How Clean Are Your Rings?

[soulsis]

Just a question that I wanted to ask after browsing the ultrasonic thread....

Do some of you ladies actually leave your rings on all the time? Someone had mentioned how their rings were dirty from handcream and I was confused. I mean...I take mine off ALL the time. When I am making cookies, handcream, washing my hands in the sink....EVERYTIME! Doesn''t anyone else do this? I always take my rings off when I wash my hands because the water gets under there and gives you a rash. I bought an ultrasonic cleaner which appears to be awesome. But...my rings aren''t that dirty

 

[diamondlil]

I''ve probably got the cleanest rings of almost anyone I know, except MissGotRocks who posts here.

When I''m in the house, the rings come off and go in their own designated porcelain dish (hidden in the kitchen so none of my kids'' friends will walk off with them). That way they don''t get all banged up and gunked up with soap, food, etc. The last thing I do before I leave the house is go to the little dish and put on my rings.

I probably over-clean my rings. I put them in the ultrasonic about every other day. If I''m in a real rush, I''ll use a little dish soap and an old soft toothbrush I keep at the kitchen sink and get it a quick once-over. The dishsoap cuts the grease and oils very well, and as long as you rinse well, there is no soap buildup. It drives me insane when I see someone with a nice ring and it has obviously not been cleaned in a while. I think I drive my friends nuts because I nag them about cleaning their rings too.

If I''m out in a public restroom, I leave my rings on to wash my hands. I''d rather get a little soap on them than accidentaly drop them or forget them someplace. Safer on the hand than off I think. The ultrasonic will take care of any residue the next day.

 

[Kaleigh]

I''m just like diamondlil. As soon as I get home I take my rings off and put them on my ring holder. I don''t wear them around the house. I clean them every morning with the stuff from WF. They are always clean. I don''t like them to get dirty ever, that would give me a panic attack!!! Lol!!!

 

[Mara]

I wear mine all the time and rarely take them off to wash hands or put lotion on etc. And they are eternity so there are tons of small crevices for dirt and creams to hide in. I clean them daily but they still get very dirty. When we were at WF they cleaned and polished our rings and they looked like new. Just stunning and sometimes I forget how great they CAN look. That's why I want to see what this ultrasonic can do!!

One day I decided to really clean them very thoroughly, and I got the idea to stuff this little brush thing into the holes under my e-rings and all this crud came out of the holes! I was SHOCKED at how much stuff collected in there. They looked amazing after. Come on ultrasonic!

 

[diamondlil]

Date: 9/27/2005 1:34:25 PM
Author: kaleigh
I''m just like diamondlil. As soon as I get home I take my rings off and put them on my ring holder. I don''t wear them around the house. I clean them every morning with the stuff from WF. They are always clean. I don''t like them to get dirty ever, that would give me a panic attack!!! Lol!!!

So nice to know there are other out there just as compulsive about their sparklies as me!

 

[Kaleigh]

Yeah, just wait till ame responds!!!

 

[soulsis]

I am actually the same way. I take off the ring the second that I walk in the house and put it in the ring box that it came in!! DF thinks I am pathetic. Thank god I am not alone. My sis came in here today with her pup and his chain was scratching the hell out of her band. I was like...."Ohhhhh I am feeling faint." Right now I am in my office at work with my ring sitting on my little paperweight until lunch. When I go to the bathroom anywhere I put them in my pocket. When I get water under any of my rings it must create some kind of irritation. I get a rash from letting the water sit under there. Same goes for my Baby-G plastic watch...so I know it ain''t the metal.

 

[Logan Sapphire]

I clean mine everyday too. I''ve been known to do it more than that. I don''t take mine off at work when I wash my hands, but I will take them off to dry them and put lotion on ONLY when at my desk. I also will take them off at home if I need to clean or do dishes, just b/c I can''t stand the feeling of water underneath, and being wet also makes them very loose and slippery.

 

[curlygirl]

I keep mine on all the time at work except when I put lotion on at my desk. But I wash my hands with it on because I''m scared of what could happen! As soon as I get home, I WAS taking it off immediately until my FI moved in with me and got a little disturbed that I wasn''t wearing it ALL THE TIME. So now, I keep it on at home but never wear it to sleep, to wash my hands or at the gym. It goes right back in it''s original box. I''ve been cleaning it with the Whiteflash stuff about once a week but can''t wait for that ultrasonic to arrive!

