Mens Jewelry - Tips for Cleaning Sterling Silver Jewelry

Sterling Silver jewelry is a very versatile and beautiful type of jewelry available in men’s jewelry range. Silver is a much softer metal when compared to the other precious metals and has a bright luster and brilliance. Men’s sterling silver jewelry range mostly includes cufflinks, rings, chains, bracelets and pendants. It is ageless and unparallel in looks and design.

Unfortunately sterling silver jewelry is prone to oxidation and can be tarnished very easily. Cleaning sterling silver jewelry is not a very difficult task. You only need to take some preventive measures along with occasional polishing to keep them looking as good as new.

Try these simple steps and you will be guaranteed shining sterling silver jewelry forever:

1. Keep your sterling silver jewelry covered in a cloth enclosed in an airtight container. The idea is to avoid any contact of the metal with gas and salt present in air that can trigger the oxidation process. Also keep it separately from your other accessories as they get scratched easily.

2. Keep sterling silver men’s jewelry away from wood and bright light / direct sun light to slow down the process of oxidation.

3. Avoid wearing sterling silver jewelry daily or when you are in the pool as chemicals like chlorine, ammonia and even alcohol can tarnish it quickly. Similarly, to avoid discoloration, do not allow them to come in contact with perfumes. Wear your jewelry at the end of your dressing schedule.

4. After every use clean it with a soft cloth to remove the oil and grime that would have stuck to it from the skin.

5. Use cotton or silver cloth for cleaning sterling silver. Also do not use the same cloth for cleaning sterling silver and gold jewelry as it can have a negative effect on the silver jewelry.

6. For cleaning sterling silver jewelry, use a mild cleaner that is free of chemicals like chlorine and ammonia. Dilute the cleaner with water as a precautionary measure. Best home based cleaning agents would be baking soda and non abrasive tooth paste. Commercial silver cleaner and mild phosphate free detergents are also quite useful. Whatever cleaner you choose, ensure it is non abrasive to avoid scratches and chemical free.

7. The kind of brush you choose for cleaning sterling silver jewelry is also very important. Baby tooth brushes, soft bristle brushes or sunshine cloth are your best bet.

8. Avoid using ultrasonic cleaners as they could easily scratch them.

9. Do not soak the sterling silver jewelry in commercial cleaning solutions. It is better to dab it on the cotton or silver cloth and clean with light circular motions

10. Once thoroughly cleaned and polished, dry with unbleached cotton or soft flannel cloth and do not rub too hard.

If the scratches are too deep or the oxidation process has happened over a long period of time, consider having it cleaned and polished by a professional jeweler once. Then you can follow the above steps regularly.