Fantasy open thread time: what does your dream home look like? Do you want sprawling space — or something tiny and cozy? Open concept? All white everywhere? Do tell…
What Household Tasks Do You Love and Hate?
I was intrigued by some reader responses to recent posts on household tasks, including last week’s post on how to iron less (where many readers noted they loved to iron!) and our discussion on CorporetteMoms of how their families handle laundry (where many readers noted they personally do 90% of it). So here’s a fun … Read More about What Household Tasks Do You Love and Hate?
Green Cleaning Products That Actually Work
Using eco-friendly cleaning products sounds like a great idea, but not all of them can get the job done — so today we’re sharing tips on green cleaning products that actually work, whether you’re integrating them into your own routines for keeping a clean house or you’re asking your cleaning service to use green cleaning … Read More about Green Cleaning Products That Actually Work
Do You Make Your Bed Every Day?
Here’s a random lifestyle question – do you make your bed every day? If there was a certain point in your life when you started making your bed, what was it (e.g., marriage, kids, in-home help like a nanny, or other)? Do you make your “full bed” every day (with a mountain of pillows) or … Read More about Do You Make Your Bed Every Day?
A Smart Home: Creepy or Cool?
Here’s a question: is a “smart home,” connected and automated via various apps and devices, cool — or does it strike you as creepy? For those of you who have automated/connected your home, what products do you love the best? (I know there will be many who have a “no way no day” attitude here, … Read More about A Smart Home: Creepy or Cool?
How to Decorate Your Home If You Work All the Time
Readers, how do you feel about your home decor — does the vibe match what you want to feel when you come home from a long day at the office? What are your best tips on how to decorate your home if you work all the time? Did you decorate your home yourself, or did … Read More about How to Decorate Your Home If You Work All the Time
The Busy Woman’s Guide to Last-Minute Cleaning
2018 Update: Links have been updated below; you can also check out our latest discussion on green cleaning products that actually work. Do you adhere to a cleaning system for your home? Have you hired a cleaning professional or cleaning service? And — if you only have 3 minutes to clean your home before a new visitor walks into … Read More about The Busy Woman’s Guide to Last-Minute Cleaning
Household Wednesday: Best Portable Speakers
This is another entry in our very occasional feature on household items — see our previous discussions on the best sheets, best towels, indispensable kitchen items, and more. Ladies, what are your favorite portable speakers — whether for use at your office, around your home, or in the great outdoors? I’ve been on the hunt for … Read More about Household Wednesday: Best Portable Speakers
The Best Cookware and Kitchen Appliances
For today’s post in our (very occasional) Home series, let’s talk about the best cookware and kitchen appliances. What is your favorite cookware to use? Is there any particular pan or kitchen device that you find you absolutely must have? Psst: Good job, ladies — after we last discussed the best sheets and the best towels, I’m … Read More about The Best Cookware and Kitchen Appliances
Tips on Fine Jewelry Care
What are the best ways to care for silver, gold, platinum, and diamonds, pearls, and other gemstones? In the past we’ve talked a lot about jewelry, including jewelry storage, avoiding necklace tangling, upgrading your jewelry collection (and starting one), how to buy jewelry gifts, how to mix metals when you wear your jewelry, wearing religious jewelry at the office, how to buy pearls (and when to wear them), and how to buy jewelry in general — but we haven’t looked at jewelry care in detail.
In general, it’s smart to follow these tips for all of your fine jewelry:
- After wearing your jewelry, gently wipe it off with a 100% cotton cloth.
- Remove jewelry before gardening, cleaning, doing home repairs or other physical work, playing sports, getting into a hot tub or pool, showering/bathing, or swimming in salt water.
- Put on makeup, lotion, perfume, and hair products before putting on your jewelry. Avoid letting jewelry come into contact with soap or sweat.
- Protect your jewelry by storing it in individual boxes or soft bags, and don’t keep it in your car, near windows or heat vents, or in direct sunlight. In general, keep jewelry out of extreme temperatures.
- Don’t use a polishing cloth on a piece of jewelry with a matte or oxidized finish.
- If you clean your jewelry near a sink, close the drain!
- Ask your insurance agency what’s covered in your homeowner’s or renter’s policy — you may want to buy additional insurance coverage.
Here are some tips that are specific to certain kinds of jewelry:
Sterling Silver
Sterling silver is an alloy made of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other metals (usually copper), and it may be marked “sterling,” “sterling silver,” “ster,” or “.925.” Because air will cause sterling silver to tarnish (specifically, sulfur-containing substances in the air), it’s a good idea to store it in a bag made of tarnish-proof cloth, or a sealed plastic bag or airtight jewelry box. (There are plenty of products that promise to prevent tarnish.) (Pictured: Anna Beck ‘Gili’ Small Bar Stud Earrings, $40; were $68.)
