Four tips to bring the sparkle back to your jewellery using household items

QUEEN Camilla’s diamond necklace at the Coronation may have left you wanting to upgrade your jewellery.

But rather than splashing out on new items, use a few tricks to get older pieces back to their sparkling best.

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Here’s how to get precious pieces looking shiny with just a few household items . . . 

BAKING SODA: Use this cupboard staple to clean precious metals including gold and silver — you can also use it on cheaper costume jewellery.

The abrasive baking soda helps to lift dirt and grime, simply add a couple of teaspoons and a little soap to bowl of warm water.

Soak your pieces for around 20 minutes, then rinse under clean water to remove all the solution.

Dry and buff with a clean cloth to add a final shine on your items.

If you have tougher bits of tarnish, you can mix a baking soda paste by adding a few drops of water to a couple of teaspoons of the powder.

Then use a soft brush, such as a baby’s toothbrush, to scrub your pieces with the mixture before soaking or rinsing off.

ALUMINIUM FOIL: To clean silver, line a container with the foil shiny side up.

Add boiling hot water with a couple of teaspoons of baking soda to the container, then add the jewellery to the container and make sure the items touch the foil.

The tarnish on silver will transfers from your jewellery to the foil.

COKE: The acid in cola is another way to get silver items looking shiny. Drop items in the fizzy drink for a few minutes but keep an eye on jewellery as it shouldn’t need too long.

When they are looking shiny, rinse with warm soapy water and buff with a cloth.

KEEP IT SHINY: Help keep jewellery sparkling in future by taking it off before applying beauty lotions or when using cleaning products.

And spray perfume before putting items on so it doesn’t get on your jewellery.

USE YOUR HEAD: The average shower head spouts out 12 litres of water per minute.

Use less by taking shorter showers.

You can get aerated or low-flow shower heads that will cut the amount you use.

A Hansgrohe eco-showerhead at Screwfix is £21.99.

Around 12 per cent of a home’s heating bill is from the water for showers, baths and the hot-water tap, so using less could cut your monthly outlay.

MONEY DOWN THE PAN: A leaky loo is more common than you think and could cost you £400 extra a year.

To check yours, wait 30 minutes after flushing then run a piece of tissue around the back of the bowl.

If it becomes wet, this may indicate a leak.

Other signs to look out for are dripping overflow pipes on an outside wall.

GRASS ISN’T GREENER: Striving for the perfect green grass using hoses and sprinklers is a huge waste of water.

Instead, let your lawn go brown when the weather hots up.

It will go green again when it rains.

FIND YOUR ROOTS: Watering the surface of plants in the heat of the day will see your money evaporate.

Instead, aim the water towards the roots in the early morning or evening.

Push your finger right down into the soil to be sure it’s not just the surface that’s dry.

Save water by using a trigger nozzle on your hosepipe, or a watering can.

APPY DAYS: Download the Get Water Fit app and take the survey to find out how you can save water.

The app will give you lots of easy wins which will instantly reduce the amount you use.

Find more tips and water-saving advice at waterwise.org.uk.

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