Rubbing alcohol for cleaning the rings?

[Mandarine]

Hi everyone,

I went to try on wedding bands this weekend and the girl at the store was talking about keeping the rings clean (mine were pretty dirty because I had been travelling for the last three weeks).

Anyway, she said one of the best ways to do it was to drop them in a little plate with rubbing alcohol at night and just leave them there while you sleep. She said it doesn''t hurt the stone or metal and it keeps them shiny. I have never heard this before. Does anyone do this?

I try to keep my e-ring clean but it''s hard!. I''ve seen lots of you use that ultrasonic cleanser, but it''s more than what I want to spend for now (all my money is going to the wedding right now...hehe).

Thanks

M~

 

[zoebartlett]

Hi Mandarine,

I''ve never used rubbing alcohol to clean my engagement ring (both my ering and my wband are platinum). John Pollard at Whiteflash e-mailed me with a bunch of do''s and maybe a few don''ts regarding ring cleaning. It''s posted on here somewhere...hang on, I''ll go look for it.

Back again...here''s what John had to say:

"Some diamond jewelry is worn 24 hours a day. Diamonds are brilliant but still require proper cleaning to keep their appearance. Lotions, soaps and skin oils create a film and attract dirt. This changes the refractive index of the diamond and causes it to look dull, even if the dirt is unseen, on the pavilion (bottom) of the diamond. Regular cleaning will keep your diamond jewelry looking its best.

DO clean daily-worn jewelry once per week. A concentration of mild dishwashing detergent & warm water is good for diamond jewelry. Allow jewelry to soak for 10 minutes in the solution, then use a soft brush to scrub away particles; especially underneath gemstones. Rinse and dry with a clean soft cloth. Seriously soiled jewelry should be cleaned professionally.

DO regularly clean stored jewelry with a soft chamois cloth regularly to keep it lustrous and ready for wear.
DON’T use polishing compound, a brush with toothpaste on it or materials unintended for jewelry. Toothpaste is an abrasive and will damage metal.
DON’T use sharp or hard objects to remove dirt or particles.


It is ok to have a local jeweler you know and trust steam clean or inspect your ring (while you wait) but any work should be done by Whiteflash."

Again, this is the recommended method for platinum, and I''m not sure which metal your rings are. I hope this helped!

 

[neatfreak]

I''m pretty sure that I have heard that rubbing alcohol is the preferred method for diamond cleaning by the GIA. But I don''t know if it harms metal...

 

[Mandarine]

Thankl you Zoe! That is actually what I do...although I use Windex and not dishwashing...what''s a mild dishwashing detergent? I use Palmolive for my dishes

Neatfreak - That''s interesting...does anyone else know about using alcohol?

Thanks again

M!

 

[mercoledi]

Windex or anything with ammonia can be bad for white gold, it makes it yellow faster. I''ve used both rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide and don''e have any realson to believe that it can damage the ring. Alcohols generally don''t have any effect on metals, so I wouldn''t worry.

 

[zoebartlett]

Date: 7/16/2007 2:53:18 PM
Author: Mandarine
Thankl you Zoe! That is actually what I do...although I use Windex and not dishwashing...what''s a mild dishwashing detergent? I use Palmolive for my dishes

Neatfreak - That''s interesting...does anyone else know about using alcohol?

Thanks again

M!

Well, if you wanted to use it, the Palmolive could do double duty. It could clean your dishes AND your ring! I''m sure any other mild liquid dishwashing soap will do. I scrub it gently with a wet baby toothbrush. I was too afraid to use any other kind of brush and i figured if a baby toothrush was good enough for a baby''s soft gums and tiny teeth, it could do a good job on my diamonds too.

 

[Mandarine]

hehe...that is what I''m using too Zoe, a baby''s toothbrush

Mercoledi - I didn''t know about Windex damaging gold...My ring is platinum but that''s still good to know!!! Thanks!

M~

 

[Harleigh]

LOL...I carry a baby''s toothbrush in my purse if that tells you how anal I am about keeping my rings clean!!!

I have also heard that Simple Green will not hurt the metal or the stones, and my mom and I have used that for years. I would look into that further before using it if you''re not sure, tho!

I use my professional grade ultrasonic at least once a week on the things I wear all the time and use the baby toothbrush for maintenance.

 

[surfgirl]

I use Simple Green because a friend in the business here said our hard water is neutralized or something like that, with the Simple Green...

 

[sunshine14]

I know that Mark T from ERD always recommends using alcohol...I think he says to use a q-tip, dip it in the alcohol,and rub it on the diamond...

He used to work for GIA and that was their preferred method. I think a few ERD ring people have written about it in the past...let me see what i can find!

