For many women, they consider jewelry as their best friend, and that’s why it is not a big surprise for a woman to have one or several pieces of it in her room. Beautiful designer jewelry has the power of adding to your charms and making you feel more confident. But, just like your real friends, even your jewelry needs your protection, attention and care. It doesn’t matter if you own one or dozens of them because at the end of the day, you need to do your best to keep them at their best condition.
How to clean sterling silver jewelry has unfortunately earned a reputation of being a tedious task. However, you have to know that this will only be the case if you let your jewelry to reach the state of irreparable tarnish because of neglect. Several simple and easy precautions when wearing your jewelry and good cleaning habits must be more than enough to keep your sterling silver bright and stunning in the many years to come.
Tarnish Prevention in Your Sterling Silver
Among the most crucial steps on how to keep your silver jewelry bright is through the prevention of tarnish in the very first place. Even though this is rarely discussed, learning the right way of preventing tarnish can save hours of cleaning time in the long run. Make sure that you remove your sterling pieces when you apply perfumes, lotions, hair spray and other similar items. Also, you have to avoid getting foods, drink and makeup on your jewelry. If a stain happens, rinse it right away with water and preferable a mild and phosphate free soap. Avoid some strong chemicals like those found in dyes and hair coloring as these can instantly tarnish silver.
Pointers for Cleaning Sterling Silver Jewelry
The most usual method on how to clean sterling silver jewelry is by using soft polishing cloth on the pieces that you wear often. It can help in removing any oils or dirt that can get on the jewelry through contact with the skin and environment. Soft and non-abrasive cloth can work or you can also visit the nearest jewelry store to buy clothes that are chemically treated and designed specifically for polishing jewelry. The frequency of these cleanings can differ from one person to another but the hard and fast rule would be to wipe the jewelry each time you notice its shine looking dull or before storing it away for a long period. Any piece that you have no plans of wearing for a while should be carefully sealed in a cloth or plastic bag to lessen the exposure to damage, humidity and oxygen.
For more thorough cleaning, you can also use detergents. A good method is to put several pinches of baking soda or some other kind of mild and non-phosphate detergents on the pieces before washing with mineral free water that can be done either with a soft cloth or with your fingers. Soft tooth brushes and scrubbers might also be used for deeper cleaning only when necessary since these can scratch the surface and cause dullness on the polish of your jewelry piece.
If you want to make the most out of your beloved sterling silver jewelry pieces, keep these simple tips in mind to prolong their luster and brilliance.