- How To Clean And Care For Your Silver Jewellery -
Our jewellery is designed to be worn and loved, and at KaiKoa we want you to enjoy your pieces for as long as possible. Retaining the sparkle and shine of your favourite pieces can be challenging especially if you wear your jewellery regularly.
All of our designs are inspired by the ocean and as ocean lovers ourselves we make pieces that are designed to be worn while spending time in the ocean and doing your favourite activities. Unfortunately, exposure to different elements can take away the sparkle from your jewellery.
We have detailed our tried and tested ways to clean your favourite jewellery pieces. These quick and easy processes will help you to clean and care for your treasured items in the most effortless way possible. So read through to find out how to easily care and clean for your favourite sterling silver pieces.
1. Polish your sterling silver Jewellery
Polishing your pieces is a fantastic way to easily brighten up and clean your jewellery. We recommend using a specific silver polishing cloth. These cloths are infused with special chemicals that help to remove the tarnish from the surface of your jewellery.
These polishing cloths are easy to use, save time and are cheap. They are made from soft fabrics and will look after your precious jewellery. Make sure to not use paper towels or tissues as these contain fibres that might scratch the silver instead of polishing it.
The best method is to polish in a back and forth motion that mirrors the silver’s grain. Make sure to utilise different sections of the cloth to avoid re-tarnishing the silver. For any hard to reach places you can also use a cotton bud to clean out those areas. You will notice that your jewellery will look cleaner and brighter in no time. It is also a very satisfying process so it’s really enjoyable to watch your favourite pieces get back their sparkle.
2. Give your Jewellery A Wash
If polishing hasn’t given you the desired results then you may have to give your jewellery a wash. If you wear your favourite pieces all of the time you might not have noticed how dirty they have become. Most of your jewellery will most likely benefit from a simple wash.
How to Wash Your Jewellery
- Soap and Water
- You can use warm water and mild soap to remove the tarnish. Just make sure that your soap is fragrance-free and phosphate-free dishwashing soap. Try this method first before using the other methods on this list.
- Baking Soda and Water
- Create a paste by combining baking soda and water. Then apply a pea-sized amount of the paste onto your silver jewellery and polish. If your piece has detailed sections then feel free to use a soft bristle toothbrush to get into the cracks and crevices. Run your pieces under warm water and dry with a clean cloth.
- White Vinegar and Baking Soda
- This is an excellent gentle cleaner that removes heavy tarnish. Mix half a cup of white vinegar with 2 tablespoons of baking soda. This mixture will fizz up and it will make you feel like a mad scientist. Place your tarnished pieces into the solution for two to three hours. Once you have removed them from the solution all you have to do is leave them to dry.
- Olive Oil and Lemon Juice
- Create a solution of half a cup of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a bowl. The next step is to dip your cleaning cloth into the solution. Use the cloth and solution to clean and polish your jewellery. Once you have cleaned and polished your pieces, rinse and dry your pieces.
3. Silver Dip Method
If the tarnish on your silver jewellery is stubborn and isn’t able to be removed easily then using silver dip is an option. Silver dip is a strong chemical process and works well to remove tarnish that cannot be removed through the previous methods.
First, you will have to wash your jewellery with gentle soap and water. Next, you will require:
- Aluminium foil
- Hot water
- Tablespoon of Baking soda
- Tablespoon of Salt
- Tablespoon of Gentle Detergent
- A soft cleaning cloth
- A bowl
Cut the aluminium foil to a size that would fit the bottom of the ceramic bowl. Pour a cup of water into the bowl, and add in one tablespoon of salt, baking soda and gentle detergent. Your strong cleaning solution is now ready. Now add your tarnished silver jewellery to the bowl.
Leave it in the solution for three to five minutes. Do not exceed five minutes and the shorter the amount of time it is in the solution the better it is for the sterling silver. Carefully remove your pieces and voila – you will have sparkling clean jewellery. Now rinse everything with clean water and wipe it dry with a soft, non-abrasive cloth and you are all done.
