Everyone knows that the way to a woman’s heart is through diamonds. After all, they are a girl’s best friend. Sadly, they come with a hefty price tag. The saying is that an engagement ring should cost you about three months’ salary. Whether you spend that much or not, you will be spending a good amount of money.
The only way to get around this is by using a family heirloom for engagement and wedding rings, and oftentimes, these rings can end up being pretty dirty. So how do you clean a dirty diamond ring, new or old?
Block All Drains
More than likely, you will be cleaning your precious ring by a sink. Whether it is a bathroom or kitchen sink, it will have a drain. You need to make sure that you block the hole to the drain, grill, grate, or anything else your ring can fall through very well before cleaning your ring.
If you are using an outside basin, then you will need to make sure you block the drain and be sure to not lose the ring in the grass. It is also best to plug the bath and or shower drain and put the toilet seat down because the ring will end up being slippery.
Think About Stains
Most rings, especially the more expensive ones like wedding rings, have tons of decorative details. Dirt loves to get stuck in intricate designs. When you are getting ready to clean your diamond, you will need to think about where the dirt or stains are on the ring. The different types of dirt can change how you clean or what you use to clean the ring.
Usually, it is the dirt that your body naturally creates, mixed with any lotion, beauty product, food crumbs, soap, and other things you end up touching while you wear your ring. Pay special attention to the little gaps in your ring, remembering to clean them out thoroughly.
This is even more important if you are around products like glue, grease, and chemicals in general. These can stain and can also change the way you need to clean your ring.
Use a Chemical-Free Solution
Use a chemical-free solution like water or an agent that is designed to clean diamond rings. It is best to clean your ring around once a week, so using solutions that have chemicals can end up damaging the ring after a few cleanings.
The longer you allow your ring to soak in this solution, the better and deeper the clean will be. The setting in the ring will have lots of little grooves, so you will want the ring to soak for at least 30 minutes.
Liquid Soap Works
Get a cup or a bowl and put in a few drops of dishwashing soap. Hand soap will work as well. It is best if the bowl or cup you use is see-through so you can always see the ring. This comes in handy when you’re done because it reduces the chance of dumping the ring out with the water. You will also be able to see the progress of the cleaning.
Add warm water to the soap so that suds form. Then, allow the ring to sit for around fifteen minutes. After this, take the ring out and brush it very carefully with a clean toothbrush or a soft cleaning brush. Liquid soap works so well because it is made to not damage metals while being hard on foods and dirt. Because of this, shampoo and shower gel also work well.
Stay away from bleach since it can damage some metals, especially silver. You can use toothpaste to clean a silver ring, as long as it does not have pearls on it. This may end up devaluing a gold ring, though.
Special Tips: Vinegar, Witch Hazel, Acetone, and More
You can soak the ring in diluted vinegar or diluted hydrogen peroxide. Dilute with water. You can also add a few drops of witch hazel to add a little bit more of a shine. If it is still dull after this, and after you brush it, then put a little baking soda on the toothbrush and brush the ring briefly before you rinse. Being brief is important. If you scrub too long, the brush with the baking soda may scratch the ring.
While cleaning, despite what many sources say, avoid acetone! Similar to bleach and chlorine, acetone can and will damage most metals. You can, however, use ammonia to clean gold. You will want to be careful if you use baking soda for the same reasons. If your ring is made up of platinum or titanium, then these solutions will be safe. Anything else will be ruined.
The Final Rinse
When your ring is cleaned to your satisfaction, rinse thoroughly with water and dry with a soft cloth. Then, wear your new cleaned ring proudly, watching it sparkle. Going forward, be away from what you use your hand for when wearing your ring. Try to remember to take it off when working with food or applying lotion. This will keep it clean longer, and help make regular cleanings easier.