Polymer Clay Care Tips

Polymer clay is a really cool material. 

It's super lightweight, it can be moulded/sculpted/manipulated into all sorts of shapes, and it doesn't require any kind of specific equipment to set it. Literally just an oven. Simple. Plus, it's plastic so if you take care of it, it will last for decades. 

All of this makes it the perfect material for earrings or accessories!

But, it's all well and good making or buying some polymer clay products. How are you supposed to keep them looking good?

It's honestly really easy to make sure that your clay goods stay in fab condition, so here's my top tips:

❄️Store them in a cool, dry place. Okay, this does make them sound like a bag of pasta or something, but as polymer clay is cured in an oven, excess heat can make them floppy again, so I wouldn't recommend wearing clay accessories in a sauna. 

🌊Keep them away from water. This is probably most important for anything with metal findings, like earrings or necklaces. A little bit of rain won't hurt them, but swimming or showering with them on will cause them to tarnish. The clay itself should be fine, but you're better off leaving them at home if you have a nice swim planned. 

🧽Bit dirty? A damp, soft cloth will fix that. I've accidentally got foundation marks on white earrings more times than I'd care to admit, but luckily a little soft wipe got rid of it. For more stubborn make-up stains, gently wipe with a make-up wipe or some cleanser, but don't scrub too hard. 

🎨Don't forget - they're only clay! Just remember that they're not indestructible. Polymer clay is surprisingly strong, but it is definitely not weightbearing, so having a toddler hang onto a hairclip will likely cause issues (for everyone involved, probably). Going to sleep with statement earrings in is also pretty risky, and avoid the temptation to just shove them to the bottom of your rucksack. 

❗And finally, don't try this at home, kids. You might have seen the viral videos on Instagram or TikTok of people folding their earrings in half to prove just how strong they are. That's fine. I always test a product in each batch too. But please don't do it to your own accessories because bending often leaves 'stretch marks' and they're probably not quite as pretty as the original design. 

All in all, if you take your earrings out before you go deep-sea diving, and leave your necklace at home when you're babysitting 40 grabby toddlers, you won't have any problems! 

I hope this was a little bit useful, and let me know if you have any neat tips or ticks to add to the list.