How to Untangle Necklaces

We've all been there... a frustrating game of tug of war with a tangled up bunch of necklaces. Feeling frustrated and annoyed, crying out, "there has to be a better way! Why????" I know how you feel because this has happened to me too. But there is a better way and I'm going to explain it in this blog post!

How to Untangle Necklaces

If you see a tangle starting, don't pull. Always handle the piece gently and then use one of the below methods to easily untangle your necklace or bracelet. Remember to have patience while doing this- its so important to keep the knots from getting worse!

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Easy, low-stress methods to untangle your jewelry: 

Use a lubricant

Choose olive oil or baby powder. Be careful to choose the right product so you don't ruin your necklace in the process. You'll have to clean it afterwards, so if it's made of a metal you can't get wet (anything plated, steel, copper, etc.), skip this one and just use a safety pin without the lubricant.

Luckily, Revive Jewelry is all sterling silver or 14k gold filled, so you can get it wet to clean it.

You'll want a flat surface and lots of light to see the knots. Spread your necklace out so you can see the knots and follow the steps below for the method you chose.

Using the Baby Powder Method

1. Make sure the necklace is unclasped.

2. Sprinkle baby powder over the whole necklace.

3. Use your fingers and a large safety pin to loosen the knots as you gently pull out, opening up the knots.

4. Reapply powder as needed.

5. Once your necklace is untangled, clean off the extra powder by wiping with a paper towel.

Using the Olive Oil Method

1. Make sure the necklace is unclasped.

2. Take a cotton swab and dab the oil directly to the knots.

3. Work the oil into the knots without pulling them any tighter, but rather pulling gently out to separate the knots. 

4. You can use a safety pin to help if necessary.

5. Once your necklace is untangled, you'll want to use a mild dish soap and warm water (a toothbrush can work well here) to clean off the oil. If that's not working, you can try jewelry cleaner, just be careful with any stones. Remember that opals & pearls should never be submerged in a jewelry cleaner.

Use a safety pin

You can try to untangle your jewelry with just a safety pin, straight needle or thumb tack depending on what you have on hand. Plus, just using one of these means you won't have any clean up afterwards 😊 Follow these steps:

1. Make sure the necklace is unclasped.

2. Insert the safety pin in the center of the knot & slowly wiggle it to loosen the chain.

3. Work the knot out with your fingers or add another pin as you gently pull the chain apart to ease the knot out.

4. Remember to be extra gentle since you're not using lubricant, especially with delicate chains, so you don't damage them.

Tips to prevent jewelry from tangling 

1. Storage is key! Always store your necklaces hanging, never flat. It's also best to store them on individual hooks to prevent them from getting knotted together.

2. Tight on space? Use individual zipper bags and feed the top of the chain through the zipper closure at the top of the bag to keep the chain untangled within the bag. Now you can store them on top of one another in a drawer without worrying.

3. Never remove your necklace and throw it into a purse pocket, dish or anywhere other than your jewelry box. Being kind to your necklaces will make them kind to you!

4. If you see a tangle starting, don't panic. Stay calm & go through the steps above to untangle it right away before the knot gets any worse. If anything, just remember not to pull tightly on the knot.

5. What about Travel Tips? Read my blog on how to safely store your jewelry for travel by clicking here.

I hope this post helped you untangle your jewelry! Let me know how it worked in the comments.