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10 of the Best Jewelry Cleaners to Make Your Baubles Sparkle and Shine

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The holiday season is upon us, and if you ask us, it’s illegal to not wear at least one shiny item or accessory come this time of year. (We don’t make the rules.) Which also means ‘tis the season to give your favorite pieces a good scrub and make them really sparkle. Enter: the best jewelry cleaner.

But what makes a good jewelry cleaner? Overall, you’ll want one that’s easy to use, is long-lasting and keeps your jewelry shiny for a long time. Lucky for you, we’ve already rounded up some of the best.

Types of Jewelry Cleaner

First thing's first: You need to decide which type of jewelry cleaner you want to use. We've outlined several different options for you below.

  • Liquid: Liquid cleaners can be natural or made with a number of chemical agents, such as pH adjusters (a chemical used to alter acidity in products to ensure they're safe for your skin) and added fragrances. Some liquid cleaners are made specially for ultrasonic jewelry machines, while others are made to standalone.
  • Natural: Natural jewelry cleaners are typically liquid-based and are made from ingredients like plants or other substances that are present in the wild (baking soda or distilled white vinegar are two such examples). As such, they can be used on gold jewelry, silver necklaces, diamonds, sterling silver rings, palladium, platinum and titanium. When looking for these cleaners, typically, the shorter the ingredient list, the better.
  • Ultrasonic: An ultrasonic jewelry cleaner is a machine you can pop your pieces into for a microscopic bubble wash that is said to penetrate the most fragile and microscopic bits of your baubles. These devices are known to be extremely effective for a number of reasons. First, they have the ability to clean areas of the jewelry that are inaccessible by hand. Second, you can clean many pieces at once. And third, where other methods may find you needing to do more than one cleaning, with an ultrasonic machine, it’s a one-and-done deal. These cleaners reportedly remove up to 99.9 percent of the bacteria on your jewelry until your next cleaning, according to Sonic Soak. You can safely throw in white, yellow and rose gold into one of these machines, as well as silver and platinum jewelry. Pearls, ivory, coral, tortoise shell, amber, shell cameos and jet, however, cannot be put in an ultrasonic cleaner.
  • Steamers: Steam cleaning—a pressurized method of cleaning that blasts away dirt, grime and oils to make your pieces look brand new—is one of the most safe and effective methods for making your baubles shine, since it doesn't use any harsh chemicals or solutions. Pearls, semi-precious stones and opals are not recommended for cleaning with this method, but diamonds, sapphires and rubies are. 
  • Polish cloth: Polishing cloths are fabric sheets, typically made of polyester and nylon, that can help remove tarnish by infusing jeweler's rouge (an extremely fine polishing compound) into the fabric. While each material holds its own benefits, all of these cloths are meant to lift oils or dust and give your items a brightening.

How to Use Jewelry Cleaner

How you use jewelry cleaner will depend on the type you're using. With liquid cleaners, for instance, it's all about portion control. For one necklace, a pair of earrings or a bracelet, one to two drops in a shallow dish of water works well. (Note that for some store-bought cleaners, you won’t have to add water at all.) Soak the jewelry for 15 minutes, unless the piece is particularly delicate—it is not recommended to soak fragile pieces of jewelry. After, gently scrub with a soft and clean baby toothbrush and rinse. We recommend you read the individual instructions for each cleaner to make sure you’re taking the right steps. 

If you're working with an ultrasonic cleaner, by contrast, each machine will have its own separate set of instructions. The cleaning and rinsing solutions you get for your machines are essential: They must be compatible with the cleaning device so that they don’t react negatively. Generally speaking, you'll insert the recommended amount of water and cleaning solution to the machine, wait for it to heat up and place your jewelry in the tray. From there, leave it in the mixture for about three to five minutes. Using a set of tweezers (to avoid burning your fingers), take the items out and pat or air dry.

If you're taking the steamer route, you already know there will be very hot levels of water involved. It is generally recommended you use the tweezers (never your hands!) to hold the jewelry pieces up to the steam for a few minutes and then buff out your pieces with a soft cloth afterwards. However, we recommend that you read the specific instructions on each steam machine, as they may differ.

Lastly, if you're using a polishing cloth, make sure your jewelry is completely dry before gently rubbing it the rest of it with the cloth and voilà! Watch your jewelry shine.

