Is Windex Enough?

[shihtzulover]

I just received my diamond upgrade less than two weeks ago, and I love it! My only issue is that I'm very obsessive-compulsive when it comes to cleaning my ring, and I'm worried that certain processes will hurt it.

I have a classic platinum solitaire setting (no diamonds in the band), and my diamond is a princess cut, if that matters. I have an ultrasonic cleaner, but I'm afraid to use it with my new diamond, since it is a SI2 (eye-clean), and it does have feathers, although that's not first-listed on the inclusion list. Will the vibrations somehow make the feathers larger, or cause any other integrity issues?

I thought about getting a steam cleaner, but I just browsed Amazon, and the only one that I found is over $1000. I'm looking more in the less than $100 range.

Right now, I'm just spraying it with Windex and then wiping it off, although I don't feel like that really gets all the dirt, except maybe on the top surface. Scrubbing it with a toothbrush also makes me worry, because I feel like that will somehow loosen the prongs.

I know that I'm probably being over-paranoid, but what would you guys recommend?

Also, we have well water, so I think that might cause it to have even more resistant dirt buildup and such.

Thanks so much!

 

[lbbaber]

Hi!! Congrats on your upgrade!

I was told Dawn liquid dish soap (it helps with grease on dishes so I imagine the buildup from our fingers would be simple), an infants toothbrush (they are SOOO SOFT, and I happen to have an infant-lol-just be gentle), and I use bottled water. I would be afraid something in the well water could react w/the stone or metal (and its convenient bc I have a water delivery service). I might be going over board with the bottled water but it doesnt cost me anything so I figure why not?

As far as getting a steamer or ultrasonic, I am not sure about those but bc I (like you) wash my ring OBSESSIVELY, I figure I dont need one anyways. When the jeweler checks the prongs for me at check ups I will have them clean it for me then.

 

[yssie]

A diamond that survived cutting and polishing intact is very, very unlikely to succumb to a stint in a commercial ultrasonic, I would think! My own SI2 has a grade-making feather right by the girdle and I've been using the US every few days and plan to continue to do so for many years, though obviously that's a sample of exactly one for you

 

[luv2sparkle]

I take mine off at night and drop it in a solution of ammonia and water, just like the commercial cleaners you can buy.

Then in the morning I brush it with a soft toothbrush.

Frontgate has this one for 199.00
http://www.frontgate.com/mercadoSearch.do?action=search&newSearch=true&freeText=jewelry+cleaner&Search.x=0&Search.y=0

 

[Black Jade]

If your ring is plat, you can clean in windex (I wouldn't do this with white gold, though, the rhodium will come off).
Don't exactly boil 1/2 windex and half waterin the microwave in a pyrex cup but get it pretty hot.
Put your ring in it and soak it at least a few moments.
Take it out and clean it with a very soft child's toothbrush
Wipe with lintless cloth (microfiber is great).
Windex is very expensive blue colored non-sudsy ammonia, so if you wnat to go cheaper do that. Use the ammonia, which costs pennies. It's actually the main ingredient in most jewelry cleaners that people buy for big bucks that say they clean diamonds (but don't put a lot of other stones in it--it's horrible for pearls and soft stones)
Have a jeweller steam clean and check prongs every so often.
spraying on and wiping doesn't do that much, the liquid has to be hot to really clean the diamond. Diamonds are grease magnets, need cleaning at least once a week to look their best and can stand to be cleaned every day actually (but who has time, I don't anyway)

 

[zoebartlett]

Someone at WF once (it was either Bob or John Pollard, when he worked there) said that I should use a mild dish washing liquid, a soft baby toothbrush, warm water, and a lint-free towel to dry my plat. 3 stone ring afterward. I've never used Windex or anything stronger than what was recommended. So far, so good!

ETA: I don't have an US but if I did, I wouldn't see a problem with using it.

 

[MishB]

I have an ultrasonic, but when I'm in a hurry I put 2 squirts of windex and a couple of drops of dish liquid in a cup then add boiling water, then jewels, let soak for a while (eg while I am getting dressed), then lightly brush with a baby toothbrush and rinse again in clean boiling water. The results are almost as good as the US.

 

[marcy]

I had a few channel set diamonds become loose or come out with the daily use of my US so now I just soak what I wore that day in a mixture of Windex and purified water. If my diamonds or gemstones seems smudgy I soak them first then use a baby toothbrush on it. I do have a jewel jet steamer and will clean my diamonds up with it about once a month. I use the warm water and dish soap for my semi precious gemstones.

 

[HopeDream]

Hi, I also have a platinum setting.
I will often use dishsoap or windex or both and a baby tooth brush to clean my ring. Sometimes I will use rubbing alcohol instead.

When I feel like my ring needs extra cleaning I will use a tiny tiny amount of laundry detergent (color free, unscented stuff) instead of dishsoap/windex. I think laundry detergent is a better degreaser because it is designed to dissolve greasy deodorant off of clothing, and other tougher grime.

What do you ladies think about laundry detergent?

time to go clean my ring !

 

[sparklyforever]

boiling water...
wouldn't this be bad for rings because the heat would expand the prongs then as it cools they would contract?

i wouldn't think this would harm the diamond but i would think a setting? such as platinum which is soft?

 

[stone-cold11]

boiling water...
wouldn't this be bad for rings because the heat would expand the prongs then as it cools they would contract?

i wouldn't think this would harm the diamond but i would think a setting? such as platinum which is soft?

Temperature is still lower than a steam cleaner. Pt is very tough, high temperature metal, it will not be affected by boiling water.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

When I just use hot water from the faucet and use my ultrasonic (with jewelry cleaning liquid), it just does not get my diamond completely clean. And it is hard to clean a diamond in a basket setting with a toothbrush. I am thinking a Jewel Jet steam cleaner might be better.

 

[Fly Girl]

I take mine off at night and drop it in a solution of ammonia and water, just like the commercial cleaners you can buy.

Then in the morning I brush it with a soft toothbrush.

Ditto. I drop my diamond and platinum ring into a solution of ammonia and water every night, then brush with a soft brush and rinse with water and pat dry. Super easy. Every few months I have the jeweler steam clean it for an extra kick. They always tell me that mine is the cleanest diamond that they ever see come in for cleaning.

 

[Bosie]

The Jewelry Jet I think is under $100, I have used it, tossed it for the Sharper Image Steam Cleaner, does a great job, but they are hard to find.

 

[marcy]

I found my Jewel Jet on Ebay for about $70 dollars. I used mine tonight. I thought my diamond was getting smudgy.

 

[Ninama]

Well, I was told at Single Stone that hot water was okay, so I've been using a couple of drops of Dawn and then holding it under the hot water/steam spigot on my cappucino machine. It's very hot water, but I don't think it's boiling hot. My ring had lost of underside nooks and crannies and this method seems to keep it gleaming!