Can you shower with sterling silver? Water, soap, pools and hot tubs

Quick answerUpdated October 2026

You can, because water itself does not harm sterling silver, but GIA advises taking silver off before a shower: frequent moisture speeds tarnishing, especially in chlorinated water. Always take it off for pools, hot tubs and hot springs, where chlorine speeds tarnish and sulphur gases cause it. If you do shower in it, rinse off the soap and dry it.

What do the shower, the pool and the sea do to 925 silver?

Where	What is in the water	What it does to sterling	What to do
Everyday shower	Tap water, soap, shampoo	GIA says water itself does not harm silver, but frequent moisture speeds tarnish, especially water with chlorine	GIA advises taking it off. If you leave it on, rinse off soap and pat dry
Water that smells of rotten eggs	Hydrogen sulphide, the most common gas that tarnishes silver	The Connecticut Department of Public Health says it can tarnish silverware	Take it off
Swimming pool	Chlorine	GIA warns that chemicals can discolour silver and advises taking fine jewellery off before a chlorinated pool	Take it off
Hot tub	Chlorine or bromine, the two disinfectants the CDC lists for hot tubs	Treat it like a pool	Take it off
Hot spring or sulphur spa	Sulphur gases	The Canadian Conservation Institute lists hot springs among sources of tarnishing gases	Take it off
Sea	Salt (chloride)	Silver that lies in the sea for long periods corrodes to silver chloride and silver sulphide	Rinse in fresh water, then dry
Gym	Sweat	The CCI notes that the salts and oils on skin can mark silver	Wipe and dry it afterwards

Why does sterling silver tarnish?

Tarnish is a thin surface layer of silver sulphide that forms when silver reacts with sulphur-containing gases in the air. The most common of these is hydrogen sulphide, the gas a hard-boiled egg gives off. Sterling is at least 92.5% silver, usually with copper making up the rest, so its tarnish also contains copper sulphide. Water is not the cause, but it speeds things up: the Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) notes that silver tarnishes faster as the relative humidity climbs, and recommends storing it below 50%. That makes a steamy bathroom a poor place to keep silver, even if you never wear it in the shower. Other sources of the gas include eggs, rubber bands and wool.

Does rhodium-plated sterling silver tarnish?

Much less. Sterling silver is often electroplated with rhodium, a platinum-group metal that resists corrosion and most aggressive chemicals, and GIA says the plating protects silver from tarnishing. The layer is thin and wears away with use, which is why GIA says rhodium-plated white gold needs re-plating from time to time. Where silver shows through, it can tarnish again; the piece is still sterling underneath. GIA also notes that regular exposure to some soaps and shampoos can dull a rhodium finish. See silver for 925, 999 and silver plated.

How do you dry and clean sterling silver after it gets wet?

After a shower, rinse off soap and shampoo and pat the piece dry with a soft cloth, clasp included. To wash it, CCI conservators use a mild non-ionic or anionic detergent in distilled water, then rinse the piece and dry it with a soft cloth or warm air. Light tarnish buffs off with a silver polishing cloth, which carries a fine abrasive; every polish removes a little silver along with the tarnish, so polish when it needs it, not every day. Silver dips are an acid plus a complexing agent: left on too long they can pit the metal, used carelessly they over-clean chased, engraved or embossed decoration, and the CCI says never to use them on pieces with sealed hollow parts. Acids also damage organic materials, and pearls are organic, so keep pearls out of them. Store it in a polyethylene bag, as the CCI suggests, or in an anti-tarnish bag or cloth, as GIA recommends for sterling.

What jewellery can you wear in the shower, the pool and the sea?

Stainless steel, which GIA calls tarnish resistant, and titanium, which GIA says does not tarnish or corrode, are the practical choice for a chain or ring you never take off. Solid gold resists tarnish and corrosion too, but GIA advises taking fine jewellery off before a chlorinated pool, because chlorine bleach can pit or damage gold alloys. Gold vermeil is sterling silver plated with gold at least 2.5 microns thick (FTC rules), so it is still silver underneath: treat it at least as carefully as sterling. For moissanite set in silver or gold, see can you shower with moissanite.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you shower with a sterling silver necklace?

You can: water does not harm it. GIA still advises taking silver off before a shower, because frequent moisture speeds tarnish. If you leave it on, rinse off soap and shampoo and dry it, clasp included, and always take it off before a pool, hot tub or hot spring. For a chain you never take off, stainless steel or titanium needs less care.

Can you shower with sterling silver earrings?

You can, with the same advice: water does not harm them, but taking them out keeps them bright for longer. If you leave them in, rinse soap off the posts and backs and dry them.

Can you swim with sterling silver?

Not in a pool or hot tub: GIA advises taking fine jewellery off before a chlorinated pool, because chemicals can discolour silver. Salt water corrodes silver over long periods, so after a swim in the sea, rinse it in fresh water and dry it.

Is 925 the same as sterling silver?

Yes. The US FTC Jewelry Guides treat calling a piece "sterling" as misleading unless it is at least 925/1,000ths pure silver, and the National Stamping Act, quoted in the Guides, bars stamping silver-plated articles "sterling". The 925 stamp is that standard written as a number.

My sterling silver went black. Is it ruined?

Not if it is tarnish, which is only a thin surface layer. A silver polishing cloth buffs off light tarnish; for darker tarnish, use a silver polish. Each polish takes off a little silver, so do it only when needed. On rhodium-plated pieces the plating is thin, so polish gently.

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