerty Jewellery Polishing Cloth ($19.88) 

A grey outer cloth works to restore your jewellery’s shine, while an inner cloth which leaves a long-lasting tarnish protective barrier on your jewellery to prevent future damage.