A quick guide to cleaning and care of your Pandora and European charm bracelets

~ These gorgeous bracelets have charmed their way into the lives and outfits of thousands of  women, yet thanks to the hundreds of charm bead designs available, every bracelet is completely individual and testimony to the wearer's style and memories.  Husbands and partners have also been delighted too - selecting a "Wow, I love it" present has never been easier.

So if you're like me, and wear your bracelet nearly every day (I feel almost naked if I've left home without it), you've probably discovered that they need regular cleaning.  I often have people commenting on my bracelet/s and asking if they can take a closer look - can't help but watch for the familiar gleam when I swipe my Eftpos card, and the bracelet catches the shop assistant's eye.  So under such constant close scrutiny,  I like to keep them clean and sparkling.

~ Pandora  highlight and contrast their etched details of the sterling silver beads with an oxidised finish - darkening those areas.  But these same etched areas and the twists of the bracelets threads can trap dirt,  makeup and skin creams.

• Standard liquid silver polishes or paste would remove much of the oxidized detail, so the safest and cheapest way to clean your Pandora is to fill a dish with warm soapy water (like dishwashing liquid), dunk the bracelet & charms and with an old soft toothbrush or an old clean mascara wand, give the extra dirty parts a light scrub; the wand is perfect to push into the bead core holes.  Swirl or  let them soak for a few minutes, then rinse in cold water & dry with a soft cloth.

• Alternatively there are safe soft jewelery cleaning cloths on the market but its hard to push them in to the fine detail spots.  They are perfect though, to add extra sparkle to the washed & dried  bracelet charms.

~ I'd recommend too, not to clean them in  the bathroom. Hard ceramic tiles are usually deadly to the Murano glass beads, and Murphy's Law dictates that dropped charms always roll towards the drain.

•  Just an aside, if you have a Pandora oxidized bracelet but would prefer it to be a brighter silver, you can remove much of the oxidised colour with a liquid silver cleaner. Or more cheaply, line a bowl with aluminum foil or use an aluminum pan,  then dissolve a few tablespoons of bicarbonate soda in hot water and put in the aluminum dish. Then place the oxidised bracelet in it, making sure its flat against the aluminum.   The chemical reaction  of  the bicarb, hot water & metal will 'eat' the oxidised surface or tarnish.  If initially no reaction add more bicarb or more hot water.  When done, remove, rinse and dry the bracelet.

~ The bracelets and charms are relatively quite strong, but they can break with high force.  I do not recommend you wear them swimming, during sports, gardening, or using household cleaners.  Chlorines, bleaches etc can easily tarnish the precious metal and loosen any glues used to adhere gemstones.  And when threading them on or removing them from the bracelet,  the safest way is to hold the bracelet still by the thick end thread, and twist the charm.  Constant twisting of the thinner bracelet thread will place undue stress on the chain.

~ Overtime many of your charm beads will probably gain scratches or scuffs.  A professional jeweler can remove most light scratches without compromising the etched detail, so if your bracelet charms start to look very well loved from months/years of daily wear, a professional buff & polish can have them glowing again. With care and prudence, they can be just as beautiful in many years to come.