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How to clean
costume jewelry Tips for Cleaning your Jewelry
Steps for cleaning your vintage
costume jewelry
The tools I like to use to clean costume jewelry are: a baby toothbrush
(these have very soft bristles), wooden toothpicks, cotton swabs,
a hair-dryer, and towels.
The safest route is the driest method. Start with the dry baby
toothbrush to brush the piece off. If the face of the rhinestones
have fingerprints, or smudges, use a cotton-tip swab with a bit
of solution on the tip.
I use a very mild solution of ivory liquid soap in water. Just
gently work the top of the rhinestones or glass. The biggest enemy
to foiled rhinestones is moisture. If you soak the rhinestones,
the foiling may become damaged, leaving your rhinestones "dead"
or, if they are glued it may dissolve the glue.
Be careful when cleaning around enameling – some older enameling
may come off with too aggressive cleaning. And be aware that some
colorful artglass is actually a film coating over glass, that might
come off with any soaking or aggressive cleaning.
Toothpicks are good for small areas where pockets of encrusted
stuff may lodge. Wooden toothpicks will not scratch glass if you
slip as you work the matter loose.
On the base metals of your pieces, work the baby toothbrush with
a bit of solution in a gentle manner. When finished, lay your piece
on the paper towel, and completely dry with the hair dryer on a
cool setting.
Take your time, and work in a well-lit area.
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