How to Clean Your Earrings?

You may think that your earrings don’t really get dirty and need to be cleaned. After all, whether they’re hoop earrings, long earrings or earring studs, they sit on your ears, close to your face and do not often come into direct contact with dirt. However, even if they’re not as susceptible to grime as your rings and bracelets, which come into direct contact with many different things as you go about your day, earrings can and do get dirty too. There’s just no avoiding it. Therefore, it’s imperative to keep your earrings clean not only to maintain the quality of your jewelry but also, to prevent yourself from incurring any possible infection. All types of earrings need maintenance and regular cleaning. Before you even put your earrings on, first, make sure that your piercings are clean. If you haven’t just taken a shower, you can easily wipe your ears with a cotton or tissue and a little alcohol. Once your piercings are clean and dry, you can then put your earrings on.

In order to keep your earrings free from grime and bacteria, you should avoid their direct contact with hairspray, makeup, perfume, oils, and any other chemicals and substances from beauty and skincare products. This means that before you even put your earrings on, you should be ready to step out the door and not require any more touchups. Once you have your earrings on, especially large hoop earrings and long earrings, avoid spraying any more hairspray or reapplying your makeup close to your jewelry. Hair and facial products, as well as perfume and even sweat, can discolor, tarnish and dull your earrings, especially those with gemstones and a shiny finish. Not only that, but the accumulation of these substances on your earrings can cause a buildup of bacteria and lead to an infection on your piercings. At the end of the day, include cleaning your earrings as part of your nightly, beauty routine. A quick and easy step is to gently wipe your earrings down with a piece of tissue, cotton or a microfiber cloth. This will take away any substances and residue on the surface of your earrings. For a more thorough cleaning, especially for long earrings, large styles, and intricate designs, you’ll want to use water and a disinfecting agent. Hot or warm water and about three to five drops of dish soap are all you need to clean most types of earrings. It is very important for you to remember NOT to hold your earrings and wash them with running water over your sink. You run the risk of your jewelry, especially stud earrings and dainty designs, slipping out of your hands and falling into the drain. Instead, leave your earrings in a small bowl or in a glass with the water and dish soap solution. After a few minutes, you can remove your earrings and rinse them with water alone. If you feel like your earrings still have a little dirty on them, especially hoop earrings and those styles with small crevices, angles and elaborate designs, you can take a cotton swab to gently clean the areas. For smaller openings, use a toothpick with a little piece of cotton on the end to clean the hard to reach spaces. Once your earrings are thoroughly clean, make sure to gently wipe them dry before you store them. Now, storing your earrings doesn’t only mean keeping them safe and ensuring you don’t misplace them. Proper storage is also important to ensure they’re kept clean and in good condition. It’s best to store your earrings in the jewelry pouch that they came in. Another option is to keep them in a padded jewelry box, out of contact from your other jewelry in order to avoid any scratches. Following these simple steps will preserve the sparkle of your earrings and ensure that you can use them for years to come.