The moment of a lifetime just happened the night before, your boyfriend proposed and bestowed a lovely engagement ring upon your finger, but now a task lies before you: How does a girl clean and care for her engagement ring to preserve its luster for life? Does merely washing the hands daily remove the dirt and grim accumulated on the ring throughout the day? Perhaps not entirely, but there have been several helpful solutions to aid you with this task to maintain the moment of lustrous love, which don’t require too much time.
A few practical steps in preserving your ring:
- Before participating in any forceful, active sports or events, remove your ring or leave it at home to prevent nicks and scratches; this also will protect you from injuring yourself and others with your highly durable gem.
- Do you apply lotion and throw on hairspray in the morning? If yes, let your ring take a rest from the finger during these applications; build up from the hairspray and lotion can leave a ring looking dull.
- Misplaced items are always a frustration; to avoid the horror of losing your ring, place it in the same spot each time your remove it to ensure its safety. (Don’t place your engagement ring among other jewelery for this can cause scratching and nicking of the ring)
- Stow your ring away while cleaning with chemicals or working intensively with your hands.
- Though the stone in the engagement ring is beautiful, resist rubbing it, for the oils of your hand can cloud the gem.
- A girl ought to clean her ring at least once a week to ensure its shine.
Here ar
e a couple practical home recipes to help in your weekly ring cleaning:
- An easy way to remember: when you brush your teeth, brush your ring! Tooth paste is a great ring cleaner and practical for on-the-go brides. Simply apply a dab of toothpaste to a toothbrush (getting fun with the type of toothbrush one uses will make this task more exciting) and scrub around the gem and band. Dry with a lint-free cloth or soft towel. *for dirtier rings, mix toothpaste with warm water to a create a watered down version of the toothpaste and let it sit overnight.
- Dish-washing detergent is also an easy way to brush away the gunk. Use your fun lil toothbrush to work up foamy bubbles around your ring and rinse with warm water. Dry using a lint-free cloth or soft towel.
- Ammonia mixed with water can have a sparkling effect on diamonds (but diamonds only) use one part ammonia and three parts water, swish the ring in the mixture for a couple minutes then rinse and you know the drying drill.
- For a professional clean, the jeweler who sold your engagement ring will often clean your ring without a fee. However, if you’re out-and-about in the mall, there are usually jewelery stores who offer to clean your ring without charge and finish the cleaning after your shopping. Simply ask them to clean it before you shop and pick it up once your do
ne.
Beware of the limitations before cleaning your ring. Different gems and materials used on and in your ring require different degrees of cleaning and chemicals. Pearls are a very soft material and cannot afford to be exposed to harsh cleaning (such as toothpaste), versus a diamond which can handle most cleaning processes. To figure out the best way to clean your ring, talk to a jeweler.
