One caveat. If those are thin skinned akoyas, forget it. Washing would finish them off.
Dr Bronner's soap has always been considered as safe for pearls. There is also a cleaning solution you can find in the pearl care forum. Rehydrating can be done by leaving the pearls in a seashell or some such, in the bathroom, for a couple of days once the silk is dry.
I am always curious what the commercial products have in them that makes them better, then say, baby shampoo or other gentle detergent. I wore a freshwater pearl bracelet 24/7 for a year- dishes, showers, everything, to test out power pro as an alternative to silk.
At the end of a year, they looked as good or better than when I started. And the Power Pro never stretched or even got dirty! My conclusion- freshwater pearls love soap and water. Dang, they are fantastic pearls!
It is only the silk that gets stretched and ruined by washing unless you lay them on something to dry out without pulling. I find that stretching is a major flaw of silk strung pearls.