4. Silver Polish or Cream
If you have not achieved your desired results from the steps above then silver polish will be your next option. This is a great solution for cases of bad or difficult tarnish. Investing in a good quality silver polish from a reliable brand is key for this product to work on your pieces. We recommend Hagerty Silver & Multimetal Foam and Goddard’s Silver Polish Foam.
Apply the silver polish to your tarnished jewellery as gently as possible. The polish is slightly abrasive so to avoid scratches you will need to be careful while using it. As this is the last resort option it should not be used often.
What is Silver Tarnish?
Silver tarnish appears as black, grey or yellowish discolouration on your silver jewellery. Tarnish occurs when the pieces are exposed to oxygen, sulphur dioxide and other chemicals that are present in the air or water. Unfortunately, the tarnish takes away from the beauty of the jewellery.
Luckily tarnish is not something that you need to worry about. It is in fact a sign that you invested in authentic silver. There are misconceptions that real silver doesn’t tarnish, however, this is false. All silver tarnishes and there are ways to avoid this from happening however you have to be very careful with your pieces. There are so many simple ways to get rid of the tarnish as stated above that is not something that you have to worry about.
How to Protect Your Silver Jewellery From Tarnish
Keep Your Jewellery Dry
We recommend putting on your jewellery last when getting dressed. This means that your makeup, perfume and any lotions are not coming in direct contact with the sterling silver. We also recommend that you take off your jewellery before jumping into the shower or using makeup removing products. If you’ve worked out with your jewellery on or have gotten sweaty we recommend gently wiping your pieces clean so that they are well and truly dry.
How To Store Silver Jewllery
Once your jewellery is clean and dry, we recommend storing your precious sterling silver in a jewellery box lined with velvet. Velvet actually helps to absorb moisture in the air and will limit the tarnishing process. You can also store your pieces in a velvet pouch that will limit the air exposure and delay the tarnishing process.
Constant exposure to the air and humidity can ruin your sterling silver jewellery so storing your pieces out of the elements will help to retain the shine and add years to their life. Make sure your pieces are not touching each other when stored and there is adequate space in between them.
Clean Your Jewellery
If you wear your favourite pieces daily or don’t take them off at all, we recommend that you clean your jewellery regularly. Follow our simple cleaning steps listed above and by staying on top of the cleaning you will avoid tarnish from appearing on your pieces.
Things To Remember:
- When purchasing new jewellery make sure to read the manufacturer’s instructions. These will normally cover how to best care for that individual piece as some manufacturers may differ in their recommended cleaning protocols.
- Prepare a cleaning kit. It’s not only handy but will save you a lot of time in the future. Keep all of the essentials in one place including a soft cleaning cloth, cleaning solutions and anything else you require for a quick clean so you are never left with dirty or tarnished jewellery no matter where you are.
- Any jewellery that is embedded with stones of any kind needs to be tended with extra special care. Read the particular items’ manufacturer instructions to make sure you are utilising the cleaning methods that are suitable for those particular gemstones.
- If you have tried all of the above home remedies to get your jewellery back to its original sparkle and shine then please feel free to reach out to us. We will happily give you advice about the best way to clean and maintain that sparkle.
- Having a jewellery cleaning routine can add years to the life of your special pieces. As boring as the task might be, it is totally worth the effort! However, keep in mind that overdoing the cleaning isn’t good for your pieces either.
Final Thoughts
We have been creating sterling silver jewellery for years and we are passionate about our pieces. We understand that jewellery is not just an accessory, it is an expression of yourself and as jewellery lovers, we feel exactly the same way.
We love to create funky, ocean-inspired pieces that you are proud to flaunt. We also love to proudly wear our favourite jewellery pieces and we want them to last a long time. Tending to your pieces and keeping them bright and sparkly will have you proudly wearing them more.
