Homemade Jewelry Cleaner

I came across several old pieces of jewelry that needed to be polished and/or cleaned and I didn't have any idea where to find jewelry cleaner like the kind my mom used to keep under the bathroom sink 20 years ago. I came across the below recipe on DIYnatural.com and decided to give it a try, minus the tea tree oil.

Ingredients:

• witch hazel or white vinegar
• tea tree oil
• baking soda
• an old toothbrush

Directions:

• Put the jewelry in a glass mason jar.
• Cover with ½ cup of vinegar or witch hazel. Add one drop of tea tree oil and swirl to mix.
• Allow jewelry to soak in the mixture overnight.
• The next morning, coat with baking soda and scrub with an old toothbrush, then rinse with water.

Before

After

What I learned: 
The tea tree oil is for disinfecting, but unlike the woman who wrote the DIY page, I don't wear my jewelry in the shower nor while cleaning a chicken coop, etc. I skipped the tea tree oil, and soaked the earrings overnight in the vinegar. For these particular earrings, the toothbrush didn't work as well, but I imagine it would come in handy on a high-quality ring with stones. Instead, I used my fingers to 'smooth away' the dark spots on the surface with the baking soda. The earrings now have a brilliant shine!