Oxidized

Do you realize that the really healthy stuff we breathe, yeah oxygen, is both good and bad?  It gives us life, gives our blood something to circulate, but it also causes rust.  And causes aging.  Ick.  So not only do we eat and drink up our antioxidants, now you can anti-oxidize your jewelry! : )

Years ago my friend and I went in together on a jewelry cleaner at a craft fair.  She took it home, and said she'd put half of it in a container and give it to me.  I never got it, and I didn't really stress about it...because I have found this great cleaner (from Wal-Mart)!

It literally requires no polishing or rubbing-you just dip, rinse, and dry.  Seriously-don't leave it in there longer than ten seconds or so! : )  I think it's just a chemical reaction to get the oxidation off, but it leaves crystals in the liquid.  I've had mine a few years, and I'm pretty sure it'll last forever.

Here are the before pictures:

Icky gray (can't even call it silver!)..

dull..

can't wear it!

And the afters!

Can you see the shine?  This was purchased as a khaki washcloth, but after washing my face (with closed eyes) with my deep-cleaning peroxide face wash, it bleached.  So check out the jewelry, not the washcloth!)  I don't think the cleaner will hurt your washcloth, but I use an old one...just in case!

Ahhh..fresh and shiny!  I only use it on the dark stuff-I leave my jewelry hanging, so that's why it gets all gray.  But, I like to see my options right in front of me, not hidden away.

Yesterday I got one of my brackets removed and re-placed.  When they took it off, they sandblasted it to get the adhesive off, and in the process?  It turned gray.  All my other brackets are shiny silver, and then this ugly gray one.  It just keeps getting worse (except I didn't even tell you that the only teeth that touch when I "bite down" (in quotes, since I can't really), are two in the right front.  Talk about weird.  So, my chewing is downgraded even more.  I can chew the middle of bread, and still oatmeal and yogurt.  Good old squish.

Ok, I digress..anyway, guess what comes to mind?  The cleaner!  I dipped a q-tip, and dabbed it on my bracket.  Yep, I'm wild and crazy like that.  (I should mention the cleaner contents are known by the state of California to cause cancer, so be careful-that's why I do the quick water dip!) (I'm guessing they don't cause cancer in Arkansas? Just kidding.) so shortly after my dabbing, I rinsed, swished, and prayed.  It didn't work, if you were wondering.  Still gray.


Are you oxidized?  You just need some antioxidants and some good prayers.  They clean you right up-as well as my fresh, new silver!