So one of you kind readers asked the following question: I think you got a jewelry cleaner one year for Christmas? Ever since I got engaged I’ve been thinking I should really look into one. I’d love more information about yours, and maybe some general info about how often, how, and which jewelry you clean.
Short answer: I did get a jewelry cleaner and I like it very much! Highly recommend!
Longer answer: I have an older version of this bad boy (Affiliate link, please purchase a jewelry cleaner however you like, just being trans-pa-rent) and I’ve been very pleased with it. I use it to clean my wedding/engagement ring, earrings, my watch (band) and glasses. If you are not a big jewelry wearer, please consider one of these for cleaning eye glasses and sunglasses.
I clean things whenever I notice they are dirty (more often in the winter when I’m contanstly applying hand cream that inevitably smudges or gunks up my jewelry/watch/eyeglass lenses) and I do it by filling the reservoir halfway to two thirds up with warm water and a squirt or two of Windex. I’ve had a few jewelers recommend glass cleaner (and it gets pretty diluted in there) and I’m cleaning glasses, white gold and stainless steel items – check with your jeweler about other metals. You can also use a splash of liquid jewelry cleaner or just warm water.
I set the timer and typically toss a few things in at once as long as they are not touching. It comes with a little stand for my watch, so my watch band can sit in the water while the face remains propped up and out of the water. Once the machine is done, I remove the items with tweezers and set the items on a clean, dry, washcloth where I polish them up and let them dry. Voila! Or…waalah. However you prefer. (Sarcasm font) When I clean my glasses I typically clean them with an eyeglass cloth before and wipe them with a lint-free cloth after, for maximum cleanliness.
What I wouldn’t clean in there? Pearls, opals or other soft stones. I’d be hesitant with costume jewelry if I didn’t know what kind of metal it was made out of. I’d be careful and check for loose settings, screws on your glasses, etc. It is an “ultrasonic” cleaner so it cleans by shaking, so obviously you don’t want to knock anything loose! Also, these types of cleaners are not great with/not made for silver tarnish, so if you are dealing with silver tarnish, I recommend a tub of Twinkle & some elbow grease.