Frequently wearing your silver jewelry also helps prevent tarnishing, although it’s best to remove it if you’re going to come in contact with:
- bleach or ammonia (or other cleaning products; even soap can lead to buildup on silver)
- chlorinated water (pool, hot tub, etc.); salt water
- perfume, lotion, and hair products (make sure any lotions and/or perfumes have been absorbed into your skin first, and apply all hair products — especially hairspray — before putting on your silver)
- heavy perspiration (remove your silver before you work out)
After taking off your silver, it’s a good idea to use a jewelry cloth to wipe off any residue that may have accumulated during the day. When it’s time for a cleaning, something you should do regularly, use a polish or cloth specifically made to remove tarnish. The inside of a polishing cloth is for cleaning off residue; the outer layer is for buffing afterward. Avoid using tissues or paper towels, as the fibers may scratch your silver, and if your jewelry has been oxidized to produce an antiqued effect like this, never use polish, a polishing cloth, or a jewelry dip.
Gold and Platinum
Most gold jewelry is either 18 karat (75% gold) or 14 karat (58.3% gold). A safe way to clean it is to add a little dish detergent in a bowl of warm water (2 tablespoons in 1 quart of water) for a few minutes, gently cleaning it with a clean cotton cloth or soft toothbrush. Rinse it under warm running water (remember to close the sink drain just in case!) and then gently dry and buff it with a soft, lint-free cloth. Here’s a video from Real Simple showing a similar method. You can clean platinum — a very durable metal — the same way.
White gold gets part of its appearance from rhodium plating, while rose gold is a gold-and-copper alloy. If you notice the finish on your white gold start to wear, ask your jeweler about having it re-plated.
Pearls
Most pearl necklaces come in a velvet case or bag, which you should keep them in when you’re not wearing them. Don’t store anything else in the case (other gemstones, etc.) to prevent scratches — pearls are very soft! Also, don’t store pearls in a plastic bag or keep them somewhere that’s very dry (they might crack), very humid, or very hot. Fasten clasps and store pearl necklaces flat rather than hanging them up, as the silk thread can stretch over time and may break. Pictured: Mikimoto Akoya Pearl Choker Necklace, $3,360 at Nordstrom.
Don’t let your pearls get wet, and keep them away from vinegar, detergents, hair products, perfume, sweat, direct sunlight, and water. After each wearing, wipe them gently with a soft cloth (never use an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner!), and to be safe, take necklaces to a jeweler to be restrung (or at least checked) every three years, or more frequently if you wear them often. In the meantime, inspect them regularly yourself; if you start to see spaces between the pearls, take them to a professional.
Diamonds and Other Gemstones
Clean your gemstones with dish soap and warm water only (see gold/platinum cleaning instructions above). Place a strainer on top of a bowl to catch any lose stones so that they don’t get lost during cleaning. If your jewelry includes organic gems or opaque stones like coral, opals, lapis lazuli, pearls, turquoise, or emeralds, it’s best to have them professionally cleaned; the most you should do at home is simply wipe them with a soft, damp cloth. Never use an ultrasonic cleaner, bleach, or ammonia on your gemstone jewelry. Pictured: Starshine Sapphire Ring, $2,400 at Sundance.
Products like hand lotion and hairspray can build up on crystalline gemstones (such as amethyst, citrine, and peridot.) and can even cause discoloration on some stones as they become absorbed over time. As for storage, never keep pearls or opals in plastic, because they need to “breathe” — fabric is a much better option.
To protect the gemstones or diamonds of your engagement (or other) rings, have a jeweler regularly check if the prongs are secure when you bring it in for a yearly or twice-yearly cleaning. After years of wear, the prongs may need to be re-tipped (rebuilt) as the gold, silver, or platinum wears thin from normal use — including getting bumped and caught on things — to prevent the loss of a gemstone.
Readers: Have you bought additional insurance for your fine jewelry? How often do you take your jewelry to be professionally cleaned?
Pictured at top: Diamonds are . . ., originally uploaded to Flickr by Earl.
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The Best Towels
Which are the best towels? What factors should matter? Last month we talked about the best sheets for the home — and today we’re looking at the best towels. Reader K wonders… Hi Kat, again, love your blog. I am curious as to whether you and the readers have found THE BEST towels. I am ready to do this … Read More about The Best Towels
The Best Sheets
We’ve talked about a lot of lifestyle things over the years on this blog — but we’ve never really talked about the home component! So first up: let’s discuss sheets. Which are your favorite sheets? Do you splurge on 1000-thread count luxury linens like Frette, or do you prefer highly-rated, well-reviewed sheets like L.L. Bean’s? … Read More about The Best Sheets