Published · Updated · Grillz Medellín
Daily routine (2 minutes)
When you take them out, rinse in warm water right away to remove saliva and food residue before it dries onto the metal. Gently brush inside and out with a soft toothbrush kept just for this, with a drop of mild soap — never toothpaste.
Rinse again and dry with a lint-free cloth before storing. This two-minute step, done every single day, is what extends the life of any piece the most, whether silver, gold or iced.
Weekly clean by metal
Silver: use a silver cloth or a dedicated silver cleaning solution to remove the natural tarnish that air exposure leaves behind. Gold: warm soapy water and a short soak of a couple of minutes is usually enough, since gold does not oxidise the way silver does.
Iced: run a very soft brush around the stones to clear debris without stressing the setting. Never use toothpicks, needles or sharp metal tools near the stones — they can lift or scratch them.
What to always avoid
Very hot water, chlorine, bleach and abrasive toothpaste all scratch the metal surface and, on iced pieces, can loosen the stone setting over time. Do not leave your grillz in direct sun or inside a hot car, since heat can slightly warp some fitting resins.
And never wrap them in a paper napkin at a restaurant to "set them aside for a moment" — that is exactly how most grillz get lost, thrown out with the napkin before anyone notices.
How to store them between wears
Always in the case, and always dry before closing it: storing a damp piece speeds up silver tarnish and can leave water marks on mirror-polished gold. If you have more than one piece — say, a plain set and an iced one — store them in separate compartments so they do not scratch each other.
Travelling? Keep the case in your carry-on, not checked luggage, to avoid knocks and to have it on hand as soon as you land.
FAQs about daily cleaning
Can I use mouthwash on the piece? Better not to: many mouthwashes contain alcohol or dyes that can dull the metal or stain stones over time. Warm water and mild soap is enough for an effective, safe daily clean.
Do I need to disinfect the piece on top of cleaning it? For personal daily use, a full clean with mild soap already removes bacteria and residue; you don't need extra disinfecting products unless you share the piece with someone else, which we don't recommend for hygiene reasons anyway.
Signs you need professional maintenance
If the fit feels different, the piece feels loose, or a stone moves when you touch it, stop wearing it like that — reach us via contact so we can check it before a stone is lost or the piece warps.
A change in fit can also signal a normal dental change (for example, after orthodontic treatment), so mention it when you write to us so we know whether a new mould is needed.
Care differences between silver, gold and iced
Silver needs the most frequent routine because it tarnishes the most; if you wear your grillz almost daily, consider a deep clean every five to seven days instead of waiting a full week. Gold, especially 14K and 18K, holds up much better between deep cleans.
Iced pieces, whatever the base metal, need extra attention around the setting: visually check the stones every time you clean to catch any looseness early. For a deeper look at why a custom fit reduces these risks from the start, read do grillz damage your teeth?.
Caring for pieces with mixed metals
If your design combines, say, yellow and white gold, or silver with gold accents, clean each area with the most delicate metal in the piece in mind: when in doubt, follow the silver protocol, which is the strictest, rather than risk a product meant only for gold.
Mixed-metal pieces also tend to need more frequent visual checks where the metals meet, since that's usually where early signs of wear or slight separation show up first.
Professional maintenance and adjustments
Over time it is normal for a piece to need a small readjustment, especially if your teeth shift slightly or you wear it very often. At the studio we handle check-ups and minor adjustments; if you are in the Valle de Aburrá, we can coordinate a visit in areas like Itagüí or Bello without you needing to travel to the studio.
If your grillz is several years old and wear is obvious, sometimes it makes more sense to price a new piece instead of continuing to repair the old one; compare the cost of starting fresh on prices.
Useful tools to keep at home
A soft-bristle toothbrush reserved only for your grillz, mild unscented soap, a lint-free microfibre cloth and, if you own silver pieces, a dedicated silver-polishing cloth are enough to keep any piece in good shape without spending on expensive specialist products.
Avoid any product containing ammonia or strong solvents, even if it is marketed for jewellery in general: many of those products are too harsh for fitting resins or set stones and can damage the piece instead of protecting it.
Common cleaning mistakes
One of the most frequent mistakes is using toothpaste to clean grillz, thinking it must be the most natural choice since it's used on teeth: most toothpastes contain abrasive particles designed for tooth enamel, not polished metal, and they dull the surface over time.
Another common mistake is storing a piece while it's still wet, assuming it will "dry on its own in the case": trapped moisture in a closed space speeds up silver tarnish and can encourage bad odours. Always dry it completely before storing it, no exceptions.
Special care before big events
If you have a party, a shoot or a special event coming up, do the deep clean a day or two beforehand, not on the same day — that gives the metal time to settle after the process and avoids any cleaning-product residue right before you wear it. Use the moment to check the fit and the stones calmly too.
If you're about to wear a piece that's been stored for a while, always give it a full clean before putting it in, even if it looks fine at a glance, since dust and ambient moisture build up even inside a closed case.
A care routine for everyday wearers
If you wear a piece almost daily, it's worth rotating between two sets — say, a plain one and an iced one — so each gets to fully rest and dry between wears, which reduces overall wear and makes it easier to keep up the cleaning routine without rushing.
It also helps to pick a fixed day each week for the deep clean, rather than doing it only when you remember: that consistency is what really makes the difference in how a piece looks after several months of regular use.
When to consider a new piece instead of repairing
If your grillz has already been adjusted several times, if the metal shows visible wear that no cleaning fixes, or if your style has simply changed, it can be more practical to design a new piece than to keep maintaining the old one. Browse current options in styles or build your own combination in the configurator.
If you live in or are visiting areas like El Poblado or Envigado, booking a check-up or a new mould is simple: just message us with the area you're in and we'll find a time that works for you.
Caring for grillz in Medellín's climate
Medellín's weather plays a bigger role in grillz upkeep than most people expect. The city sits at a mild, fairly stable temperature most of the year, but humidity swings with the rainy seasons around April–May and October–November, and higher moisture in the air means tarnish builds up faster on silver pieces during those months. If you travel often between Medellín and a hotter, more humid coastal city, pack your case with a small silica gel packet to cut down on trapped moisture during transit.
Dust from motorcycle traffic and city streets is another factor locals deal with daily: if you commute by bike, Metro, or motorcycle, give your piece a quick rinse as soon as you get home rather than waiting for your usual routine, since fine dust settles into the grooves of iced pieces more than people realise. None of this changes the core routine above, but adjusting its timing to the season keeps your grillz looking sharp year-round.