How to Clean and Sanitize Your Jewelry, According to 3 Designers

From diamonds to gemstones and precious metals, it's essential to care for fine jewelry, and that includes knowing how to clean it. You might wear an engagement ring or wedding stack. Perhaps you never take off a mix of delicate earrings, bracelets, and necklaces; you sleep in them, you work out in them, you shower in them, you cook in them. Or, you might be the type to rotate through various rings, pendants, and earrings day to day, each piece a considered accent to every outfit. No matter your jewelry habits, investing the time (as you did the money) is key for keeping your precious pieces looking their best. Besides, it's crucial to practice good jewelry hygiene when you're doing everything you can to keep your hands clean and free of unwanted germs.

To serve as your official guide on how to clean jewelry at home, POPSUGAR spoke to fine jewelry designers Ashley Zhang, Grace Lee, and Katherine Kim of KatKim for their professional tips, which boil down to 12 key takeaways. From the best at-home cleaning solutions to the products you should never use on diamonds and gemstones, keep scrolling for all the dos and don'ts of cleaning fine jewelry.

What Is the Best Homemade Jewelry Cleaner?
Courtesy of KatKim

What Is the Best Homemade Jewelry Cleaner?

For at-home cleaning, Katherine told POPSUGAR that filling a small bowl with warm water and adding in a few drops of dishwashing soap is the best. "You can soak your jewelry in there for about 5 to 10 minutes. Once it had its bath, you can take a soft toothbrush to remove any residue and rinse off any excess soap under warm water," she said.

After a gentle scrub, Katherine said to dry your ring with a soft cloth to prevent any scratching. "I also use the steam wand on my espresso machine, and it works wonders."

What Is the Best Way to Clean Fine Jewelry?
Courtesy of Grace Lee

What Is the Best Way to Clean Fine Jewelry?

As a best practice, Ashley said to take off all your rings and put them in a small dish or bowl when you get home with warm water with a drop of dish soap. While your pieces soak, she said to wash your hand for 20 seconds. After removing your rings from the cleaning solution, pat them dry with a paper towel.

Can Apple Cider Vinegar Clean Jewelry? Can Baking Soda Damage Jewelry?
Courtesy of Ashley Zhang

Can Apple Cider Vinegar Clean Jewelry? Can Baking Soda Damage Jewelry?

An organic apple cider vinegar and baking soda mixture is okay to clean jewelry with, according to Grace. She said to gently scrub with a soft baby toothbrush and then rinse your pieces under running water with a sink drain cover in place as an extra precaution.

Is Hand Sanitizer Bad For Jewelry?
Courtesy of KatKim

Is Hand Sanitizer Bad For Jewelry?

The primary active ingredient in most hand sanitizers is alcohol, which Grace said is safe for jewelry, but with caution. "I would use caution when using sanitizers with fragrances or dyes," she said. "We use alcohol swabs to clean earring posts in our studio."

Does Hand Sanitizer Damage Diamonds?
Courtesy of Ashley Zhang

Does Hand Sanitizer Damage Diamonds?

Grace said that the alcohol in hand sanitizer can be used to wipe gold and diamonds, but does not suggest using it on softer gemstones like opals, emeralds, or turquoise, which are more porous.

"It's not a great idea to use hand sanitizer or alcohol-based products on these stones because they can corrode over time," Ashley said. "With stones like emeralds, certain cleaners are not compatible with the oil treatment of them. When in doubt, it's safer to use soap and water."

Should I Take My Engagement Ring Off to Wash My Hands?
Courtesy of Grace Lee

Should I Take My Engagement Ring Off to Wash My Hands?

While there is no need to take off rings when washing hands, according to Grace, Ashley made the point that you can better clean your hands when you're not wearing any rings. If you choose to keep your rings on, Grace said it's safe to use mild soaps but added that it's risky to take off your rings when you're not at home.

Can You Use Hydrogen Peroxide to Clean Jewelry?
Courtesy of KatKim

Can You Use Hydrogen Peroxide to Clean Jewelry?

Grace said that in her studio, she uses hydrogen peroxide interchangeably with alcohol to wipe earring posts. While it is safe, Ashley said it's not necessary and that soap and water is her recommended cleaning solution.

Can You Clean Jewelry With Rubbing Alcohol?
Courtesy of Grace Lee

Can You Clean Jewelry With Rubbing Alcohol?

Grace said it's okay to wipe down a piece of jewelry with rubbing alcohol, but not to soak items in it for an extended period. Ashley does not recommend using rubbing alcohol, again promoting the cleaning practice of soap and water.

Can You Boil Jewelry to Clean It?
Courtesy of Ashley Zhang

Can You Boil Jewelry to Clean It?

"No. I would recommend an at-home jewelry cleaner or a professional cleaning," Grace told POPSUGAR.

Is It Bad to Leave Earrings in All the Time?
Courtesy of KatKim

Is It Bad to Leave Earrings in All the Time?

"Each person's body chemistry will react to gold differently," Grace said. "I recommed changing earrings out or periodically cleaning your ear and earrings if you tend not to change your earrings."

Can You Clean Jewelry With Toothpaste?
Courtesy of Ashley Zhang

Can You Clean Jewelry With Toothpaste?

Grace does not recommend cleaning jewelry with toothpaste because of the harsh ingredients used in formulas.

Can You Use Bleach to Clean Jewelry?
Courtesy of KatKim

Can You Use Bleach to Clean Jewelry?

Both Grace and Ashley said not to use bleach to clean jewelry. "Rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide is sufficient to clean and sanitize jewelry," Grace said.