6 Ways To Clean Gunky Earrings To Make Your Bling Sparkle Like New

If your earrings need a quick sprucing up, put some peroxide on a cotton pad, then carefully use the pad to clean all over the earring.

Because of their location, earrings are prone to get visibly dirtier than almost any other piece of jewelry.

Luckily, cleaning your earrings is actually super easy, and there are a ton of ways to go about doing it. Here are some of the top tips below so you can say goodbye to gunky, grime-filled earrings once and for all.

1.Grab the hydrogen peroxide.

Hydrogen peroxide is a great option for jewelry cleaning. If your earrings need a quick sprucing up, put some peroxide on a cotton pad, then carefully use the pad to clean all over the earring. Or, as Cheryl Roberts, of custom jewelry brand Lexie Jordan Jewelry says, “Grab either a bottle of cleaning solution or fill a small cup with hydrogen peroxide. Let your earrings site in there for a few minutes and then drop them into a cup of hot water. After a minute or so you can remove them from the hot water and use a Q-tip to clean the areas with grime left over.”

2.Use a toothpick for hard-to-reach spots.

Earrings can be a little tricky to clean, especially if they’re tiny or have some sort of elaborate design. Grab a toothpick for those hard to reach areas!

3.Give them a wipe with a microfiber cloth.

A soft, microfiber cloth like the one you use to wipe your sunglasses works well on jewelry. Unlike a towel with loops that can easily get caught in the items prongs and leave little fibers on your earrings, or a paper towel that could scratch the metal, microfiber cloths will gently buff out any finger prints or product residue without damaging the earring itself.

4.Submerge in hot water.

Want something even simpler? Boil some water, put it in a mug, then place your earrings in there and let them soak for about 20 minutes. Gently scrub with a clean toothbrush. This method won’t be quite as effective as a cleaning solution would, but it will definitely help.

5.Dazzle diamonds with dish soap.

Gemologist Anu Raman, who works for luxury jewelry brands like Chopard, advises mixing together 3-5 drops of dish soap and one cup of hot tap water.Let the water cool enough to touch. Take the items and using a soft toothbrush scrub away any residue that’s left. Let air dry on a paper towel or clean cotton cloth.

Soak your diamonds in the solution for about three to four minutes, then rub gently with a soft, clean toothbrush. Let them soak for another one to two minutes, then rinse them off in a bowl of cold water and let dry.

6.Clean sterling silver with a silver wipe .

Sterling Silver is sensitive to oxygen and water, explains Louisa Schenider, founder and CEO of at-home piercing company, Rowan. Because of this, she advises you try to avoid spraying perfumes or hair products near them. But don’t worry if your earrings oxidize. “Sterling Silver is a precious metal and is easily cleaned to its original shiny state,” she says. Sterling silver cleaning wipes are created with a formula that’s gentle enough not to damage your earrings, but effective enough to return them to their clean state and lustrous shine.

You won’t want to use many of these tips on real gemstones or pearl earrings. Those are super delicate and require a little extra care and effort.