You sure want to keep your body jewelry shiny and in a perfect shape. To achieve this, it’s important to take a good care of it and to clean it regularly. The type of appropriate care and cleaning instructions will depend on the material.
Different materials (surgical steel, titanium, gold, organic materials, etc.) require different care and cleaning instructions you should follow.
Surgical Steel
Surgical Steel is a high-quality steel that’s safe for body use. Unlike stainless steel, it doesn’t cause allergies and other problems. It should be noted that some people can wear stainless steel jewelry without a problem, so you shouldn’t completely forget about stainless steel if you don’t have allergies. However, surgical steel is a superior material and it’s much safer for body use.
This is why it’s strongly advisable to purchase body jewelry and sex toys made of surgical steel. Chances are that you have at least several jewelry pieces made of this material. Another advantage to this material is that it can easily be cleaned and maintained.
To keep your surgical steel jewelry in a perfect shape, all you need to do is to wash it with antibacterial soap and warm water. Make sure to leave your jewelry to fully dry before you insert it into your piercing or before you store it for later use.
Titanium
Titanium is a premium material and it’s ideal for body jewelry. It is completely body safe so it’s great for people for allergies. Another great advantage to titanium is that it’s lightweight. On average, steel jewelry is twice as heavy as titanium jewelry. This is very important for larger jewelry pieces or jewelry worn in stretched piercings (the so-called “gauges”). Plus, titanium comes in many different colors (there are even multi-colored pieces), so it’s very fun to wear. It’s true that it costs a bit more than steel jewelry but it’s worth it.
To keep your titanium jewelry in perfect shape, simply wash it with antibacterial soap and a warm water. Leave it to dry before you use it or store it. Make sure not to use alcohol or harsh cleaners on your titanium jewelry – it can damage it.
One word of warning: colored titanium jewelry may fade after a while, especially if used for oral piercings. This is not dangerous and it will not damage your jewelry or hurt you in any way.
Gold
Gold jewelry is beautiful, elegant and classy. However, keep in mind that 14k gold is the most appropriate for body jewelry. Also, certain gold types contain nickel, which can cause allergic reactions. This is why it’s advisable to only use body jewelry made of nickel-free gold.
To take care of your gold jewelry, wash it with antibacterial soap and warm water. Leave it to dry before use or storing. It’s important to only use mild soap. Never use alcohol or other harsh chemicals on your gold jewelry. Gold jewelry can appear worn out after a while so gently buff it to make it regain its original shine.
Sterling Silver
Sterling silver is beautiful, but it should never be worn in new piercings. It’s also important to wear silver jewelry only if you’re not allergic to it.
To clean body jewelry made of sterling silver, use antibacterial soap with warm water. Leave it to dry before use or storing. Never use alcohol or harsh chemicals on your silver jewelry. Keep in mind that silver can tarnish over time (turn brown). To give it back its former shine, lightly buff it and it will be as good as new.
Acrylic
Acrylic jewelry is great because it’s very lightweight. Another advantage is that you can wear it in situations where metal jewelry is not recommended. The downside is that it can be used only for healed piercings (this goes for stretched piercings, too – never use it for newly stretched piercings). Also, acrylic jewelry is not the best material for oral piercings.
To take care of your acrylic jewelry, gently wash it with antibacterial soap and warm water. Leave it to dry before you use it or store it. Never clean your acrylic jewelry with alcohol or other harsh chemicals.
When handling acrylic jewelry, you have to be careful. This is a gentle material that can easily break if it’s handled harshly. Also, it can warp on high temperatures so never leave it in direct sunlight.
Silicone
Silicone is body safe and lightweight, so it makes a good body jewelry material, especially for situations where wearing metal jewelry is not recommended.
To clean your silicone jewelry, make sure to use mild antibacterial soap and warm water. Let it dry before use or storing. Never use alcohol or other harsh chemicals because they can damage silicone material and ruin your jewelry.
Niobium
Niobium is a beautiful metal that’s completely body safe. While it’s a bit heavier than steel it’s a good alternative because it doesn’t cause allergies. Another advantage to niobium is that it can be colored, so there are many different colors available for your body jewelry.
To clean your niobium jewelry, simply wash it with antibacterial soap and warm water. Let it dry before you insert it into your piercing or before you store it.
PVD Coated Jewelry
PVD coated steel or titanium jewelry requires a bit of extra care. It’s important to keep the PVD coating intact, so it’s important never to use any harsh chemicals (such as alcohol) on the PVD coated jewelry. Stick to antibacterial soap and warm jewelry. It’s important to take care of your jewelry to prevent PVD coating from chipping.
Organic Jewelry
Cleaning organic jewelry will depend on the material (wood, stone, horn, glass, etc.) Keep in mind that this jewelry is made only for healed piercings. Organic jewelry is sensitive to extreme conditions (sun, warmth, water, etc.) so it’s best to store it in dark and cool place.
• Wood: To keep your wood jewelry in a great condition, make sure to oil it with natural plant oil about once per week. Never get your wood jewelry wet for a long period of time. It’s best to remove it before swimming or showering. It’s also advisable to sand your wood jewelry with sandpaper and polish it afterwards (it’s best to polish your jewelry with a soft cloth).
• Stone: Stone is best cleaned using a warm water and a bit of mild soap. Make sure to dry it before use or storing. Stone jewelry can break if you drop it, so make sure to handle it with care.
• Buffalo horn and bone: It’s important to clean the jewelry before use. Clean it quickly with mild soap and water. Rinse and dry it straight away. To make your jewelry last for longer, lightly oil it with coconut oil about once per week – it will prevent cracking. Polish your jewelry from time to time with a soft cloth to keep it in a great condition. It’s also recommended to take horn and bone jewelry out before swimming or showering. You should not get it wet!
• Glass: Glass jewelry can be cleaned with antibacterial soap and warm water. Make sure to let it dry before use or storing. Glass jewelry can break if you drop it so handle it with care.
| Melina is a staff writer, author and researcher for TheChainGang. She covers numerous subjects, from body jewelry to kinky adult toys. In addition to this, Melina also provides occasional adult toy reviews written in an interesting and sexy manner. She says: “I’m happy and proud to be a part of TheChainGang team. I enjoy every research because I know how much importance TheChainGang places on customer satisfaction and providing accurate and up to date information. I particularly like sex toy reviews: they are fun to write and experience”. In addition to writing and researching, Melina provides online research results and handy information for buyers interested in accurate and easily understandable tips and advice on choosing the best adult toys and body jewelry. |
These are some pretty good points; after all, most people would want to know how to properly clean their jewelry. It is especially great that you actually included a section that details how you’re supposed to clean acrylic jewelry. After all,it is not often that most people have acrylic jewelry, so it really helps to make sure that you know how to lean them.