Regular cleaning is one of the most important things you can do to keep your engagement ring looking as special as the day you got it! Here’s our ring cleaning guide and tips.

Riddle: What is the prettiest kind of ring out there? Answer: A clean one!

One of the most important things you can do to keep your engagement ring looking as special as the day you got it is to clean it regularly (as in, like at least once a week).

Everything from styling your hair in the morning to making a peanut butter sandwich for lunch contributes to the daily grime that builds up on your ring — and that daily grime is the number one thing that will dull the sparkle of your diamond and the sheen of the surrounding metal.

Importantly, things like miniscule amounts of hair product can crystalize on or under the stones in your ring if they aren’t cleaned regularly, and it becomes much more difficult to get it off even after just a few days of hardening.

To keep your rings looking drool-worthy, I recommend a quick at-home deep cleaning routine at least once a week.

How do I clean my rings at home?

DIY At-Home Deep Cleaning

For diamond rings, as well as sapphire and ruby rings, the easiest and most effective at-home deep cleaning routine requires just dish soap, hot water, and a soft toothbrush.

Here’s how:

1. Add 2 teaspoons (it doesn’t really matter if you add more) of dish soap to a heat safe bowl (I like the blue Dawn dish soap, or any Dawn product really)
2. Gently drop in your rings and cover with hot water
3. Allow to soak 10-15 minutes
4. Remove and gently scrub with a soft toothbrush, and really get under the stone and in all of the crevices of your rings
5. Rinse with cool water
6. Pat dry with a lint-free or paper towel
7. Wear and repeat

Quick Touchup

To shine up your ring on the go, we love the Diamond Dazzle Stik. I usually have one stashed in the car or in the bottom of my purse for a quick touch up before date night – just make sure that if you are using it on the go that you are careful to rinse the solution off without dropping your ring down the restaurant sink!

If you are feeling fancy – Ultrasonic Cleaner

You’ve probably seen those viral videos on Tik-Tok or Instagram that show all of the gunk that comes out of old pieces of jewelry when they put it in an Ultrasonic cleaner.

While a lot of those are staged videos (SORRY!) these machines are indeed effective at helping to remove tiny particles especially around pave. So, it’s worth dropping your ring off at a local jeweler (that your trust) if you happen to be out an about.

Just note, ultrasonic cleaning is not better than and does not replace the old soap and toothbrush cleaning. While the ultrasonic cleaning definitely brings on the sparkle, the bristles of a toothbrush definitely still clean chemicals and grime off your ring more effectively – preventing that nasty crystallization.

Is there anything I should avoid doing while wearing my ring to keep it clean?

Yes! This pains me to say, but rings can get dirt on them (or rather under their stones) that won’t come out, no matter what you use to clean it.

Specifically small particles of dirt and/or dust that get underneath the tiny pave diamonds in your band or halos can make your whole ring look dull and old, and cannot truly be fixed without removing and resetting all the stones.

To avoid (or at least slow down) this process I recommend removing your rings when:

• Gardening
• At the beach (I know, so sad!)
• Grooming pets
• Using chalk
• Baking
• Exercising

What is the easiest kind of ring to keep clean?

If worrying about keeping your ring looking perfect and taking it off and/or washing it all the time is just not for you, I highly recommend a prong set solitaire ring without any pave diamonds.

Generally speaking these are the easiest rings to keep clean, and with very basic maintenance every few years (such as polishing the gold) they can still look almost brand new after decades of wear.

What are the most difficult rings to clean?

Intricately designed rings with lots of pave and milgrain detail where dirt can hide can be difficult to keep clean. However, by removing them before potentially dirty activities and taking a few minutes each week to wash them, they can also be beautifully maintained for many years.

Rose gold and yellow gold hide dirt and wear better than white gold and platinum which can start to look dull and grey with the least bit of wear and dust on them.

What about jewelry specific cleaners with the little tubs of solution?

These are great for a weekly deep clean if it’s easier for you to remember to pull them out when you might forget the soap and toothbrush cleaning routine. They usually contain ammonia and are great to remove years of grime quickly.

Based on personal experience though, we still recommend a weekly soap and toothbrush cleaning routine as your best option, especially if you can remember to use hot water!