How to Clean Your Wedding or Engagement Ring at Home

How to Clean Your Wedding Ring at Home

Fill a bowl with warm water and add a squirt of dish soap. Graduate gemologist and accredited appraiser Edward Lewand explains that Dawn dish soap and warm water make a safe cleaning solution for most materials, including gold, platinum, and diamonds. To get started, fill a small bowl up with warm tap water, add some dish soap, and swish it all together.

Let your ring soak for 10-15 minutes. Drop your ring into the warm, soapy water and let it sit for about 10-15 minutes to loosen up any dirt, grime, or residues. “If you think about what gets caught on a diamond ring, it’s going to be hand lotions and oils from your skin, which are things that dish soap is designed to break down,” so it's “one of the best materials to use to clean diamond jewelry,” explains master gemologist appraiser Kennon Young. Soaking your ring in the solution should help tackle any unpleasant odors, as well.

Take your ring out and scrub it with a soft-bristled toothbrush. When your ring is done soaking, take it out of the water and scrub it gently with a soft-bristled baby or children’s toothbrush, says Young. As you scrub, pay special attention to any nooks or crannies where dirt and grime could be hiding, and make sure to get the underside of the diamond, too. Don’t use a firm toothbrush or any other kind of abrasive cloth or brush. These harsher materials could leave scratches on your jewelry.

Rinse your ring under warm water. Wash off any remaining soap under warm tap water, but make sure to close off the drain or block it with a small bowl or strainer first. You don’t want your ring to go tumbling down the drain if you happen to drop it!

Let your ring air dry. After rinsing off your ring, set it in a safe place and allow it to try naturally. And that’s it! Your ring should be sparkling clean and good as new. If you don’t have time to air dry your ring, use a microfiber cloth to wipe it dry. Don’t use a regular paper towel—the material could be too abrasive and leave scratches, especially if your ring is made of gold, which is a softer, more scratch-prone metal.

Alternative Methods to Clean Your Ring

Commercial jewelry cleaner “I recommend cleaning weekly with jewelry cleaner. It’s safe on diamonds and gold,” says jewelry professional Nicole Wegman. “You want to soak [the ring] for a few minutes, and then you want to scrub it with the little brush that often comes with jewelry cleaner. And, if you don’t have one, you can just use a soft toothbrush, then rinse it under warm water,” she says. You can usually buy commercial jewelry cleaners at jewelry stores, or you can order one online. Make sure to follow the instructions that come with the product you buy, and choose one that’s safe for whatever material your ring is made out of (platinum, gold, silver, etc).

Ultrasonic jewelry cleaners For most jewelry with gemstones (such as diamond engagement or wedding rings), it’s safe to use an ultrasonic cleaner. “[Ultrasonic cleaners] utilize high-frequency sound waves, in conjunction with water or other cleaners, to remove dirt and oil,” explains graduate gemologist Jerry R. Ehrenwald. However, it’s best to avoid this method if your ring has lots of tiny gemstones or pave set diamonds—the vibration from these machines can actually loosen the stones. You’ll also want to avoid using an ultrasonic cleaner too frequently. If you do decide to try this method out, use it only for deep cleaning (not regular everyday cleaning), and make sure to follow the instructions that come with the product you purchase.

Windex solution Jeweler and certified jewelry appraiser Cory Schifter recommends cleaning jewelry with a little bit of Windex and water. He explains that this solution is actually pretty similar to commercial jewelry cleaning products, which is what makes it a good option. Since this cleaning method is a bit harsher than others, use it only for deep cleaning once in a while, not light cleaning on a regular basis. Don’t use this method if your ring has any other types of gemstones on it. Windex is only safe to use on diamonds, and it may damage other stones.

Beer This method isn’t safe to use on rings with diamonds or gemstones, but it could work well if you have a solid gold wedding band. Pour a bit of a light gold brew onto a microfiber cloth, then use it to polish off any dirt, grime or tarnished bits. Just make sure you don't use a darker ale—this can leave stains on your ring!

How Often to Clean Your Ring

Clean your ring anywhere from once per week to once per month. Although it won’t harm your ring to wait a bit longer between washes, Wegman recommends a weekly cleaning to keep your ring looking as shiny as possible. “Lotion or just even natural body oils will stick to your diamond and start to make it look cloudy, and it's not going to sparkle as much. So the more often you clean it, the more brilliant it's going to look,” she says. However, if a weekly cleaning session seems like a bit too much for you, Young recommends cleaning the ring at least once per month to prevent excessive build-up of oil or grime. “If you let it go for too long, it can get so caked, particularly from underneath the stone, that it becomes very, very hard to clean without a professional,” Young says.

