How to Care For and Clean Baby Jewelry At Home

All jewelry needs to be cleaned and cared for, but baby jewelry is especially important to keep clean and damage-free. The process itself is quite simple at home, and whether it’s your child’s favorite everyday piece or reserved for wearing during special occasions, proper care and cleaning of your infant and child jewelry is important for keeping it in good condition.

With only a few household products, you can keep your child or infant’s special pieces sparkling, bright, and fit for your princess.

How to Clean Gold Baby Jewelry

Pure gold is always 24 karats, and if it’s marked as any less, this indicates that the gold has been mixed with other metals. Adding additional alloys to gold usually makes it stronger and less prone to damage, but we’ll cover the proper care and cleaning of that type of jewelry later.

Cleaning pure or alloyed gold infant or child’s jewelry isn’t expensive and can easily be done at home with a few household products, like ammonia and dish detergent. If you child’s jewelry also contains a colored stone, hold off on the ammonia and just use detergent instead, as this will prevent any accidental discoloration or damage. If using ammonia, make sure to rinse the piece or pieces thoroughly to avoid irritating baby’s skin.

How-To:

1. Fill a small glass container with warm, not hot, water, and add one to two drops of Dawn dish detergent.
2. Add a few tiny drops of ammonia and mix gently.
3. Dip the jewelry to coat, and then gently clean with child’s toothbrush or a q-tip, making sure to thoroughly go over any nooks and crannies that could harbor dirt or residue.
4. Rinse thoroughly in lukewarm, then cold water to remove any residual cleaning substance.
5. You can either let the jewelry air-dry, or gently dry it by hand using a soft cloth or a paper towel.

Keep in Mind:

• Gold is a soft metal, and should be cleaned very gently.
• When your child is not wearing her pretty pieces, they should be stored somewhere dry and fabric-lined, such as a jewelry pouch or a special box made for storing jewelry.
• Earrings usually require a little more regular cleaning than pieces like bracelets or necklaces. Let them soak in the cleaning solution a bit, and then clean as you would other jewelry. Rinse even more thoroughly to prevent skin irritation and completely remove any residue.

How to Clean Sterling Silver Baby Jewelry

Sterling silver oxidizes naturally when exposed to oxygen, and while it’s not harmful, this can lead to baby’s jewelry appearing tarnished or dirty. This is just a natural reaction to the chemical bonding that occurs when the oxygen hits the surface, and with a little bit of effort, you can make sure her special necklace or bracelet looks pretty again.

The purity of the metal will determine how soft it is and how quickly it tarnishes - .950 sterling silver is more fragile and prone to bending and tarnishing more quickly than jewelry labeled .925, so pay attention to what your child’s jewelry is made of. Frequent wear is actually a good way to keep baby’s silver jewelry clean, as oils from her skin will keep it clean and shiny, but it’s a good idea to properly clean it every once in awhile, especially the pieces are for special occasion only. Unlike gold jewelry, it’s a good idea to clean silver with NO ammonia, as this can damage the metal.

Polishing:

If the silver tarnishing is light and not severe, simply using a lint-free flannel or microfiber cloth will remove impurities. Use gentle back-and-forth motions and periodically alter the section of cloth. A q-tip can be used to polish small, detailed areas.

Thorough Cleaning How-To:

1. In a small glass container, make a paste with a small amount of baking soda and some warm, not hot, water.
2. Use a q-tip or small cloth to apply a tiny, pea-sized amount to baby’s silver jewelry, and polish gently. For more detailed, etched, or stamped pieces, thin the paste with a little bit more water and clean with a small soft-bristled toothbrush or q-tip.
3. Thoroughly rinse the pieces under warm water and dry with a soft clean cloth to prevent white water spot stains from forming. Don’t use paper towel, as this could actually damage or scratch the silver.
4. Store baby’s silver jewelry as you would her gold pieces, in a dry, clean, and fabric pouch or fabric-lined box.

How To Clean Stainless Steel Baby Jewelry

Stainless steel jewelry contains chromium as well as steel. It doesn’t corrode or rust and can be very resistant to scratches or stains, but it’s still important to protect your child’s stainless steel jewelry and keep it in good condition. It’s one of the easiest metals to clean.

How-To:

1. Add some warm water to a small bowl and add a few drops of a mild dish soap.
2. Dip a soft microfiber or lint-free cloth into the soapy water and gently wipe the infant jewelry until it’s clean. Rubbing the cloth along the piece’s polish lines will work best.
3. Gently rinse any residual soap off of the jewelry with warm water and then leave the jewelry to air dry.
4. Once it’s dry, use a clean dry cloth to polish it and store as you would gold or sterling silver jewelry.

How to Clean Baby Jewelry with Gemstones or Crystals

It’s important to avoid discoloration or damage when it comes to cleaning your baby’s gemstone or crystal jewelry, but most pieces will be just fine using any of the methods above. As an alternative, you can also use white vinegar to care for your baby’s jewelry at home.

How-To:

1. Fill a small dish with white vinegar.
2. Rinse the jewelry under cold water, and then submerge it in the white vinegar.
3. Let the jewelry sit for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the level of build-up, then rinse.
4. Wipe clean with a soft dry cloth.

Keep in Mind: Infant jewelry with pearls or other opaque stones should be wiped with a damp cloth, briefly rinsed with warm water and a few drops of detergent, and wiped clean. Never use ammonia or toothpaste.  

Other Tips:

• Your child’s safety is most important! If she’s under the age of three, make sure you remove any jewelry she’s wearing before bedtime, unsupervised playtime, rides in the car, or before she does anything very active. If your child is three and up, supervision should still be provided while she’s wearing her jewelry to prevent any incidences.

• Avoid exposing your child’s special pieces to chlorine, salt water, and household chemicals. Have her remove any jewelry she’s wearing before swimming, and even before bathtime as well.
• Especially fragile jewelry can be safely cleaned with baby shampoo. Simply substitute a few drops of baby shampoo in place of the Dawn in the steps above and proceed.
• Don’t use the baking soda method for pearl or opaque gemstone jewelry, as the texture could scratch or damage them.

By spending a few moments of your time with a few simple household products, you can keep baby’s jewelry as shiny as new and ready to last a lifetime. Visit our website to shop for high-quality baby jewelry, or contact customer service for more information about child and infant jewelry care and cleaning.