Can You Clean Your Engagement Ring Too Much? [The Facts]

From the moment our engagement ring is placed on our finger, taking care of it becomes one of our foremost responsibilities. But while they are elegant and alluring, they can cause us quite a bit of worry on when and where we should wear them, how is best to look after them etc. One particular question that often arises is around their cleaning. Can you damage an engagement ring by cleaning too much? I spent some time researching to find out for good and ensure that I keep my own engagement ring in optimal condition. I will be sharing my findings here with you today.

So, can you clean your engagement ring too much? It is possible to clean your engagement ring too much, although it does depend on the style of the ring and how you are cleaning it. Taking it to be professionally cleaned at a jeweler will cause some wear if done too often; especially to rings with many small gemstones or diamonds, such as pavé rings. The vibrations of the machine can begin to offset the stones, making them looser over time. Equally, professional polishing causes a small loss of metal to the band each time. It is therefore advised not to get your ring professionally cleaned more than 3 times per year. However, cleaning your engagement ring yourself with soap, water and a toothbrush should not cause damage and can be done as often as once every 2 weeks.

There are in fact, many different ways to clean an engagement ring; both yourself or when taking it to be professionally cleaned.

Either way, it is imperative that you only use recommended cleaning agents and reputable professional jewelers when, and if, you decide to use them.

Not all professionals will use the same methods for cleaning and some are not as advisable as others. Its also important to be mindful of your ring, and the style that it is. Generally, the more micro stones you have, the more careful you need to be.

Let us now take a closer look at some of those similarly related and other commonly asked questions about keeping an engagement ring at its sparkly best.

We will be addressing whether you can clean yout engagement ring each day, how often you should clean it, how to keep it shiny and whether or not diamonds can even lose their sparkle over time.

So, be sure to keep on reading to get all the information you simply, need.

Can You Clean Your Engagement Ring Everyday?

It is not advised to clean your engagement ring everyday. Instead, once every two weeks is typically enough to keep it looking as its glistening best, while also protecting any precious stones and the structure of them.

Bi-weekly cleaning generally works well for those whom even wear their engagement ring during most activities.

There will of course be some days where cleaning may be necessary, and there may be times where you need to clean it more than is desirable.

In these instances, you would need to be very particular and careful with the cleaning agents you would use. If any are required at all. We will be looking at how to do so in the following section.

How Often Should You Clean Engagement Ring?

You should be looking to clean your engagement ring as often as it needs. This will ultimately depend on your lifestyle and when, where and how often you wear your engagement ring.

The truth is however, we all have hectic and busy lives.

Soaps, lotions, shampoos and other beauty products will naturally build up on out engagement ring. Even daily activities can collect dirt.

The result is that our engagement rings look less sparkly, and less impressive than the day they were first unboxed (and what a day that was!)

Besides, dirty jewelry of any kind is not good; harboring bacteria and germs. While clearly unhygienic, it also can lead to degradation or discoloration of the metals in the ring itself, or even tiny scratches to the stones.

So, outside of being particular on when we wear our engagement rings, being sure to keep them truly safe when we do decide to take them off, the following schedule should keep it looking at its best:

Every 2 Weeks

You can look to give your ring a gentle clean at home. All you need is a soft and clean toothbrush and a dish soap. First begin by making a small solution of dish soap and warm water.

Then, dip the toothbrush head in the solution and gently scrub your engagement ring all over (including the metal and the diamond(s).

This will restore any diminished sparkle by removing any grime and break down any germs on the ring itself.

Thankfully, this is an entirely safe method and using it every other week should help prevent the need for more specialized cleaning, such as those we will now discuss below.

Monthly

Each month, you may want or even need to dedicate a little bit more time to cleaning your engagement ring.

Nevertheless, you never want to risk damaging your diamonds so you will still need to be careful. So, be sure not to scrub too animatedly or use any harsh products or chemicals. It also comes advised not to leave your ring submerged in any solution for any length of time.

A product that you can get on Amazon for a great price comes highly recommended by specialists and professional jewelers. Its easy to use and there are dozens of success stories if you were on the cautious side.

1-3 Times Per Year

Between 1-3 times per year, you may want to take your engagement ring to a professional jewelers. Better yet, would be taking your ring to the jewelers that your fiancé/husband got it (if at all possible).

A professional will be able to inspect the ring closely, observing any potential damage and clean accordingly.

Just be sure to take it to a reputable jewelers and consider the different cleaning methods that they may use.

That being said, the clean they can give will make your engagement ring look brand new. 1-3 times per year should ensure damage to your ring is minimized and reduced.

How Do I Keep My Engagement Ring Shiny?

There are generally two ways that you can keep your engagement ring shiny; limiting its wear during certain times and activities, and sticking to a consistent cleaning schedule.

For instance, you will likely be wearing it everyday, and it is not advisable to keep taking it off and removing it all that often (the risk of loss being the main reason).

However, that being said, there are a range of activities that you should not be looking to wear it. These include:

• While Working Out/At The Gym
• While Cleaning
• Doing Yardwork
• Going Camping
• While Swimming or Snorkeling
• While Baking or Cooking
• While in the Shower.

The above list is not exhaustive but are some of the most common activities where taking your ring off is generally a good idea.

For those in italics, you should be even more mindful as you will often be using products or chemicals, or an activity could risk them being transferred to your ring.

All of such will either prevent your ring from looking at its glistening best, and may result in an increased need to clean (which we now know is not the best approach).

Working out as an example, often results in sweating. It is during this time that products may run onto the ring where they may collect and store.

Even besides these, day to day life will also naturally mean that your ring does become dirty and less shiny.

Sticking to a regular cleaning schedule is therefore somewhat required.

Just be sure to follow the approach referenced in the section above (bi-weekly, monthly and 1-3x per year cleaning) and only use safe and recommended cleaning agents.

The Connoisseur cleaning product on Amazon is one such product that can quickly and safely return a ring to its shiny best.

Do Diamonds Lose Their Sparkle Over Time?

Diamonds do not lose their sparkle. Although, they do get dirty which can give the illusion that they do.

So, you will need to clean your ring fairly regularly to retain the sparkle.

Thankfully, diamonds are more resilient than other precious metals, so cleaning runs a lower risk of damage, wear and tear than some other stones.

That being said, it still comes advised not to clean more regularly than once/twice every two weeks, using a simple yet safe solution of dish soap and warm water.

You should never use chlorine, or an abrasive! These can scratch the ring and weaken the setting for the diamond stone.

Finally

You can definitely clean your engagement ring too much; especially if you go the professional jewelers route.

For this reason, you should only be looking to have your engagement ring professionally cleaned a couple of times per year.

Even then, it comes advised to do your research, speak with several jewelers and enquire about the methods they use.

In the meantime, you can look to keep your engagement ring in optimal condition and sparkly, with a combination of limited wear and simple bi-weekly cleaning.

The more you can minimize product and grime buildup, the better it will be for your ring and the amount you need to clean it.

Ultimately, the less you need to clean your ring, the better.