It is imperative to know how to clean an engagement ring.  Often people think that day to day hand washing will keep an engagement ring clean and sparkly.  There are some basic do’s and don’ts for caring for your new engagement ring.

Top 10 Things to Do to Care for Your Engagement Ring...

• Take your ring off during active sports to avoid possible injury to yourself or other players
• Remove your ring prior to putting lotion, make-ups, hair spray and perfumes on.
• Remove your ring prior to doing any type of house cleaning with chemicals
• Always put your ring in the same place each day to avoid losing it
• Clean your ring once a week to maintain the bright, sparkly shine
• Make sure to remove your ring before swimming or getting in hot tubs and spas
• Avoid rubbing your stone a great deal to prevent oil build up in both the stone and the setting
• Avoid using anything abrasive to clean your ring.
• Use a lint free cloth to dry your stones every time they get wet instead of allowing them to air dry.

Baking Soda Cleaning

Baking soda is a mild and non-abrasive cleaning agent that works well to clean an engagement ring.  For rings that are only mildly dirty, take baking soda and mix with a small amount of water to form a paste.  Rub the paste all around the stone and the engagement ring setting.  This will clean an engagement ring without causing any damage to the metals or the stone.  Dry and polish with a lint free cloth.

Soap Detergent and Water Cleaning

Another good way to clean an engagement ring is to use 1 part mild dishwashing detergent and 3 parts warm water. Take a soft bristle toothbrush and gently scrub the stone and the ring.  This is a great way to get out lotions, oils and general grime.  If the ring is very dirty, you can let it soak overnight. Dry and polish with a lint free cloth.

Ammonia Cleaning

One way to bring out the colors and the shine in a diamond is with 1 part straight ammonia and 3 parts warm water. You can swirl the ring around in the solution for a couple of minutes.  If it is still dirty, you can also use a soft bristled brush to continue to clean an engagement ring.  Dry and polish with a lint free cloth.

Jewelry Cleaning Solutions

There is a jewelry cleaning solutions that can be purchased at your local stores.  These require you to soak the ring over-night.  Next you will rinse with warm tap water; dry; polish with a lint free cloth.

Steam and Ultrasonic Cleaning

One way to bring out the brilliance in a stone is through steam and ultrasonic cleaning.  The jeweler that you purchased your ring from should provide this service to you at no charge.  Other jewelers might charge you a nominal amount under $10.  Most couples take their rings to the jewelers for cleaning around every 6 months or if the ring has accumulated a lot of dirt and grime in the hard to clean areas.

Sulfuric Acid Cleaning

You can have a jeweler clean an engagement ring with a sulfuric acid boil.  This is reserved as a last option for an extremely dirty ring.  It can damage the ring if it is not done properly.  Sulfuric acid boils are done by a jeweler and typically run between $10 and $20 per cleaning.