How to Clean your Beaded Jewellery

Is your treasured beaded jewellery looking a little grubby? We put our precious necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings through the mill with grease, grime, soap, cosmetics (the list goes on) dulling their shine after constant wear. It happens to the best of us!

The good news is it’s really easy to clean even the most delicate jewellery at home using just a few household items! This method is gentle on your jewellery so you can use it on even the most intricate beaded pieces. It doesn’t involve any toxic chemicals, so it’s kind to the environment too.

You will need:

A bowl
Warm water
Mild washing up liquid – preferably a natural brand with no added colouring
A soft toothbrush
A towel or kitchen roll/ paper towel
Warm water

First, soak your piece of jewellery for 5-10 minutes in warm water with a little dish washing liquid added. I prefer to use distilled water because it’s free of the mineral deposits which can dull your jewellery, but tap water is absolutely fine.

Then take your soft toothbrush and give the piece a gentle scrub. I like to hold the beads firmly and give the wire-wrapped parts a good scrub, as that’s where the grime (and lint, hand cream, you name it!) tends to build up.

Tip your soapy water away and dunk your jewellery in fresh, clean water. Give it a good rinse (you might need to change the water a couple of times to remove all the soap).

Set your clean, sparkly jewellery on a towel to dry thoroughly before wearing it or storing it away. Storing silver or gold-plated jewellery when it’s damp can cause it to oxidise, or blacken, so do make sure it’s dry – use a hairdryer on a low setting if you’re in a hurry.

Your jewellery will look good as new – wear it with pride!