How to Clean Your Engagement Ring at Home

There’s nothing better more satisfying than showing off a brilliant, sparkling, clean diamond engagement ring. Watching the way the center stone shines in the light after being polished and cleaned is almost like magic. While visiting your jeweler for professional cleaning is an option, it isn’t always the most convenient. In order to keep your ring sparkling between visits, we will teach you how to keep it clean at home.

All Lauren B engagement ring purchases come with a complimentary cleaning pen. For a quick and easy clean, just open the pen, wipe the center stone with the tip of the pen, and dry with a lint-free cloth. If you want something a little more in-depth, we’ve got you covered.

The great thing about gaining this new skill is that you can be sure that your most valuable piece of jewelry always looks its best. This is essential since if you wear your ring every day, it will pick up oil, dirt, dead skin, and other residues. This in turn might dull the center stone or the metal–but nothing a quick clean can’t fix!

Home cleaning is a great way to keep the ring free of germs and look fantastic. Restoring shine and dislodging buildup on the surface of the ring is possible at home, but professionals can remove all the deep layers of dirt and grime.

Thankfully, there’s no need for expensive products to clean your engagement ring at home. If you have mild dishwashing soap available, you’re pretty much good to go. The only other items you might want are a lint-free cloth, a soft-bristled toothbrush, warm water, and a bowl. Sanitizers and household cleaners should be avoided as they can cause damage.

The Easiest Way to Clean an Engagement Ring at Home

Cleaning your engagement ring at home is a simple process. It only takes a few minutes to do. Gather all the items mentioned above and you’ll be ready to get started. Follow the steps below to ensure you do everything exactly right.

Step 1: Fill with Water Take the bowl (or another container) and fill it up with very warm water. You don’t want it to be so hot it burns, but it’s better to lean toward hot than cold. Warm water is better at removing dirt and other debris from the ring. 

Step 2: Add Soap Add a dab of dishwashing soap to the bowl and mix it together. Put your ring into the water and soap mixture once it gets a bit sudsy.

Step 3: Soak Let the ring soak. We recommend leaving it to soak for at least 20 minutes, but you can keep the ring in the water for up to 40 minutes to get rid of any debris that might be stuck on it.

Step 4: Brush After the soaking process, it’s time to bring out that handy dandy toothbrush. Use this to gently brush the ring to remove any dirt or grime that didn’t come off during soaking. Finish by rinsing the ring under warm running water.

Step 5: Drying The last step is drying the ring; you can always leave your ring somewhere to air dry but if you want to wear the ring sooner, a soft, lint-free cloth can be used to dry it much faster.

Avoid using any moisturizing product to clean your engagement ring. Moisturizers often leave a film on the ring, which you want to avoid. 

If you don’t have a lint-free or microfiber cloth, you should not use paper towels to dry your ring as they can end up scratching the metal and harming your ring. Instead, leave the ring somewhere to dry on its own.

How Often to Home Clean an Engagement Ring

If you want to keep your ring looking great, it’s best to clean it about once a week. This will help keep oil and dirt from building up. In addition to home cleaning, consider visiting a jeweler about twice a year for more detailed cleaning. If you often have your ring on while being active outdoors or in the kitchen, more frequent professional cleaning may be needed.

All that said, we highly recommend not wearing your engagement ring during these types of activities to protect the ring from damage.

Products to Avoid When Cleaning an Engagement Ring

Not cleaning your ring can cause it to lose its sparkle. However, some products for cleaning cause even worse effects. In some cases, improperly caring for the ring can cause damage. This makes it essential to avoid cleaners that incorporate acetone, chlorine, or bleach. These ingredients can break down the metal of the ring and cause irreparable damage.

It’s also best to stay away from any cleansers that contain abrasive items. This includes powdered cleaners, baking soda, and toothpaste, all of which can scratch your engagement ring.

Tips to Keep Your Engagement Ring Clean

Knowing how to clean your ring is a good start, but you should also know how to keep your ring in good shape when you are wearing it. There are several things you should be aware of to avoid premature aging or damage.

  • Thick creams and lotions can leave residue on the ring and cause it to become discolored.
  • Handle the ring with care as it’s fragile and small bumps and bangs would cause chips or loosened settings.
  • For those with a warranty, stay up to date with maintenance appointments.
  • Take off your ring during physical activities like working out or using your hands like cooking, ceramics, washing the dishes, etc.
  • Try to avoid wearing your ring to bed or in the shower

Keep it Clean at Lauren B

At Lauren B, you can bring your ring at any time and we will give you a complimentary cleaning. If you don’t live in New York, you can always ship your ring to us and we will be more than happy to clean it and have our customer service team make sure your ring is still in tip-top shape!