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Best Silver Cleaner

1. Simple Shine Silver Jewelry Cleaning Kit

Simple Shine

  • Why We Love It: Removes tarnish, easy to use

This liquid cleaner is ammonia-free and contains ingredients that prevent tarnish formation, keeping all of your silver super shiny. According to customers, it can effectively remove discoloration, grime and soap scum from your jewelry. It has a dip tray for ease of use, and after soaking your accessories for no more than two minutes, you can grab the polishing cloth from the kit to give it a little buff and you'll be good to go.

Best Jewelry Steam Cleaner

2. Steamfast SF-1000 JULE Steam Jewelry Cleaner

Steamfast

  • Why We Love It: No harsh chemicals, speedy results

This jewelry pressure steamer is said to safely blast away body oil, makeup, dirt and more to leave your jewelry bright and shiny. Heat-up time for this steamer is four minutes and steam time is 15 minutes, according to the company. To use it, make sure to use tweezers (no burnt fingers here!) and hold your jewelry about an inch below the steam nozzle.

Best Natural Cleaner

3. Caribbean Gem Jewelry Cleaner

Caribbean Gem

  • Why We Love It: Smells delicious, comes with cleaning tools

This adorable cleaner is made with banana and coconut oils and without any ammonia, alcohols, or acids—and it smells like a tropical dream. Just place your trinkets in the built-in tray and lower them down into the nontoxic, hypoallergenic formula (which, BT dubs, is biodegradable and environmentally friendly). It also comes with all the tools you need to get the job done easily and quickly.

Best Fine Jewelry Cleaner

4. Shinery Bridal Jewelry Cleaner

Shinery

  • Why We Love It: Non-toxic, won't dry out hands

Not only is this brand one of Oprah's favorites, it's perfect for a quick, safe cleaning of your wedding or engagement ring. You don't even have to take your jewelry off, since the mixture is clean, nontoxic and uses plant-based ingredients that won't dry your hands out.

Best Gold Cleaner

5. Connoisseurs Jewelry Polish Cloth

Connoisseurs

  • Why We Love It: Removes tarnish, works on-the-go

These easy, breezy cleaning wipes are perfect for all your golden beauties. This two-step dry-cleaning system polishes and cleans gold jewelry and watches while removing nasty tarnish, all with a quick buff.

Best Professional Jewelry Cleaner

6. Magnasonic Jewelry Cleaner

Magnasonic

  • Why We Love It: Can clean several pieces at once, five settings

Throw a few of your prettiest pieces into this guy at once and watch the magic happen. This machine has five different cleaning settings, ranging from 90 to 480 seconds. You can even throw your glasses in there for a deep wash when you're done.

Best Travel Jewelry Cleaner

7. Connoisseurs Diamond Dazzle Stik

Connoisseurs

  • Why We Love It: Compact, intuitive design, set of two

Take your shine to-go with this diamond dazzle stick, which has a mascara-size design that can be thrown in your purse. Not limited to just your diamonds, this can also be used for platinum or gold jewelry, as well as other precious stones. The smaller brush helps you get in all the nooks and crannies of your jewelry, too.

Best Jewelry Polish Cloth Kit

8. Gem Glow Jewelry Cleaner and Cloth Kit 

Gem Glow

  • Why We Love It: Great for both gold and silver, affordable

Sometimes, all you need to give your jewelry that added oomph is a good polishing cloth and a brightening stick. The inner layer of the cloth is designed to remove tarnish and grime while the outer layer will give your jewelry a great shiny finish. The included stick is particularly ideal for diamond rings, according to reviewers.

Best Precious Stone Cleaner

9. Connoisseurs Precious Jewelry Cleaner Kit

Connoisseurs

  • Why We Love It: Comes with three tubs and a polishing cloth, reduces visibility of tiny scratches

This special mixture contains polymers that the company says will help reduce the appearance of tiny scratches on your beautiful stones, which makes it great for all your more precious items. This cleaner is also great for gold and platinum, but is not recommended for pearls, corals or opals.

Best Ultrasonic Cleaner

10. Soaq Ultrasonic Cleaner

Soaq

  • Why We Love It: Cleans other items, speedy results

This bad boy will deep clean all your diamonds, rubies, sapphires and any non-porous jewelry, but also can clean pacifiers and oral appliances. The sleek countertop appliance won't take up much real estate in your household and the base lights up to indicate it's working. More importantly, it takes just five minutes, according to the company.

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Freelance Writer

Avid coffee drinker, writer and dabbler in UX, Dagmara Cintron is an NYC native living in Los Angeles. She covers fashion, local LA stories, home decor and more for PureWow. She...