Cleaning and Caring For Diamond Jewelry

Diamonds are said to be a girls best friend. I don't know about that, but they are one of the hardest materials on earth. Because they are so hard, you have to be careful when storing them. Diamonds can scratch other jewelry and other diamonds, so be sure to store them separately from other jewelry.

Cleaning Diamonds
Diamonds are fairly easy to clean. Most can be cleaned with a mixture of 1 part ammonia and 6 parts waters. Soak the diamond in the mixture for a few minutes then brush off with a soft brush, a small artist's paint brush works well. Since diamonds can be set in different metals, be sure the mixture won't harm the metal. For example, silver shouldn't be exposed to ammonia. These pieces can be cleaned with a steam cleaner like the Scunci Steam Cleaner. Just hold the jewelry with a pair of pliers wrapped in microfiber and shoot it with the steam from all angles. Rinse in warm water and pat dry with a microfiber cloth. An ultrasonic cleaner filled will water will also work well for diamond jewelry, but be sure to check all settings before and after. The vibration can shake the diamonds loose.

You should have your diamond jewelry checked and cleaned by a professional jeweler at least once a year. They will be able to clean the stones and verify the security of the settings. Many jewelers will do this free of charge.

Sorry the Freezer is Full of Paint Brushes!

If you run out of time in the middle of a painting project, wrap your paint brushes in plastic wrap and put them in your freezer. This keeps the paint in the bristles from curing and you can simply pull them out, unwrap, and start painting again. I have never kept them in the freezer for more than a day or two so I don't know exactly how long they will last.

Removing Oil-Based Paint from Clothing

Last year I bought two new pairs of jeans. They fit great and were still a solid color when I decided to paint the doors on my garage. I (as always) was extremely careful covering all areas to not be painted. I also practiced very careful brush strokes to keep the paint on the brushes. The door came out great. I didn't get a drop on me until I was cleaning up my drop-cloth and it rubbed paint directly onto my pants. To remove the paint, act fast and blot, don't rub. If you rub the stain it will only get forced deeper into the cloth. Apply a small amount of paint thinner or alcohol to a clean cloth and test on the inside seem of one of your pant legs to make sure it doesn't damage the color or the fabric. Once you have spot treated the area and the paint begins to soften, remove the remainder of the paint by agitating it in a solution of water and a strong liquid detergent. Once the majority of the paint has been removed, launder immediately. This will remove the final paint residue and all of the solvents.

Quick Tip: Dust and Polish Furniture Details

To dust and polish those small details on your furniture, spray Pledge on a small paint brush and dust the details with it.

Dusting knickknacks and hard to reach places

My wife collects little cow figurines. These can be pretty tough to dust with ordinary dusters. We use an old paint brush to get into those hard to reach areas. The paint brush also works well for dusting electronics and telephones. Let me know what useful things you find to dust with a paint brush.