Silver Jewelry Care: Why You Should Never Use Jewelry Cleaner

Taking care of silver jewelry is essentially easy. How could you not love knowing that the very best thing you can do for your silver jewelry is to wear it often? There are times, though, when your silver bracelets look a little dull or those beautiful silver earrings have tarnished and you want to clean them. You may be tempted to dip them in one of those cheap jewelry cleaner solutions to get rid of the grime and polish them up. Don’t do it! Here’s why.

Jewelry cleaning solutions are made with harsh chemicals that can erode the surface of your silver jewelry and leave the pieces etched with tiny pits. While they may look shinier and cleaner when they come out of the dip, they’re more prone to tarnish and corrosion than they were before. And if your silver pendants or silver barrettes are set with gemstones, the jewelry cleaner could damage the stones and weaken the settings that hold them in place.

So if jewelry cleaner is bad for your silver jewelry, what should you do to clean your silver pieces?

Prevention Is Always Best

Following a few simple rules will prevent a lot of the grime, tarnish and buildup that can dull your silver jewelry.

-          Put your silver jewelry on after you put on your perfume, hairspray and makeup to avoid getting residues on the metal and stones.

-          Always remove your silver jewelry before swimming in a chlorinated pool or taking a shower. Take off your silver rings before you do the dishes. Chlorine corrodes silver and turns it dark so avoid it whenever possible.

-          Clean your silver jewelry with a soft jewelers’ cloth before storing it for any length of time to remove any body oils or other substances that can interact with the metal.

-          Store your silver in non-tarnish bags or place each piece in a separate bag with a small piece of non-tarnish paper.

Cleaning Your Silver Jewelry

For everyday cleaning, use a soft jewelers’ cloth and gently rub over the entire surface. Silver is a very soft metal that scratches easily so ignore all the advice you get about using toothpaste or baking soda or any other soft abrasive. Professional jewelers use silver polishing cloths, which are very smooth, soft and non-abrasive, and impregnated with mild chemicals that help remove tarnish. They’re very inexpensive and last for years.

Silver jewelry is beautiful, easy to wear and durable. Knowing how to clean it properly will extend the life and beauty of your silver pieces so you can enjoy them for a lifetime.

Special Care Tips for Silver Jewelry

Caring for your silver jewelry isn’t difficult, but it is important. Silver is a soft metal with a soft, luminous luster. Over the years, it can acquire a soft patina that makes it even more lustrous and lovely. Improper care and harsh cleaning can leave your silver bracelets, silver chains, silver rings and silver earrings looking dark, grimy, pitted and dirty. These care tips for silver jewelry can help you preserve the beauty and luster of your favorite adornments.

Wear your silver often. Tarnish develops most frequently when silver is stored in dark places. Wearing your jewelry will prevent tarnish and keep your silver jewelry looking beautiful.

Avoid handling your silver too much. That may seem like a contradiction to the first rule, but it’s not. The oils from your skin can eventually damage the finish and luster of your silver jewelry pieces. Keep your fingers off the surface to avoid leaving oil on the silver.

Don’t wear your jewelry in the pool or the shower. Chlorine and other minerals can react chemically with silver and turn it black. While the discoloration is reversible, it will eventually eat away at the metal and ruin your silver pieces.

Always apply makeup, spray hair spray and put on perfume BEFORE putting on your silver earrings, silver barrettes and other silver jewelry to prevent a buildup of sticky chemicals on the metal surface.

Avoid using chemical jewelry cleaners on your silver rings, bracelets and other silver jewelry. The chemicals in the cleaning solutions can build up on the silver and make it more prone to tarnish and discoloration.

If your silver darkens or becomes tarnished, use a polishing cloth to gently buff the tarnish away. Jewelry polishing cloths are soft cloths impregnated with special jewelry cleaning chemicals. You can purchase silver polishing cloths for as little as $5 at your grocery store or department store. The cloths will last for years and give your silver jewelry a gorgeous shine every time you use it.

When you remove your jewelry, wipe each piece gently with a soft cloth to remove surface oils and dirt before putting it away.

Wrap your silver pieces in individual soft cloths to protect the metal from being scratched in your jewelry box. Store each piece in a sealed plastic bag to prevent tarnish and protect it from damage from other pieces.

Caring for your silver jewelry properly is easy and inexpensive. Take the few minutes to clean your jewelry pieces and put them away properly to enhance their beauty and prolong their lives.