 

[moremoremore]

I''ve started to get better about cleaning my rings...I do it every saturday morning when I''m heading out to enjoy the weekend with a nice clean ring...I never take it off except for those times...You should see the condition of my pendant. Hmmm. Not so clean. I never take that off either. The hard water buildup from the shower makes it fairly dull...I clean that maybe every two weeks. Should do it more often...

 

[dazedland]

I''m cleaning it right now

it''s in the ultrasonic as I type. My fiance thinks I clean it too often, but I wear it all the time except when I''m doing heavy duty cleaning or at yoga. I wear it in the shower even, but I usually have to take it off halfway through because it''s big on me and it will fall off in the shower. I probably give it a thorough cleaning once a week, but I clean it almost everyday. My friend always want to try it on because they aren''t engaged yet and my fiance does this also which drives me batty, they hold it on top of the diamond leaving a big ''ol finger print. I cringe, but then I just go clean it.

 

[decodelighted]

Aye yi yi! Are bezel set stones more maintenence-free? I am going to be in such trouble when I have ring-cleaning to worry about ..

I don''t think I''ve EVER cleaned my princess, channel-set cross pendant after wearing it for four years straight & barely polish my silver. (Jewelry Wipes are my only salvation)

Must be from a dirty brood because my sister received a lovely tennis bracelet on her wedding day & hasn''t TAKEN IT OFF in the year since (much less cleaned it in any meaningful way). I''m kinda hoping I won''t want to take my future ring/s off ... romantic I guess???

 

[Logan Sapphire]

Question for those who use the WF cleaner- how often do you go through it? How many sprays do you use? As I said above, I clean my rings daily but if I used the WF stuff that much, it''d be gone in a matter of weeks. So I only use it when I travel.

 

[dazedland]

I use 3-4 sprays of the WF cleaner stuff 2-3 times a week, I got it in July and it''s still 3/4 of the way fulll, maybe even a little more...

 

[ame]

Date: 9/27/2005 1:47:43 PM
Author: kaleigh
Yeah, just wait till ame responds!!!

True that. I am neurotic.

I STILL to this day clean my rings 1-2x a day with WF cleaner (I have 4 full bottles right now and I might be getting a few more here in the next coupla weeks! Though I might gift friends with one each).

I inspect them DAILY, sometimes more than once a day. I am trying to do it less, so usually just in the evening while dinner is cooking or something, I tend to clean them then inspect while wearing latexfree gloves (like the shot-nurse would wear) so I don''t crud them back up with finger funk. I am working on my routine again now that I have rings to inspect again.

So yes I keep them surgically clean. Id rather have a germy gross hand than remove my rings in a public bathroom though, I use the sanitizing wipes to clean my left hand if Im out where I refuse to remove. At work Ill slip them off and put them diligently in the ring box in my purse. Then slip back on later. I do take them off at work frequently for a variety of things. There''s too many spots of metal on my desk, and what isn''t covered by foam or 5 layers of folded paper taped over, I am worried about hitting. (Drawers...etc.

)

 

[butterfly 17]

I clean my rings everyday, sometimes twice a day, once before I leave and again when I get home. I usually clean, then inspect them with a loupe.

I take them off once I get into the house and I store them in my jewelry case or a little jewelry bag I use just for those specific rings. I also never store them with each other, I am paranoid that they will chip each other!

I take them off whenever I am doing anything that may harm them in anyway. Cleaning, gardening, heck, I don''t even use that hand to reach for things in my pocket or purse!!!

I make sure I do everything before I put them on. I put on my lotion, hairspray, perfume, oils, etc., first. When I put lotion on, I dry my hands off on a towel first to get rid of any extra crud, then I put my rings on.

Sometimes, when I am out, I will even take a tissue paper and stick it in my bag, just in case I need to clean the diamond off. Also, I carry my little jewelery bag in my purse, in case I need to take off my rings, so I have a place to store them!!!

I never wear my rings at work, we are not allowed to, but I probably wouldn''t even if I could, I would be too afraid to bang it into something.

Lastly, I never take them off when I wash my hands outside of my home, I am too afraid to lose them down the sink, so, I just wipe them with tissue paper to remove any grime.

Yes, I do have diamond OCD!!!

 

[jenna_g]

This thread makes me feel better about my compulsion to clean my ring...

