Tips for Cleaning your 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. (See below for a more aggressive cleaning if the
gentler method is not enough.)
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. I have also used rubbing alcohol around the tops of
rhinestones and metals.
Be careful when cleaning around enameling
– some older enameling may come off with too aggressive cleaning. And
be aware that some colorful art-glass 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.
If
the above does not get your item clean enough- I use the non-acetone
nail polish remover. Make sure it is the non-acetone. You can use this
on lucite however, do NOT use this on any celluloid, though. It will
disintegrate the celluloid. I use a cloth or q-tip with a bit on it and
rub. Again, do not soak the item- use a q-tip. And be careful around any
enamels and any backings