How to Clean Your Jewelry

So you've just got a new jewelry piece or pieces to add to your collection. If you want your jewelry pieces to last awhile in your wardrobe, properly cleaning and maintaining your jewelry is essential in order to preserve your jewelry's natural sparkle and shine. If you are in search of how to clean your jewelry, there are a couple of ways of doing so - none of which have to be complicated. Listed below are several ways to clean your jewelry pieces and preserve their charm:

1) Use a q-tip or soft cloth to reach small spaces

With all of the small crevices on your jewelry pieces, it is easy for gunk and grime to accumulate. Grime on your jewelry is often caused by infrequent cleaning, product build-up (body lotions, hair products, etc.), sweat and other sources. To give your jewelry pieces a quick clean, sometimes all it takes is a wipe down with a q-tip or soft cloth to remove the build-up from your earrings, rings, and other items. While this may take care of surface-level grime, for a more deeper clean, you may want to try a cleaning / disinfecting product as detailed in the next point on the list.

2) Try jewelry cleaning products

When seeking how to clean your jewelry, there are a number of jewelry cleaning products ranging from liquid cleaners to small cleaning brushes that can help. These cleaning products are specifically formulated to rid your jewelry of any gunk and grime all the while not causing any deterioration of your jewelry's natural finish. Each jewelry cleaning product comes with its own set of detailed instructions.

3) Gentle dish soap can do the job

Professional jewelry cleaning products aren't always necessary to clean your jewelry pieces. You can also clean your jewelry with items found right at home. A gentle dish soap can be an effective jewelry cleaning solution. You can use a warm water and dish soap mixture and then take a q-tip or paper towel to gently wipe down your jewelry. Pat dry with a paper towel or let air dry.

Tips for cleaning your jewelry:

• Avoid scrubbing your jewelry too harshly when cleaning as this can deteriorate the finish.
• Limit practices that can accelerate dirt and grime build-up on your jewelry such as: Putting on body lotions and butters while your jewelry is on, styling your hair with products while your earrings are on, leaving your jewelry on while showering, swimming, etc., and finally, not storing your jewelry properly.
• Use jewelry racks and boxes to properly store your jewelry.
• Try protective jewelry coating sprays.