Jewellery tarnishes for a variety of reasons, including exposure to the air and coming in contact with the types of lotions or perfume that you wear. Here are some ways to clean and care for your jewellery.

Gold jewellery

Gold jewellery does not tarnish easily, but it can lose its lustre. You can help gold regain its shine by washing it with household detergent.

Pour some dishwashing liquid into a small bowl of warm water, mix it and let the gold jewellery soak in it for about 15 minutes. Take the items out and use a soft brush to scrub them gently. Then rinse and dry them with a soft cloth.

Wash your jewellery when you see it is not as shiny as it should be. Alternatively, many jewellery shops, such as Goldheart Jewellery, offer cleaning services.

Silver jewellery

Silver tarnishes easily, but its lustre can be restored by using a silver cloth or silver cleaning solution.

Wipe your silver jewellery after each wear with a silver cleaning cloth from silver jewellery e-tailer Bits and Pieces ($4, www.bitsandpieces.com.sg).

The cloth contains anti-tarnishing chemicals and can be reused.

For jewellery with harder-to-reach corners such as necklaces, Mr Jesper Ting, co-owner of Bits and Pieces, recommends using a silver cleaning solution. Try Goddard's Silver Dip, from Home-Fix ($7.90), or other solutions from jewellers.

Leave the jewellery in the solution for two to five minutes - longer if it is more tarnished - then wash it with soap and water to get all the cleaning solution out. Use a dry cloth or a hairdryer to make sure the jewellery is completely dry. Wipe the jewellery with the silver cleaning cloth to add a layer of anti-tarnishing chemicals onto it.

Costume jewellery

Contrary to popular belief, costume jewellery can last for generations if it is well taken care of.

Do not use water and soap to clean costume jewellery as they will leave a residue. Instead, try the Sunshine Cloth ($4.90, www.byinviteonly.info) that works on all metals. In a humid place such as Singapore, be sure to wipe down your jewellery with the cloth after every wear, to remove any residue build-up.

The cloth contains special cleansing agents and will not scratch the jewellery.

When not in use, place the jewellery in an air-tight container or plastic bag, with an anti-tarnish square from 3M (from $1.50, www.byinviteonly.info). The product helps to absorb tarnishing agents.

Allow perfume or lotion to dry off before putting on your jewellery, so that less of the product gets onto the pieces.

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