How to Make Your Earrings Sparkle

When you own a pair of earrings you love, you want them to keep that brand-new sparkle they had when you first got them. But everyday wear, along with the passage of time, can dull the stones, their decorative housing and their posts. A combination of preventative care and routine maintenance keeps your earrings shiny for years.

Instructions

1

Remove your earrings when they may be exposed to a lot of dirt or sweat. The less you expose the jewelry to debris, the cleaner it stays. Some examples of when to take off your earrings are before you go to bed (the oil from your hair and skin accumulate on them), before you style your hair (styling products dull the surface), and before you perform yard work (a lawn mower can blow dirt around your face).

2

Always store the earrings in a jewelry box or pouch whenever you don't wear them. Keeping them in a closed container prevents dust from gathering on them. Ideally, the jewelry box or pouch is lined with soft material to cushion the earrings and reduce lint. Use a travel kit to hold them when you visit beach environments.

3

Never swim, shower or get in jacuzzi with your earrings. Pools and jacuzzis are cleaned with harsh chemicals like chlorine, which can damage all the parts of an earring. Swimming in an ocean means you are dunking your jewelry in abrasive salt water.

4

Clean the jewelry you wear regularly, about every four weeks. Add a few drops of gentle dish soap to warm water, stir the water with a teaspoon to dissolve to soap, and soak the earrings for 15 minutes. Lightly scrub the earrings with an old toothbrush (the bristles are softer than a new one), rinse them with warm water in a colander, and buff them dry with a soft, lint-free cloth.