Mistakes to Avoid when Cleaning Your Ring

Don’t use harsh chemicals to clean your ring. Household cleaners like bleach, chlorine, and acetone are too intense and can cause some damage. If you want to get your ring clean and sparkly without harming it, use a gentle solution of regular dish soap and warm water, instead.

Don’t use toothpaste to clean your ring. “An old wives tale is to use toothpaste, but please do not do this,” says Schifter. “It actually ruins gold and leaves a film over diamonds. I’m not sure who made this up, but it’s not something I would recommend,” he explains.

Don’t use harsh brushes or cloths to wipe your ring. Instead, use a lint-free or microfiber cloth to avoid leaving scratches or small lint particles on your ring. This is especially important if it has a gold band, since gold is a softer metal. “The paper towel in itself is actually abrasive enough to slightly scratch gold jewelry. So if you want to just keep it as polished as possible, always use a soft cloth,” explains Wegman. If you don’t have a microfiber cloth, Wegman suggests using an old T-shirt as an alternative.

Care Tips for Your Wedding Ring

Take your ring off while cooking or cleaning. When you’re cooking, your ring could come in contact with oils and food residues, and when you’re cleaning, it could come in contact with harsh chemicals. All of these things can damage or dirty your ring, so it’s best to remove it when doing these activities.

Take off your ring while working out. Engagement rings and wedding rings are delicate, so they can get scratched or bent if they bang against weights or workout equipment. They can also get dirty from the sweat and oils that build up on your skin when you exercise. To keep your ring looking perfect and sparkly, take it off and leave it in a safe place during your workout sessions.

Store your ring in tarnish-free fabric when you’re not wearing it. If you’re taking off your ring for a prolonged period of time, store it “in tarnish proof fabric or a clean fabric-lined space that is enclosed and airtight…this will prevent any moisture or outside air from tarnishing the jewelry,” says Ehrenwald. “Keep your jewelry away from the bathroom or any space that contains a lot of moisture or humidity, and be sure to store individual jewelry items separately and away from others, so that they won’t corrode from other materials,” Ehrenwald adds.

Take your ring to a jeweler for regular maintenance. “The best tip for taking care of your diamond ring is to bring it to your trusted jeweler every six months for a full detail and service, similar to what you would do with a car, ” says Schifter. “It’s best to have your ring checked to make sure all prongs are tight, and it will also be cleaned inside and out,” he explains. “I recommend every six months, but it can be sooner or later depending on how much maintenance you need and how much you wear your ring. Some people are also a little bit more rough with their rings and would need [professional maintenance] more often,” Schifter adds. EXPERT TIP Kennon Young Kennon Young Master Gemologist Appraiser Kennon Young is a Master Gemologist Appraiser and the Owner of Vermont Gemological Laboratory in Burlington, Vermont. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Kennon and his team specialize in handmade engagement rings, wedding bands, and custom jewelry. He attended the Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts, the Gemological Institute of America, and the Rhode Island School of Design Extension. He is a Jewelers of America (JA) Certified Bench Jeweler Technician and received the highest credential in the jewelry appraisal industry, the ASA Master Gemologist Appraiser, in 2016. Kennon Young Kennon Young Master Gemologist Appraiser If you notice scratches on a gold ring, take it to a jeweler. Scratches can be polished out of gold, but it's not something you can do at home. Even the deepest scratches can be removed with laser welders, which literally fill the scratches in. The ring is then sanded and polished, so it looks perfectly smooth.

Wedding Ring Cleaning FAQs

Can you soak a wedding ring in vinegar? No, it’s not considered safe to clean your wedding or engagement ring with vinegar. Lewand explains that you could probably use vinegar to clean more durable metals, like stainless steel jewelry, but engagement and wedding rings are typically made out of gold or platinum. For these metals, it’s safest to stick with a more gentle solution of water and dish soap.

Can you use baking soda to clean a wedding ring? “It’s not advisable to use baking soda to clean fine jewelry,” says Wegman. Baking soda can be a bit too harsh or abrasive for the metals (especially gold), so it’s best to use dish soap and water or commercial jewelry cleaner.