The child’s toothbrush is soft and yielding. You do not want anything that is stiff when cleaning your costume jewelry. Same goes for the cotton swab. You can even get those swabs that are intended for makeup because they have a pointed (but soft) tip.
Baby shampoo is gentle enough to use on babies and children and therefore will be gentle enough for your costume jewelry.
Distilled water. YES, DISTILLED WATER. Let me tell you just a little bit about what’s in your tap water… Chlorine – chlorine is added to drinking water as a purification technique. Fluoride – fluoride has been added to tap water for decades to fight tooth decay. Lead – lead may be present in your tap water depending upon the type and age of the pipes of your house. These are just 3 of the many chemicals lurking in your water. If you are on a well, you could also find herbicides, nitrates, and other pollutants which have been dumped on the soil and have leached into the water system. So believe me when I say you do NOT want tap water near your jewelry.
Okay, moving on…a microfiber cloth. Microfiber cloths are super soft, super absorbent, and do not leave any lint behind.
A small dish for the cleaning solution.
And finally, a bowl you will fill with distilled water. The bowl should be of the size to completely fit the piece you are cleaning with plenty of room to spare.