I clean it at least once a day, sometimes twice. (Almost always at some point while I''m reading this board... lol

)

I have a solitaire and I''m planning on doing a channel set eternity band for a wedding ring, but I''m worried it''ll be harder to keep more diamonds clean... Is it? (And yes I know that''s a silly thing to worry about!)

 

[MissGotRocks]

Oh, Lord, don''t get me started about cleaning rings. . . my hands are always dried up due to using ammonia cleaner. I have alot of trouble with one of my knees and I think part of that came from cleaning my ceramic tile kitchen floor on my hands and knees for years (it is a large floor)! When I went to the orthopedic doctor I told him that if he could cure my OCD my knee would probably get better. He didn''t get it!

I never wear my rings in the house - the first thing I do is take them off and clean them - along with my RHR, bracelet, earrings, watch, etc. I HATE dirty jewelry - mine or anyone else''s. My son has a red Pontiac Firebird that he has just about washed and waxed the paint off of and I watch him and think, "Oh dear God, he''s just like me!" Poor boy. He claims it is just a matter of pride in trying to take the best care of what you own. Maybe I taught him too well.

No one has to be that clean; we just can''t help ourselves!

 

[Demelza]

I don''t have any particular cleaning routine, but if I notice that the diamonds look dirty, I''ll rinse them in some mild soap and hot water. I take them to a jeweler a few times a month for a nice soak and steam. That gets them cleaner than any home product I''ve ever tried. I had a Salton Jewelery Spa, but I hated it. It was too big and bulky and didn''t really do anything that a rinse in some very hot water wouldn''t do. I wear my rings all the time except when I lift weights. I figure, why not? They cost a heck of a lot of money, they''re insured, they bring me great pleasure even when I''m just sitting in the living room reading or watching TV, so why take them off unless I''m harming them in some way. Anyway, I like the idea of my rings being part of me, something that I have on that I don''t even think about. Particularly my wedding ring. I wish my husband felt the same way. He takes his ring off as soon as he gets home.

 

[Mara]

Date: 9/27/2005 8:47:20 PM
Author: Demelza
I wear my rings all the time except when I lift weights. I figure, why not? They cost a heck of a lot of money, they''re insured, they bring me great pleasure even when I''m just sitting in the living room reading or watching TV, so why take them off unless I''m harming them in some way. Anyway, I like the idea of my rings being part of me, something that I have on that I don''t even think about.

amen!! i aim to enjoy the rings as much as possible...and i figure i can clean them anytime if they get lotion or dirt in them.

 

[AChiOAlumna]

I clean mine every day that I wear them. I start with an ultrasonic cleaning. Then I spray them with Brilliant Cleaner (much like the stuff from WF) and then finish with a good steaming. Boy how do they sparkle! I take them off anytime I''m at home and I''m using chemicals, putting on makeup, showers, etc. And they have a special box that I keep them in every night or any time I''m not wearing them. Like others have said, if I''m in a public restroom, I''ll leave them on also, but I clean them as soon as I get home!

 

[ame]

FINALLY! SOMEONE ELSE ON HERE AS ABSOLUTELY BATSH!T CRAZY AS ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Date: 9/27/2005 6:54:50 PM
Author: butterfly 17
I clean my rings everyday, sometimes twice a day, once before I leave and again when I get home. I usually clean, then inspect them with a loupe.


I take them off once I get into the house and I store them in my jewelry case or a little jewelry bag I use just for those specific rings. I also never store them with each other, I am paranoid that they will chip each other!


I take them off whenever I am doing anything that may harm them in anyway. Cleaning, gardening, heck, I don''t even use that hand to reach for things in my pocket or purse!!!

I make sure I do everything before I put them on. I put on my lotion, hairspray, perfume, oils, etc., first. When I put lotion on, I dry my hands off on a towel first to get rid of any extra crud, then I put my rings on.


Sometimes, when I am out, I will even take a tissue paper and stick it in my bag, just in case I need to clean the diamond off. Also, I carry my little jewelery bag in my purse, in case I need to take off my rings, so I have a place to store them!!!


I never wear my rings at work, we are not allowed to, but I probably wouldn''t even if I could, I would be too afraid to bang it into something.


Lastly, I never take them off when I wash my hands outside of my home, I am too afraid to lose them down the sink, so, I just wipe them with tissue paper to remove any grime.


Yes, I do have diamond OCD!!!

 

[Patty]

I clean mine once or twice a week.

