You wear your wedding ring on your finger your whole life. This ring carries a lot of symbolic meaning. It is a symbol of your spouse’s long-term commitment to you. By wearing it, you have also pledged to remain in the marriage. At the same time, your beautiful ring also forms an integral part of your accessories. However beautiful the other accessories that you possess are, people will always look at your wedding ring.
For this reason, you have to maintain it in mint condition. After years of exposure, the brilliance of your ring may be tarnished. A few decades back, it was easy to clean diamond wedding bands because the designs were not as intricate. It is no wonder that older folks still wear their gleaming rings proudly. Today, things are more complicated. The popularity of rings that have intricately designed rings, that are a mix of metals, have unique stones and other complicated aspects make maintaining them a bit difficult. In a bid to make wedding rings beautiful, jewelry designers have inadvertently made them difficult to clean and maintain.
Why Clean Your Wedding Ring?
Why should you worry about the loss of shine of your ring? Some metals require delicate care to ensure that their luster lasts for a long time. If you neglect your ring, you might find yourself paying through your nose to have specialized cleaning in the future. The gradual accumulation of dirt and grime can also have permanent adverse effects on the appearance of your ring, which is something you would not want.
It is also important to maintain your ring in the perfect shape as it reflects the value you place on your marriage. Most people will interpret a poorly maintained ring as not only poor grooming, but also as a sign of a dying marriage. If you value your marriage, it is important to learn how to clean your ring and maintain it in mint condition.
If you are worried about the loss of the beauty of your ring, it is time to learn a few tips to clean it. Some of the tips in this article are DIY, and you can easily do them at home. Others might require a visit to a jeweler. The choice will depend on the type of ring:
Determine the Type of Ring
Every ring is unique and thus the method you would use to clean your ring would differ. For instance, a platinum ring requires minimal care while a silver ring could require professional polishing now and then. A silver ring, on the other hand, is easy to maintain if you wear it regularly. The natural oil secreted from your skin helps to keep the ring shiny and you only need to wipe it occasionally with a wet cloth and warm water.
The type of design of your ring would also determine how easy or difficult it would be to clean. To clean a ring that has a complicated design, you would need to understand the properties of all the metals included in the design and their unique characteristics. Do not apply general metal cleaning methods for cleaning the metals of your bridal set. Learn the characteristics of each metal before attempting to clean them.
DIY Cleaning for Simple Wedding Rings/Bands
It’s easier to clean plain diamond wedding bands than bands those have an intricate design. Some of the cleaning tricks include:
- Soap and water: You only require ordinary soap used for cleaning utensils. Once you have added the detergent to water that is warm to the touch, stir it well, and dip your plain gold/platinum band in the solution for about an hour. Take the ring out, rinse it under running water, and dry it using a soft cloth to avoid scratching. Leave the band out for a few minutes to dry naturally. This technique works for most common wedding bands metals and it brings the piece back to its former glory.
- Cleaning with alcohol: another DIY technique that you can try at home for a simple ring is wiping it with a piece of cloth dipped in alcohol (light gold brew). This trick works perfectly with solid gold bands as the acids contained in gold brews like beer, loosen dirt, polish your gold ring, and bring it back to life.
- Cleaning with ketchup: Use ketchup to polish sterling silver rings. You should use an old toothbrush to scrub ketchup into the engraved part of your ring. The vinegar property in the condiment and acids in tomatoes work in unison to break down dirt and leaves your silver wedding ring gleaming.
- Cleaning Alka-Seltzer: Put two tablets in a cup of warm water. Drop your ring/band into the solution for about 20 minutes and remove it. The chemical reaction involving sodium bicarbonate and anhydrous citric acid loosens dirt and leaves the ring shining again.
Professional Cleaning For More Complex Wedding Rings
Things get tricky when you have to clean a ring paved with precious stones. A lot of experience is a prerequisite for this kind of cleaning job. In fact, it is advisable to leave the job to professionals. Your jeweler has the tools to look at the piece using specialized equipment and even discover any underlying problems.
If you decide to clean your unique diamond ring at home, there is a risk of ruining their appearance or losing some of the stones. A jeweler has the tools and expertise to get the job done without any risks. After all, their services come with insurance coverage thus protecting your precious ring.
There are however some popular DIY tricks to avoid. These include using toothpaste as it can damage base metals; using abrasive chemicals for plain wedding bands or soaking wedding ring overnight in any solution. Paying for ultrasonic jewelry cleaning might also prove counterproductive if your ring has a delicate setting as it can shake off the precious stones.
Go ahead and show TLC for your wedding band and it will serve you for many years to come.