How To Clean Earrings With Salt Water

With most of us having a little extra time at home on our hands, now is a great time to turn your attention to the tasks that might not usually top your to-do list – like cleaning your earrings.

The good news is, it's not as tricky a task as it sounds. Jewellery expert and founder of The Cut London, Kate Baxter, shares her tips for keeping your earring collection clean and sanitary.

How often should I clean my earrings?

"It really depends on how often you wear them, and how you store them," explains Baxter.

Earrings that you wear everyday 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 earrings you wear less often, less frequent maintenance is required.

Precious metals: How to clean silver earrings 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 with is a little polishing cloth," says Baxter, "These cost just a couple of pounds and will last forever. I've had mine for nearly 10 years."

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Rub your polishing cloth over silver or gold earrings to take away any tarnish and leave them shining.

Next, Baxter recommends using a little shampoo, diluted with some warm water, to wash away any further dirt your earrings might have picked up.

Finally, it's time to sanitise the post (that's the part of the earring that goes through your ear.) To do this, Baxter suggests a simple saline solution.

"Take some cotton wool, dip it in salt water and rub it over the post," she says, "This will disinfect it from anything that you don't want to be putting back in your ear."

How to clean costume earrings

Cleaning costume earrings 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.

Krista Plucinski / FOAP Getty Images

Instead of using a polishing cloth, Baxter suggests a standard microfibre 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," says Kate. "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.

How to clean gemstones

Other than emeralds, diamonds and gemstones tend to be very hard, meaning they can withstand a deeper clean that will them looking their best.

"All kinds of dirt collects 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," Baxter advises.

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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