Has it ever occurred to you that you need to clean your earrings? Well, I was today years old when I found out! Apparently, with or without COVID-19, cleaning earrings is extremely important for both your personal hygiene and for the longevity of the said earrings. And just in case you didn’t know, earrings are exposed to more dirt and grime than just about any other piece of jewellery, well, excluding rings.

Contrary to what you may believe, actually cleaning earrings or any other jewellery is better than disinfecting it. Disinfectants such as bleach, chlorine or alcohol are not safe on the precious metals that your jewellery may be made of.

Sahar Barati, founder and creative head of Sahar BMD, a Canadian Jewelry brand, shares with us some top tips on cleaning earrings and other jewellery, as well as how to disinfect them safely.

How often should you be cleaning earrings?

This depends on how often you wear them, and how you store them. Earrings that you wear every day will need the most care. Take a closer look at those pairs; everyday dirt and residue from hair products can build up surprisingly quickly. For the earrings which you wear less often, less frequent maintenance is required.

Precious metals: How about cleaning silver and gold earrings?

To clean fine jewellery pieces, like earrings made from gold or silver, begin by cleaning up their appearance. The absolute best thing you can do this is with a little polishing cloth. These cost just a few quid and will last forever. Rub your polishing cloth over the jewellery to take away any tarnish and leave them shining. You can also use a little shampoo, diluted with some warm water, to wash away any further dirt your earrings might have picked up. Finally, sanitise the post (that’s the part of the earring that goes through your ear.) To do this, use a simple saline solution. Take some cotton wool, dip it in salty water and rub it over the post. This will disinfect it from anything that you don’t want going in your ear.

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What about cleaning costume earrings?

Cleaning earrings that are for costume purposes requires a slightly lighter touch; polishing too hard can cause gold or silver plating, or the colouring on the metal of your earrings, to be wiped away, ruining their appearance over time. Instead of using a polishing cloth, use a microfiber cloth – the kind you probably already use to clean around the house.

You’d be surprised by how much dirt can be removed with just a bit of warm water and shampoo. Dry off with a microfibre cloth or even some kitchen roll – something that just has a tiny bit of texture to get rid of superficial dirt. Finally, sanitise the earring posts with a saline solution.

And gemstones?

Other than emeralds, diamonds and gemstones tend to be very hard, meaning they can withstand a deeper clean that will leave them looking their best. All kinds of dirt collect in the metal setting that holds gemstones in place. Gently loosen it with a soft children’s toothbrush and a bit of shampoo and water.

One important exception to this is pearls, which can dissolve over time if they get wet. So avoid using soap or water entirely on pearl earrings – instead, use a dry polishing cloth to remove surface tarnishing and keep them looking their best.

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A few other key tips to note: Hand sanitizer should not be used on any organic gems, like pearls. The alcohol in sanitizer can dry out the gems and lead to surface damage or cracking. Hand sanitizer is also not safe on porous stones like turquoise. When in doubt, it is always better to take your jewellery off before washing your hands. Keep your jewellery off while you moisturize your hands because a moisturizer can easily get into the various areas of settings on your jewellery and dirty it.

So, how old were you when you realized cleaning earrings is a thing? And how often do you do it? Share in the comments.