Wearing your jewellery watch on a daily basis puts it through different activities and conditions – all of which could dull your watch’s lustre.
In addition to getting your watch professionally cleaned by a jeweller or watch service centre at least twice a year, simple cleaning and caring for your watch on a day-to-day basis could do tremendous in its maintenance.
Credits to: Hush Hush
Here are some general care tips that you can use to take care of your diamond or gold watch:
1. Proper storage
In movies, we often see robbers stashing their stolen jewellery and gems into huge bags. That is a no go for taking care of jewellery! Diamonds and gemstones can scratch and damage one another if they come in direct contact. Hence, your diamond watch and other jewellery should be stored separately. Keep each jewellery piece in fabric-lined boxes if possible. Alternatively, you could wrap each piece in soft cloth.
2. Avoid harsh chemical products
Chemical products such as chlorine bleach and detergent have the property to break down some base metals in alloy gold, causing discolouration to the jewellery watch. Just a gentle reminder not to take your watch to the beach or the pool!
3. Avoid abrasive materials
The use of abrasive materials such as baking soda or powdered cleaners could scratch your watch if it is made of softer metals like gold.
4. Avoid using toothpaste
Contrary to popular belief, toothpaste isn’t the best home remedy to keep your jewellery shining. Frequent use can wear down the jewellery watch over time and leave tiny scratches. Also, the toothpaste might be trapped underneath the gemstones and hard-to-reach places on the watch. This makes it difficult to remove and could harden if not removed.
5. Avoid acids
Lemon juice is yet another popular natural cleaning product because of its low acidity and anti-bacterial properties. But such harsh acids can actually cause corrosion and damage to metals and gem stones.
6. Put on your watch last
Putting on your watch, be it made of jewels or not, should always be the last step after you have styled your hair, done your make-up etc. Skin lotions and face powers are greasy and can leave residues or discolour your watch, dulling its shine.
7. Avoid touching the diamonds and gems
This last tip might be difficult to resist. But the truth is, our skin produces enough oil such that touching our watch frequently with our bare hands could dull the shine and sparkle of the diamonds.
Here's a DIY quick fix if you need to get your jewel watch sparkling for the day's event.
Things you will need:
· Mild soap (preferably made of natural ingredients and fragrance-free)
· Warm water
· Baby Toothbrush with soft bristles
· Soft microfiber cloth
· Soft cotton bud
First, remove your watch strap or bracelet. This will allow you to clean hard-to-reach areas. Check the lugs, links for small crevices where sweat, dirt, grime can be found.
Dip the toothbrush in the gentle soap and water and scrub gently to get rid of the grime. The warm water with soap can help break away oils and grime for easier removal. Avoid scrubbing too hard as it could risk creating scratches on the watch. For smaller crevices, you could use a soft-tip cotton bud as well.
When done, wipe down the watch face, lugs, links etc. with a clean, soft microfiber cloth.
Armed with these DIY tips, some time and effort, you can help keep your jewellery watches sparkling! Otherwise, for more in-depth cleaning and care, head down to the watch service centre for an ultrasonic cleaning.