How to Clean Earrings and Earring Backs

A diamond stud loses most of its sparkle from the back, where oil collects under the stone and blocks light. The fix is gentle and quick.

1. Fill a small bowl with warm water and two or three drops of plain dish soap.
2. Soak the earrings for 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Brush the underside of the stone and the prongs with a soft toothbrush.
4. Rinse in a second bowl of clean water. Never over an open drain.
5. Dry with a lint-free cloth.

This works for solitaire studs like the Opera Diamond Solitaire Earrings ($1,000), cluster studs such as the Round Cluster Earrings ($600) and pavé huggies like the Diamond Drizzle Huggies ($730). Pearls and colored gems are the exception: wipe the Golden Bella Pearl Earrings ($1,070) or any emerald piece with a damp cloth only. GIA notes that pearls and treated stones can be harmed by soaking and ultrasonic cleaning.

Backs are the dirtiest part of an earring. The small tube on a push back traps skin oil, soap and hair product, and that buildup is where most odor comes from.

Back type	How to clean it
Push back (butterfly)	Soak, then push a soft brush bristle or wooden toothpick through the tube
Screw back	Soak, then brush the threads in both directions
Hinged hoop or huggie	Open it, brush the hinge and the catch
Lever back	Brush around the lever spring
Silicone or plastic disc	Replace it instead of cleaning

If a push back feels loose after cleaning, the two small curls that grip the post have spread. A loose back is how most studs get lost, so replace it rather than squeezing it with pliers.

For new piercings follow your piercer's aftercare. For healed ears, wiping posts with isopropyl alcohol on a cotton pad is fine for solid gold and diamonds. Keep alcohol off pearls, opals, emeralds and anything glued, and do not soak earrings in it.

Avoid bleach, ammonia-heavy cleaners and toothpaste. Bleach can damage gold alloys, and toothpaste is abrasive enough to scratch gold.

Screw backs are the most secure back for studs, and they have one weak spot: the threads. Gunk in the threads makes the back grind on, which wears the threads down until the back stops holding.

1. Soak the post and back together.
2. Brush along the threads with a soft toothbrush.
3. Rinse and dry fully before screwing the back on.
4. Turn gently; stop when it is snug. Overtightening strips the threads.

Men's studs with big tops, like the Jumbo Pave-Prong Earrings ($1,240) or the Round Pave Halo Earrings ($1,390), have more metal behind the stones and collect more buildup there, so give them a few extra minutes in the soak.

Plain gold hoops like the Diamond Cut Hoops 15mm ($365) or the Mini Classic Hoops 10mm ($270) can go straight into the soapy soak. Diamond hoops collect lotion in the channel behind the stones, so brush the inside of the hoop as well as the outside. Hollow hoops, like the Bella Hollow Hoops Small ($530), should be dried well, since water inside a hollow tube can stay for days.

Product	Why to avoid it on earrings
Bleach or pool chlorine	Attacks the alloy metals in gold and can pit the surface
Toothpaste or baking soda paste	Abrasive enough to scratch gold
Acetone or nail polish remover	Can damage glued or coated pieces
Paper towels	Fibers catch on prongs and leave lint
Home ultrasonic on pavé, pearls or emeralds	Can loosen small stones or damage soft and treated gems

Plain dish soap without moisturizers or added scrubbing grains does the job for almost every earring you own.

Earrings get dirty in the drawer too. Store pairs together on their backs, or in a divided box, so posts do not bend and stones do not scratch each other. Keep them out of the bathroom, where hairspray and humidity settle on everything. A small zip bag per pair works for travel. If you notice a post bending, stop wearing that earring: bent posts snap, and the stone usually goes with them.

• A stone moves when you push it gently with a toothpick.
• A push back slides on with no grip.
• A screw back cross-threads or spins without tightening.
• A hoop's catch does not click shut.
• The post is bent or the solder joint behind the stone looks dark or cracked.

Any of these means stop wearing the pair until it is fixed. Cleaning will not solve a mechanical problem, and studs are among the easiest pieces to lose without noticing.

How you wear them	Quick clean	Full soak
Every day, never removed	Weekly wipe of posts and backs	Every 2 weeks
A few times a week	After each wear if you used hairspray or perfume	Monthly
Occasional	Before storing	Every few months

Also take earrings out to sleep now and then, so the piercing can breathe and you can check the backs. For general care across all your pieces see how to clean diamond jewelry. Shopping for a new pair? Browse diamond stud earrings, diamond hoop earrings, men's diamond earrings, diamond earrings under $500 or all earrings.