3 Easy Ways to Clean Your Ring at Home

As COVID-19 continues, health experts across the globe are steadily reminding you to do one thing: wash your hands. As jewelers, we’d like to recommend an additional step: clean your ring separately—because washing your hands with your jewelry on isn’t enough.

Your ring goes everywhere you do, coming into contact with all the things you touch. That means a lot of gunk, grime, and germs can get lodged in the setting, beneath your stones, and trapped against your skin.

So let’s talk about how to clean your ring so that you’ll be better protected against germs and so that your ring will sparkle and shine like it should.

1. Dish Soap and Water

Classics are classic for a reason, and this method is safe for all stones and metal types. When in doubt, go with dish soap and water!

In addition to breaking down the lipid outer shell of coronaviruses, soap and water can also help break down common cosmetics and other things you frequently touch. Here are some quick steps for using this method:

1.    Mix a solution of warm water and dish soap.
2.    Let your ring soak in the solution for 30 minutes. 
3.    Use a very soft children’s toothbrush to gently brush your ring and remove residue. Make sure to get beneath stone settings and any other crevices you can reach. 
4.    Rinse your ring under warm running water. Repeat the previous step and this one if needed.
5.    Dry off your ring with a soft cotton cloth or a special jewelry cloth. (Alternatively, just let it air dry.) Avoid paper towels since these can scratch your ring.

Do not add in any additional cleaners (such as bleach, chlorine, and acetone). The harsh chemicals present in these products can damage your ring. Trust us—soap and water alone are often enough to get the job done!

2. Jewelry Cleaner

There are many types of specialty jewelry cleaners out there, and they can vary in chemical composition. If you prefer to buy one of these premade solutions, be sure to read the product’s description and any usage instructions.

For example, some jewelry cleaners are specially made for silver only. Other cleaners are more all-purpose yet aren’t safe around certain gemstones. When in doubt, rely on soap and water because there is no going back after a gemstone has been damaged by using the wrong type of chemical cleaner

3. Rubbing Alcohol

While this method is not a replacement for a thorough cleaning, wiping down your ring with rubbing alcohol and a cotton pad (no soaking!) can help kill some lingering germs on your jewelry. Consider this a last resort for killing strong bacteria and viruses, not a method you need to or should do with regularity putting alcohol on certain gemstones (like natural opals) will leave you devastated when the color completely changes, often permanently so please be careful when using alcohol. 

If you’d like to know more about the effects of hand sanitizer on your jewelry, we have a whole entry devoted to that here. 

Additional Tips

•      Look after your hands. When you’re washing with soap numerous times a day, your hands take a beating. If they’re starting to dry out and crack, use a good moisturizer at the end of the day (applied with your rings removed). A clean and happy ring needs a clean and happy hand so that both will look their best.
•      Take your ring to a jeweler for a professional cleaning and polish. While there, they can inspect your ring for any damage and let you know if any of your stones are loose. Your ring will look good as almost-new after a professional cleaning. 
•      Minimize exposure to things that can gunk up your ring. This includes thick lotions, creams, food, oils, and more. Some of these substances may harden in the spaces of your ring and become difficult to remove without a professional jeweler’s help.

If you have a question about cleaning your ring, we’d love to help. Just send an email to hello@valeriemadison.com, and we’ll get in touch shortly.