Jewellery Cleaning during COVID-19

We know that there have been concerns raised about the amount of time the Coronavirus is able to survive on hard surfaces and this includes jewellery, not to mention the additional handwashing and hand sanitiser and the effect this can have on your jewellery.

We would like to offer our top tips to you to help look after your jewellery at this time.

Remove Your Jewellery When Washing Your Hands or Using Hand Sanitiser

For your own protection we advise that you remove your rings while washing your hands to ensure you are not leaving any germs or bacteria underneath your rings and to make sure your hands are as clean as possible. This also includes while cleaning your hands with hand sanitiser, as leaving rings on will reduce the area being cleaned. Chemicals in the hand sanitiser may also be harmful to your jewellery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clean Your Jewellery Regularly

To reduce any risk, we would advise you clean your jewellery more often than usual. They should also be cleaned to avoid any chemical build up from soaps or sanitiser if you have been unable to remove them while washing your hands. 

Cleaning Silver & Gold Jewellery

Silver and gold jewellery can be cleaned in warm water with a jewellery cleaner or little washing-up liquid, you can also use a very soft toothbrush to give them a soft scrub and reach in any crevices or settings. Most gemstone jewellery can be cleaned in this way, including diamonds, sapphires and rubies, however softer stones, like pearls or lava stones, should not be cleaned in this way. They should be polished with a clean, soft cloth.

Cleaning Vermeil Jewellery

Vermeil jewellery has a solid gold or rose gold plating on the surface. In order to help the gold last a long time, we would recommend not scrubbing the surface of these pieces. Soak them in warm water and gentle dishwashing liquid to clean and kill any bacteria, then pat them dry with a soft cloth, to avoid scratching or rubbing the surface.

Cleaning Steel Jewellery

Stainless steel jewellery can be cleaned in the same way as silver or gold, in warm water with a little washing-up liquid or jewellery cleaner.

Cleaning Leather Jewellery

Avoid immersing leather bracelets in water or a jewellery cleaner, as this will damage the leather. You can clean the clasp with a jewellery cleaner and the leather itself should be cleaned with a damp cloth, baby wipes can also be used to keep these clean.