How Often to Clean Engagement Ring: The Guidelines To Follow

If your partner just popped the question and you want to keep your new diamond engagement ring looking spectacular, you may wonder how often should you clean a diamond ring? Or, maybe you’ve been married for a while now, and engagement ring care simply fell off your to-do list, but you want to pick up a routine.

Whatever the case may be, if you want to keep your ring in great shape and looking its best, here’s what you need to know about how to clean rings — and how often.

It’s recommended that you regularly clean your diamond rings in three different ways:

How Often Should You Clean Your Engagement Ring with a Professional Jeweler?

Taking your engagement ring to a jewelry store for a professional cleaning is an important part of jewelry maintenance. The typical diamond ring needs to be thoroughly cleaned on a regular basis to maintain its sparkle and ensure that a lack of maintenance or care does not result in damage , such as loose stones or worn prongs.

“Regular cleaning protects ring integrity,” says Akmakjian. “Diamonds and gemstones are stronger than metal settings, and cleaning reveals loose stones that may be hidden by lotion buildup. One cannot determine the current integrity of their stones or diamonds by simply looking at them.”

While cleaning jewelry at home keeps things looking mostly clean and beautiful, you need that professional eye every once in a while to really provide not only a deep clean, but also to inspect your jewelry for wear and tear. (Most jewelers include this service in their warranty.)

You should aim to take your engagement ring and wedding band to a professional for biannual cleanings, so every six months. In fact, this biannual trip may be required for some warranties to remain valid, even if you have jewelry insurance.

Akmakjian adds to look for warning signs that your jewelry may need more frequent professional attention, such as “black spots under stones from dirt buildup and a dull appearance … people mistakenly think diamonds lose their sparkle permanently, but that’s not the case.”

How Frequently Should You Clean Your Engagement Ring at Home?

You’ll want to perform at-home cleanings on a more regular basis. Conduct light cleanings once weekly and thorough cleanings once monthly, if you wear your engagement ring daily. And, no, unfortunately, washing your hands doesn’t count. In fact, you really shouldn’t wear diamond rings when washing your hands with scented hand soap.

Don’t worry — this isn’t going to be a huge imposition. Those weekly light cleanings will require minimal time. You only need a polishing cloth, dish soap, and warm water. Quickly rinse the ring in soapy water, then shine it using your lint-free cloth.

You’ll use the same cleaning solution for the more thorough monthly cleanings, but you’ll allow the ring to soak for about half an hour. Then, you’ll use a soft toothbrush to gently brush away any residue or dirt. After rinsing again, buff the ring to its original shine with a soft jewelry cloth.

Why Is It Important to Know How Often Do You Clean Your Engagement Ring?

If you’re wondering why you must go through all the trouble of scheduling time to maintain your brand-new ring when you can let the professionals take care of it biannually, here’s why.

While a professional jewelry cleaner will do a thorough job, regular maintenance is still necessary to ensure your engagement ring stays as clean as possible in the months between these sessions. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a ring that’s dull or even covered in residue. Oils, hair products, cosmetics, and similar substances that your hands come into contact with daily can all build up, making your ring appear dirty. However, light weekly and more thorough monthly cleanings can help prevent this.

What Not to Do When Cleaning Your Engagement Ring

Knowing the answer to how often should I clean my diamond ring isn’t the only important information to keep your ring looking its best. You also need to avoid some bad behaviors.

For example, avoid using chemical-laden jewelry cleaners or an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner, even if they are marketed as safe for jewelry.  Many stones and metals that can easily be damaged by harsh devices.

Additionally, avoid harsh chemicals and household cleaners, no matter what social media “hack” or trend says they’re safe. “A common cleaning mistake is falling for myths,” says Akmakjian, warning to “avoid using ketchup, toothpaste, and extremely hot water.” Even seemingly benign household products, like paper towels and baking soda, can damage certain jewelry types.

As such, we recommend only using warm water and gentle dish soap for a brief soak and a soft cloth or toothbrush to gently scrub any remaining dirt off. This will ensure your ring stays pristine, no matter the stone or metal.

How to Keep Jewelry in Great Shape Between Cleanings

By following some best practices between jewelry cleaning sessions, you can still keep your engagement ring looking its best and reduce the amount of overall buildup.

• Put your engagement ring on last when getting ready to avoid exposing the jewelry to cosmetics, hair products, and similar chemicals. “Diamonds are oleophilic (oil-loving), so skin oils, perfumes, and lotions dull diamond brilliance by adhering to their surface,” explains Akmakjian.
• Take off your engagement ring at night, before washing your hands, cleaning, or engaging in activities where the jewelry might be exposed to chemicals (like swimming). “If you think you should take it off, take it off,” says Akmakjian, emphasizing removal during strenuous activities, cleaning, gardening, and beach visits.
• Don’t wear your engagement ring in the shower.
• Whenever you’re not wearing your engagement ring, store it somewhere safe. One great idea is a lined, organized jewelry box kept in a climate-controlled, non-humid room.
• For long-term storage, Akmakjian advises to “use a home safe or a bank safety deposit box.” As well, she says, “Store in a felt pouch or the original box. Only diamonds can scratch diamonds, so avoid loose pouches with multiple pieces.”

How Often to Clean Your Engagement Ring FAQs

How Often Should I Clean My Engagement Ring?

Consider taking your engagement ring in for a professional cleaning twice a year. You should also clean your jewelry at home once per month and lightly polish it every week.

What’s the Average for How Often People Clean Rings?

According to a Shane Co. survey, fewer than 3% of jewelry wearers clean their jewelry regularly. More than half only clean their jewelry once it looks dull or dirty.

What Professional Services Does an Engagement Ring Need?

Beyond regular cleanings and inspections, if your engagement ring is made from white gold, you may need to replace the rhodium-plated finish occasionally. You might also enlist services offered by the Gemological Institute of America, such as diamond analysis or grading.

What Factors Impact How You Clean an Engagement Ring?

The primary factor is what the ring is made of. Diamonds and some colored stones have different care requirements, as do different metals. For example, you’d clean silver pieces differently from gold pieces.

How Often Should I Clean My Wedding Ring?

You can follow the same cleaning schedule for your wedding ring as your engagement ring. Take it in for professional cleaning twice yearly, then clean it thoroughly at home once per month, with weekly polishing.

Is Your Engagement Ring Protected with Jewelry Insurance?

Now that you know how to clean your diamond, it’s wise to think about other engagement ring care, such as jewelry insurance.

BriteCo’s comprehensive coverage protects your engagement ring against loss, theft, damage, and mysterious disappearance.

Get your free engagement ring insurance quote from BriteCo now.

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