Are you interested in finding ways to keep your finest jewelry in prime condition? With a few simple tricks, you can keep those beautiful rings, necklaces, and bracelets looking brand-new.
The process of cleaning your jewelry isn’t complicated. It can be done in 4 or 5 steps and won’t require much time to perform.
However, making sure that you follow each step appropriately is of the utmost importance. One mistake, and you could be tarnishing your silver or gold jewelry, starting a vicious cycle of discoloration.
Here are several pro tips on how to clean jewelry the right way. Be sure to consider each step as you go along.
1. Don’t Scrub When Drying Your Jewelry
Because jewelry is made of hard material, many people have a tendency to scrub the jewelry dry after they’ve cleaned it. However, the proper technique involves using a dry towel and lightly dabbing at the water that you see.
Apply some pressure to it as you dab the water, then place the jewelry on top of the towel and let it air dry for 5 to 10 more minutes. After the water has dried from the different crevices, your jewelry will be safe to put back on.
2. Be Mindful of Chemicals
While dish soaps, such as Dawn, are okay to use when cleaning your jewelry, it is important to keep a close eye on the chemicals in them.
Certain dish soaps act more like a detergent than an antibacterial solution. In other words, they’re filled with chemicals to give off a stronger scent, giving you the impression that they clean more efficiently.
However, those detergent-like chemicals are harmful to the silver and gold jewelry that you’re applying them to.
Be sure to stick with cleaners that contains as little ingredients as possible. The fewer ingredients, the healthier it is for your jewelry.
You will also want to avoid using chlorine when cleaning your favorite pieces. The chemicals in chlorine are very harmful to your jewelry and can lead to tarnished silver or gold.
3. Invest in the Right Products
The products that you use for cleaning your jewelry have a direct effect on the condition of your rings, necklaces, etc. over time. Because of that, you’ll only want to invest in premium products that are highly-touted in the industry.
For example, for cleaning silver jewelry items, you should invest in trusty silver wipe brands such as Connoisseurs or Weiman. You can also invest in specific jewelry cleaning solutions or just purchase Dawn liquid dish soap and Arm & Hammer baking soda.
For the towels you’re drying your jewelry with, many experts recommend using a microfiber cleaning cloth. It helps absorb more water and dirt as you dab the jewelry pieces.
4. Separate the Different Types of Jewelry
Momma always told you to wash your blacks and whites separately, and you’ll want to follow the same principle for gold and silver.
Many people make the mistake of washing their entire jewelry collection together in one big pile under warm water.
While it’s perfectly fine to clean them in bulk, you’ll want to avoid mixing different colors. Doing so can lead to discoloration of your favorite jewelry.
Not to mention that the two are supposed to be cleaned in very different ways. With silver jewelry, you’ll want to focus more on wiping them down with specialized silver wipes.
Whereas gold jewelry should be washed by soaking in water and liquid dish soap, then hand-dried.
Because you want to keep each piece in pristine condition, be sure to apply the preferred cleaning methods for each different type of jewelry.
5. The Power of a Soft-Bristle Toothbrush
When it comes to cleaning your jewelry as thoroughly as possible, you might find it tricky to reach the dirt and debris lodged inside the crevices of your piece.
For example, it can be especially difficult to reach in between a pair of diamonds on a diamond ring. They’re in such close proximity to each other that once something catches in-between them, it can be hard to get out.
That’s why it’s always handy to have a soft-bristle toothbrush on-hand when cleaning your jewelry. The bristles can get into those tough-to-reach spots and provide an extra layer of cleaning on indents in the jewelry that you have. Without one, you might put your ring back on after cleaning it, only to find that there are still pesky pieces of dirt still lodged in it.
If you don’t have an extra toothbrush to use, you can also use club soda. The carbonation is helpful for cleaning the nooks and crannies.
6. Avoid Complications in Everyday Life
One of the best tips for protecting the integrity of your jewelry is knowing when to take it off.
As previously mentioned, chlorine is one of the biggest threats to your rings and necklaces.
Be sure to take off all jewelry before you go into a swimming pool or perform cleaning duties around the house with chlorine bleach. Doing so will protect the color of your jewelry pieces over the course of their life!
How to Clean Jewelry: Find Your Preferred Method
Besides avoiding harsh chemicals, the trick on how to clean jewelry efficiently is just finding a way that works best for you.
Take the first few go-arounds to decide what steps are less useful and toss them aside, while adding a few other home remedies that you prefer.
Be sure to browse our blog for more articles on fashion, as well as many other helpful topics. But what if your jewelry breaks and needs to be fixed? If this happens, then you may need to check out this guide at SenseOrient which provides some tips for how to ensure your beloved ones get repaired properly.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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