Stainless steel is a very durable metal that is often used to make all kinds of jewelry. However, even though it can go through some serious wear and tear, it can get dirty and damaged. Constant wearing can get it some scratches, and even though it doesn’t rust, it can lose its shine if not taken care of properly. But, not all is lost if your stainless steel jewelry loses its luster. You can easily get it cleaned and polishes right at home, so let’s see what you can do to make your jewelry look as good as new.

Why should you clean it

It is obvious that this is a sturdy material that won’t rust or get too damaged over time, unlike gold and silver. However, when stainless steel jewelry is exposed to skin products it may collect fat which will then collect layers of dirt and dust. That is why you should occasionally clean it, in order to keep it clean, shiny and attractive. Luckily, there are some household products you can mix in order to easily maintain your stainless steel jewelry.

How to clean with soap and water

If there is just some dirt collected on your jewelry, you can simply use soap and water to clean it. Also, this will nicely work on getting rid of any grime or pollutants on it. So, get a mild liquid soap and pour it in a bowl with warm water. Soak all the jewelry you want to clean and let it sit for a few minutes.

Get a soft cloth and simply rub your jewelry. But, make sure to rub along the natural grain of the jewelry, and if it has any dirt stuck in the engravings, stones, channels, and grooves, you can use a soft toothbrush to clean it.

Once you are done with scrubbing and rubbing, simply rinse the jewelry with water, and make sure you are thorough. In the end, dry the pieces with a lint-free cloth in order to remove any water spots left.

Cleaning with baking soda

When your jewelry got too dirty and you want to scrub it a bit harder, you should learn how to clean stainless steel jewelry with baking soda. You can either mix baking soda with some water and use a toothbrush to scrub your jewelry, but for something more aggressive and efficient you can use vinegar instead of water.

Get a few spoons of vinegar and mix it with baking soda until you form a paste. Grab your old toothbrush or some old piece of cloth and clean the jewelry with the paste. If you have stainless steel tattoo jewelry with lots of crevices and gems, then you might want to use a brush and really get into all of the holes, cracks, curves and so on.

In the end, rinse the jewelry with some water and dry with a soft towel and you are good to go.

Scrubbing with toothpaste

Toothpaste is a great homemade cleaner for your stainless steel pieces, but you have to be careful with your choices. Some toothpaste brands contain ingredients designed to whiten the teeth, but those can damage your jewelry and its color. Also, make sure there is no silica in it since that can cause some damage as well.

So, just to be safe, you can pick a gel toothpaste that is smooth and soft. Once again, you can pick a soft toothbrush or a soft cloth as your tool. Take a small amount of toothpaste and spread it on the cloth or a brush and start scrubbing. However, don’t push too hard, because even though it is durable, some pieces can be brittle and fragile and break if you put too much pressure on it.

Once you are sure you are done scrubbing, or you just love how it looks now, you can simply rinse your necklace, ring or whatever is the piece you’re cleaning with some water and dry it with a cloth.

How to polish stainless steel jewelry

Knowing how to clean your stainless steel jewelry at home is a lifesaver, however, knowing how to polish it as well will work magic on those pieces. If there are any scratches or damages on your jewelry, you can get them out easily with a few household products, but you have to be careful not to use too abrasive ones.

So, to keep that luster of your stainless steel, you can use a jewelry polishing cloth. Simply rub it gently and give your best to remove all that dirt and oils that are clogging its shine. And remember to always go in the direction of the jewelry’s grain of the metal to avoid further scratching.

You can also use toothpaste that has whitening ingredients, but you really have to be careful with the amount and scrubbing, because you could damage the color.

Lastly, you can take it for some professional polishing to your jeweler. But if the piece is far too damaged, you should consider simply replacing it, because stainless steel is really affordable.

Stainless steel jewelry will always be trendy. Not only because it can look really gorgeous and it comes in many shapes and sizes, but also because it’s really easy to clean and maintain. Yes, it is durable, but it could get dirty and lose its shine, but do not despair because you can easily clean it at home with these simple solutions. Additionally, you can take extra care of it by keeping it organized and closed in a jewelry box, so it doesn’t get additional dirt and dust on it.