Can You Wear Sterling Silver in the Shower or water? or Can you shower with a sterling silver necklace? Find your answer in this post. You might have popped into the shower, and once you’re done, it occurs to you that you forgot to take off your sterling silver jewelry. What then?
In this article, we are going to talk about sterling silver, and what it is made off, and what to do in the event you take a shower with it on.
Does sterling silver tarnish?
Since we’re talking about water coming into contact with sterling silver, we’re going to explore the question of whether it does tarnish.
Before we get into the long of it, the answer is yes, it does tarnish. However, that is the nature of metals. When exposed to certain elements, then it is bound to tarnish.
The upside is that with proper care, you’re able to care for your sterling silver jewelry and prevent it from getting damaged or tainted.
About Sterling Silver
Sterling silver is becoming increasingly popular with more people wanting something to wear on a regular basis. It is one of the go-to metals when you want to look fantastic all the time without having to worry about it fading or something bad becoming of it.
The other thing about it is that it can transition easily into a special occasion where you’re still able to stand out with your jewelry as an accessory.
High-quality sterling silver can stay with you for decades with the proper care. That’s because it is made up of 92.5 percent silver with the remaining percent making up other alloys.
Other metals include copper, which is one of the causes that sterling silver can tarnish over time because of its reaction with moisture in the air. It’s however, not all bad. There are things done to prevent that.
How to care for sterling silver?
The first thing you ought to do is store your sterling silver well when you’re no wearing it. The best place to put it is in a cool and dark place.
You can purchase a jewelry box where you can be placing them. Therefore, your dresser or nightstand is to the best place to put it. It should also be away from any moisture, so no leaving it in the bathroom. Your sterling silver jewelry should also direct sunlight and heat too.
The best thing to do apart from placing your jewelry in a box is to put them in individual plastic bags, ensuring that you’ve removed the air inside it. That stops oxidation from taking place.
Can you Shower with Sterling Silver?
Again, if you’re looking this up, it is likely that you have. If that’s happened to you, there are ways to prevent your sterling silver from tarnishing.
Given that it will have moisture on it after a shower; you should ensure that you dry it thoroughly using a towel.
The other thing to keep in mind before stepping into the shower that might help you remember is that humidity in the shower also ends up causing some level of damage to your sterling silver.
In general, you ought to avoid showering with sterling silver, going to the hot tub with it, the pool, the ocean, or any water body for that matter.
The thing about water is that when you expose your new sterling silver to it, you’ll notice tarnish over time.
Also, salts, chemicals, and choline affect the appearance of your sterling silver. However, if you’re using a mild soap when showing, you might actually be cleaning out any tarnish residue that has been forming.
How to protect your sterling silver?
Let’s say you happened to be around water with your sterling silver jewelry, what next? The first thing to do is to wipe off the water.
Once you’ve done that, the jewelry will be alright. However, if you begin to spot signs of tarnishing after prolonged exposure, you need not worry.
One of the things you can do is to clean it with water and mild detergent. Use a cloth, cotton swab or a toothbrush to remove the tarnish. After, wipe it down and allow it to air dry.
The other method is to use a sterling silver cleaner, or if you don’t have one, toothpaste. Put a dab of toothpaste on a cotton swab or piece of cloth and rub it all over your jewelry.
Once done, rinse off the paste thoroughly and wipe down with a dry cloth.
After, let it air dry before storage or wearing. Ensure that the toothpaste you’re using doesn’t have any granules or you risk scratching the jewelry. Use this method sparingly as you don’t want to wear down the surface of the silver.
Conclusion
While these instructions on how to take care of sterling silver make it sounds delicate, that is far from the truth. The best place the jewelry can be is on you; where it is designed to be.
You only have to ensure that you wipe it down when you’re not using it. Showering doesn’t take a while, so it’s worth taking the jewelry off. Only remember to wipe down the sterling silver jewelry after you take it off to ensure that there are is no residue that’ll cause tarnishing.
The other thing you can do is look for sterling silver that has a rhodium finish. It is the same metal that gives white gold its shine; it is also in the platinum category.
Why you ought to consider being that specific is because with a layer of rhodium on your sterling silver jewelry, you never have to worry about it tarnishing. Additionally, it is the chemicals in the water that cause tarnishing, so you need not worry if you’re in pure water.
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