Cleaning Your Jewelry at Home
Most of us find ourselves washing our hands at an alarming rate these days. Ouch! If not washing with soap and water, hand sanitizer and wipes are next in line. Our poor rings! Cleaning your jewelry may not seem like a priority these days, but hear us out. It will not only make your treasures sparkle, it will help get rid of bacteria that might be hiding. We’ve put together a couple “DO’s” and “DONT’s” for cleaning your jewelry at home.
- PLEASE DO: remove rings and keep them in a SAFE place. We might recommend a teacup hook on the inside of a cabinet, or a designated jewelry dish. Pick a trusty spot that you will remember.
- PLEASE DON’T: remove rings and place them on a countertop or near a sink. We all know what might happen!
- PLEASE DO: use a professional grade jewelry cleaner or make one at home. We like to use a small amount of dish soap and warm water. Most other cleaning products have abrasive ingredients.
- PLEASE DON’T: use disinfectants with peroxides and bleaches. Though it seems like such cleaners would really make your gems shine, they can actually ravage precious metals and damage stones.
- PLEASE DO: use a NEW SOFT toothbrush to gently scrub and clean. Toothbrushes are an excellent tool for getting into those intricate nooks and crannies.
- PLEASE DON’T: use an OLD toothbrush. Although soft, these old guys can harbor a lot of bacteria themselves.
- PLEASE DO: use a soft cloth to dry and polish. If you don’t have a polishing cloth, a small piece of cotton fabric should do the trick.
- PLEASE DON’T: use any fibrous materials like yarns or woven materials for drying. These can snag and scratch.