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

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."

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.

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.

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."

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."

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.

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.

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.

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

"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."

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

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.