I do not wear my rings at home or when I exercize (walk).

Since I don''t get out much, I have no need to clean them more than that!

 

[butterfly 17]

Date: 9/27/2005 10:17:01 PM
Author: ame
FINALLY! SOMEONE ELSE ON HERE AS ABSOLUTELY BATSH!T CRAZY AS ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When I first posted, I wanted to write that I could be your TWIN!! LOL!!!

I am telling you, it''s a disease!

Oh, I have to add, I am only like this with my e-ring and matching wedding bands. I am not like this with the other rings I have or my bracelets, pendants and earrings.

 

[MrsFrk]

I wear mine all the time, except for when I am doing heavy gardening or something really gunkifying, like making bread.
I soak them every night while I am in the shower. They go back on once I am dressed.
Every other day or so I pop them in the ultrasonic.

 

[HOUMedGal]

Date: 9/27/2005 9:31:18 PM
Author: Mara

Date: 9/27/2005 8:47:20 PM
Author: Demelza
I wear my rings all the time except when I lift weights. I figure, why not? They cost a heck of a lot of money, they''re insured, they bring me great pleasure even when I''m just sitting in the living room reading or watching TV, so why take them off unless I''m harming them in some way. Anyway, I like the idea of my rings being part of me, something that I have on that I don''t even think about.

amen!! i aim to enjoy the rings as much as possible...and i figure i can clean them anytime if they get lotion or dirt in them.

Yep, I wear mine all the time. Sleeping, showering, putting on lotion, etc. It goes in my ultrasonic every few days, along with the earrings I wear ALL the time (RB studs). I''m pretty happy with my ultrasonic...it took a couple rounds to get my jewelry spotless when I first got it, but I think that''s just because the jewelry was that dirty. Now that they get ultrasonic''d every couple of days, they come out looking brand spankin'' new!

 

[ame]

Date: 9/27/2005 11:09:27 PM
Author: butterfly 17

Date: 9/27/2005 10:17:01 PM

Author: ame

FINALLY! SOMEONE ELSE ON HERE AS ABSOLUTELY BATSH!T CRAZY AS ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When I first posted, I wanted to write that I could be your TWIN!! LOL!!!

I am telling you, it''s a disease!


Oh, I have to add, I am only like this with my e-ring and matching wedding bands. I am not like this with the other rings I have or my bracelets, pendants and earrings.

I get that way about my CZ earrings...which I never wear...and my piercing jewelry. I take that out and soak it for an hour once every few weeks. Otherwise, I don''t care enough. My ering and wedding rings...woodoggie. CLEAN and inspected CONSTANTLY.

Boy Im glad I have a twin.

 

[Odilia]

My Mom always wore/wears hers, and I''ve never known her to take them off for anything. Although I was always the type to take off all jewelry as soon as I got home and wasn''t going out again that day, I expected to be like my Mom with eng./wedding rings. So I was shocked when I first got engaged, and realized I was not going to want to wear them all the time. First, I wore it to bed and thought, "this is so uncomfortable!" Then after I''d worn them for about a week (in bed, shower etc.) and I was getting my first chance to show them to friends, they were already dirty and to me not nearly as sparkly. So now I usually wear my wedding ring all the time, unless I''m doing heavy-duty work like in the yard. If I go out or my husband is home I wear the E-ring. At bedtime I take off the e-ring and don''t put it on until next morning after shower & hand cream etc... This way it doesn''t get as dirty, and I clean it about once per week.

(When I was engaged and got into all this stuff, I offered to clean my Mom''s ring, which was probably first time in 40 years! It sparkled more, but I''d love to have a jeweler do it and see what it could really be like.)

 

[Madam Bijoux]

Hi!
My rings are spotless. I never touch the stones and never let other people touch them. I also never wear them when I''m at doing any sort of work at home or handling food or going into a washroom. I clean them if I get an accidental smudge on them or when I''m ready to wear different rings. When I put my earrings on, I wrap a lint-free paper cocktail napkin around the diamond so that it won''t get fingerprints on it.

 

[aphisiglovessae]

I only take mine off when putting on lotion or when I'm doing some really messy cooking. Other than that, I don't remove my ring for fear that I will lose it. It's insured, but I would still die if anything should happen to it.

As for cleaning, I give it a once-over with some windex, water and a toothbrush every once in a while. Other than that, it stays fairly clean anyway.