If you wear your jewellery every day, then not only will it lose its shine over time, but any recessed detail will also hold germs and store dirt. For this reason and with hygiene at the forefront of everyone's minds, keeping your jewellery clean and free from germs is more important than ever.

According to ‘cleanfluencer’ Harriet Knock, “cleaning jewellery prolongs its life and keeps it sparkling and eye-catching. However, at the moment it’s more important than ever to clean our jewellery - especially rings, as they are on our hands and will come into contact with lots of germs”.

Thankfully and something that is really is to accomplish, cleaning your jewellery at home is a really easy process. To learn more about how you can safely and effectively clean your jewellery at home, we spoke to our spokesperson, Nick Withington, and asked him for all of his top tips.

What cleaning products or ingredients help to clean silver or gold the best?

The material your pieces of jewellery are made from will dictate the cleaning products that are most suitable for cleaning them. If your jewellery is made from silver, then you’ll likely find that baking soda and vinegar are the best ingredients for making the material shine. Plus, as an added bonus, they’re both affordable and easy to purchase, so you can pick them up as part of your weekly shop.

If your jewellery is made from gold, then instead consider using warm water and mild dishwashing soap. Gold can react to certain chemicals, so we wouldn’t advise using any other ingredients to clean your gold jewellery.

What polishing alternatives are currently out there instead of silver cleaning cloths?

Silver cleaning cloths are certainly the ‘go to’ solution for many people who clean their jewellery at home. However, other cleaning solutions are available, such as pencil brushes, cleaning mitts and wipe-on, wash-off polishes.

But, these solutions can be fairly pricey. So it’s worth trying a baking soda and white vinegar solution first.

Are there any ‘home hacks’ or ‘DIY hacks’ people can use?

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Cleaning your jewellery at home is really simple. In fact, you can use ingredients that you usually have around the house anyway. For example, a mixture of white wine and baking soda will leave even heavily tarnished silver jewellery sparkling.

To clean your jewellery this way, first place half a cup of white wine vinegar in a bowl and then carefully add 2 tablespoons of baking soda. Just be careful as the mixture will fizz a little, and you’ll want to avoid it spilling over the sides. Now, add your jewellery and leave to soak for 2-3 hours. Once soaked, simply remove your jewellery, rinse it and dry it thoroughly.

How should people tend to a diamond ring?

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Cleaning a diamond ring is relatively straightforward. Firstly, fill a bowl with warm water and then add a splash of washing up liquid. Then, add the jewellery you’re looking to clean and leave to soak for around half an hour.

After soaking, remove the jewellery and gently brush the stone (or stones) with a soft-bristled toothbrush that doesn’t contain any rubber bristles (a child’s toothbrush usually works well for this). After brushing the surface of the diamond, make a special effort to get underneath and behind the stone, as the base and the mount of the stone are where a lot of dirt and germs build up over time.

How should stainless steel watches be cleaned, and how often if worn every day?

If you wear your watch every day, then it’s likely to show signs of wear and tear. But, because it’s worn on your wrist, it’s also likely to come into contact with dirt and germs. As a result, you should clean the watch case and bracelet with a slightly damp cloth regularly. If your watch has any diamond embellishments, then you should gently scrub them with a soapy brush, too.

Even if your watch is water resistant, you should avoid placing it in hot water (like the water from a recently boiled kettle). This is because the water can damage the gaskets. Similarly, if your watch has a leather strap, you should try to avoid getting it wet as moisture can damage its appearance. If you do get the strap wet, then this is okay. Just make sure that you dry it out properly immediately after.

For watches that are waterproof, what solutions can be used and how should they be cleaned?

If your watch is waterproof, then you can clean it slightly differently. Firstly, fill one bowl with clean, warm water and another with warm water and a small amount of antibacterial soap.

Then, dip the bracelet or strap of your watch into the soapy water for 15-20 seconds (do not dip in the full watch). After this, remove the watch and gently scrub it with a clean, damp, soft-bristled toothbrush, ensuring you get into all the gaps where the germs build up. Finally, dip it into the clean, warm water to rinse it and pat it dry with a soft cloth immediately.

Should I wash my jewellery after exercising?

If you wear your jewellery while you’re exercising, then you’re exposing it to large amounts of sweat and germs. For this reason, you should clean it carefully after you exercise.

Similarly, if you wear gold jewellery while you exercise, then it’s also much more likely to tarnish quicker. So, if your gold jewellery is easily removable (like a gold chain), then we recommend that you remove it before you exercise. This way, not only will it be more hygienic, but it will also stay looking at its best for even longer.

Are there any other materials that should be cleaned differently?

Some metals are more sensitive than others and you should try to avoid cleaning your jewellery with any harsh chemicals.

Similarly, it’s easy to accidentally damage gold or silver cases and bracelets because the material can be soft. For this reason, you should take extra care when cleaning and ensure that you only brush the surface gently (rather than scrubbing aggressively). This way, you’ll avoid scratching the material or causing any unnecessary damage.

If you follow these top tips, you’ll have no problem keeping your jewellery in tip-top condition. Plus, you’ll also make sure it’s free from any germs and dirt, so it will be far more hygienic than ever before. If you’ve successfully cleaned your jewellery using our techniques, why not show us the results by tagging us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter? We’d love to see the final results.