BRR... you can feel it in the air. Fall is coming and summer days filled with sun, laughter, and free time are ending as school schedules kick back up, the days becomes shorter, and the air becomes cooler. Nonetheless, the telltale signs of a summer to remember still remain: highlighted strands of hair, tan lines, sunscreen coated jewelry... wait, what?? We love summer and all but some things are better left to a memory than to see each day. But what to do? There’s soccer practice, study hall, a never-ending traffic jam to navigate through... there just aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done AND then get to D. Geller and Son to have your pieces professionally cleaned (at least during our OPEN hours). Have no fear! There are a few simple tips and tricks that we have up our jeweler’s sleeves and are going to pass along to you. The best part? You probably already have all the “ingredients” for this homemade remedy in your kitchen! BONUS: It takes less than 10 minutes!
Here’s what you will need:
3 Glass Bowls
Dish Soap
Soft Bristle Toothbrush
½ cup Warm Water
½ cup Room Temperature Water
¼ cup Vinegar or Windex
Towel (lint-free will work best)
Step 1: Fill one glass bowl with the warm water and a few drops of the dish soap. Mix equal parts room temperature water and vinegar/Windex in the second bowl. Fill the third bowl with the remaining room temperature water.
Step 2: Place your jewelry into the bowl with the warm water and dish soap for approx. 2-3 minutes and allow it to soak. The warm water will help loosen any sunscreen, sand, lotion, etc. from the grooves of your ring, necklace chain, or earring backs.
*Due to their porosity and softness, some stones should not be submerged for too long (i.e. coral, opal, pearls. CHAT WITH US for more information)
Step 3: After soaking, use the soft bristle toothbrush to lightly scrub your jewelry to help remove excess debris. Dip the toothbrush into the mixture of water and dish soap and lightly scrub the jewelry so that you see small bubbles form and the final remnants of summer get removed! As you go, feel free to rinse your jewelry in the clean water so that you can see what areas need to be lightly scrubbed more.
Step 4: When you’re done scrubbing, give your piece a final dip in the clean water to remove the last bits of soap and particles!
Step 5: Dip your jewelry in the bowl with the water and vinegar/Windex. If needed, use a clean toothbrush to give a final once-over to your jewelry. Remove from the bowl and pat dry. The vinegar solution will help your pieces dry streak-free and the lint free towel won’t leave any pieces of fuzz stuck around the prongs.
Step 6: SHINE BRIGHT LIKE A DIAMOND.
INSIDER’S TIP: If you’re in a pinch for time, you can opt for steps #1-4 and skip #5 –or– you can go straight to step #5 and skip #1-4. Going through steps #1-5 will help you achieve the ultimate sparkle though!
As always, feel free to bring your jewelry by so that we can have our skilled jeweler look and make sure all your stones are nice and secure before professionally cleaning your piece. We hope you enjoyed your summer of fun and hope to see you soon!