Did you know that earrings collect more dirt and grime than any other type of jewelry, even rings? Taking care of earrings is crucial in keeping them shiny and looking like new. This article provides some great techniques for cleaning earrings based on their style and metal. Keep reading to learn more about how to keep your fav earrings looking fab.
Dirty jewelry can cause infections, especially earrings since the site of ear piercings is very sensitive and grime can easily get trapped inside. This is even more dangerous if you have just recently gotten your ears pierced.
It is hard to completely remove natural oils, accumulated creams, dirt, soaps, and shampoos from jewelry. The design of the earrings can also make them more prone to impurities and affect their shine. You can clearly see the difference between a clean vs. a dirty pair of earrings, regardless of their type and price.
With home cleaning, you can achieve almost the same results you would with professional cleaning. However, it’s important to follow the proper steps so as to avoid damaging your pieces for good. Consult with a specialist or a jeweler on how you can clean clear certain stud earrings or drop earrings. If you don’t think you can clean them, it’s best to go to a jewelry cleaner.
The first thing you should do before cleaning a piece of jewelry, including gold hoops or sterling silver earrings, is to wash your hands. Hands are full of bacteria so it’s super important to start
There are many ready-made cleaning solutions which you can purchase from jewelry stores. Even though these ready-made cleaning solutions are not that expensive, there are also other methods of cleaning your earrings. By far the simplest jewelry cleaning agent you can use is hydrogen peroxide or alcohol. Both of these solutions are excellent disinfectants and the excesses quickly evaporate. But be careful. Not all metals will respond well to these types of cleaning agents.
This cleaning method can be used for most types of earrings, including stud earrings, drop earrings, hoops. However it should only be used on certain types of jewelry metals.
1. Place the earrings into a plastic container halfway-filled with peroxide.
2. Keep the earrings completely submerged in the peroxide for around 10-15 minutes. If they are very dirty, you can keep them for a longer period.
3. Remove the earrings from the container. Use a toothpick or brush to scour away the remaining debris and dirt.
4. Let the earrings rest on a paper towel until they are completely dried.
This cleaning method is very efficient but not intended for gemstone earrings, which we cover below.
This method is recommended for more expensive rings with silver and gold settings and a gemstone, such as diamonds or sapphires. If you want to discover how to clean earrings that are precious, read further on.
1. Fill a bowl with warm water and pour ¼ of a cup of ammonia. Take a microfiber cloth and moisten it in the solution.
2. Gently rub your earrings with the damp cloth.
3. You can also scrub the gemstone earrings gently with a soft-bristle toothbrush or with a jewelry brush. Focus on each side and don’t forget to clean the small crevices where debris and dirt usually accumulate. Scrub the earrings gently until they recover their shine.
4. Rinse the earrings using another damp cloth (only water this time) until you remove all the solution residue. Gemstones can get a cloudy appearance if they are still covered with residue. After cleaning the earrings thoroughly, you can dry them on a soft cloth or a microfiber hand towel. After they are completely dry, you can lightly polish them.
Using a polishing cloth can help you restore the beauty of your jewelry.
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