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 7/16/2007 3:00:41 PM
Author: zoebartlett

Date: 7/16/2007 2:53:18 PM
Author: Mandarine
Thankl you Zoe! That is actually what I do...although I use Windex and not dishwashing...what''s a mild dishwashing detergent? I use Palmolive for my dishes

Neatfreak - That''s interesting...does anyone else know about using alcohol?

Thanks again

M!

Well, if you wanted to use it, the Palmolive could do double duty. It could clean your dishes AND your ring! I''m sure any other mild liquid dishwashing soap will do. I scrub it gently with a wet baby toothbrush. I was too afraid to use any other kind of brush and i figured if a baby toothrush was good enough for a baby''s soft gums and tiny teeth, it could do a good job on my diamonds too.

even a hard toothbrush wouldn''t harm your diamond - it''s one of the hardest substances, remember? However, it COULD dull the finish on your metal and I''ve heard the bristles can get caught in prongs, loosening them. Its funny though how you phrased that thinking the precious diamond was as tender as a baby''s gums hehe

 

[door knob solitaire]

I always follow cleaning with alcohol (not the sipping kind...the rubbing kind). It wisks away water spots and anyother residue. Dries to a sparkling extraordinary brilliance.

Additional use: A doctor told me the best tool a glass table owner has...is alcohol. He was right. No streaks.

DKS

 

[Cehrabehra]

really glad to hear about the alcohol thing because it evaporates quickly unlike water which leaves spots LOL

 

[monarch64]

Hee hee, there are these wonderful little brushes people use to clean their orthodontic braces that can be found in the drugstore/walmart/target toothbrush section...they are basically little bitty brushes on a stick. They''re cheap, they travel well, etc. Use them in combination with any of the above cleaners and you''ll have a very clean ring!

 

[door knob solitaire]

Monnie...you are brilliant!! I have seen what you are referring to. Great idea! It is actually James Bond like....to whip out your own diamond cleaner at any given time. Always be prepared!!

DKS

 

[Ellen]

Date: 7/17/2007 10:45:21 PM
Author: surfgirl
I use Simple Green because a friend in the business here said our hard water is neutralized or something like that, with the Simple Green...

Really??

And yes, I''ve used alcohol on occasion.....

 

[vintagebling]

I have always heard that alcohol is fine.

My regimen is:

* to use liquid soap in the shower (that''s the steam cleaning!), daily. I don''t do it on purpose, its just an added benefit to washing with liquid soap!

* the best cleaning is steaming hot water, a travel toothbrush and dish soap. I scrub the underside of the diamond and the top. The diamond sparkles beautifully after its bath. I either air dry or use a paper towel that doesn''t have a lot of lint.

* in my purse I keep these alcohol packets that you can buy at the pharmacy (they are for diabetics to use before injecting insulin). They are really handy and small, each one has a cloth saturated with alcohol. Great for on-the-go cleaning!

* about once every 2 weeks I use a polishing cloth that has red rouge and a yellow side (another polishing compound). This works really well to polish the metal. The cloth doesn''t have to be replaced, it lasts forever.

I never knew about soaking the ring in alcohol or soapy water, but it makes good sense. Will have to give it a try!

 

[Mandarine]

Thank you everyone!!!!!!!!!!! All good tips!!!

I cleaned it last night with a bit of dish soap and it''s sparkling like crazy today!. I didn''t find alcohol at home (other than the kind Ellen''s emoticon is shaking! hehe)...so I have to go to the store and get some.

Vintagebling: where do I find the polishing cloth for the metal?. That''s probably a silly question and everyone knows what it looks like and where to find it...hehe, but I don''t

M~

 

[Stone Hunter]

Date: 7/18/2007 9:13:34 AM
Author: Ellen

Date: 7/17/2007 10:45:21 PM
Author: surfgirl
I use Simple Green because a friend in the business here said our hard water is neutralized or something like that, with the Simple Green...

Really??

And yes, I''ve used alcohol on occasion.....

Hard water is causing a problem for me. So I guess I need to check out simple green.

The only alcohol I''ve used is the kind Ellen has! But I did read that using rubbing alcohol on glass keeps it cleaner longer, so it makes sense.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 7/18/2007 11:56:42 AM
Author: Stone Hunter

Hard water is causing a problem for me. So I guess I need to check out simple green.

The only alcohol I've used is the kind Ellen has! But I did read that using rubbing alcohol on glass keeps it cleaner longer, so it makes sense.

lol I've actually used both kinds. And it does work.

I have hard water, and what I do is, after rinsing, I get my mouth really dry and blow through the ring so the water gets bown out, well, almost all of it. You can also used canned air, but it's more expensive.

And, every once in awhile, I QUICKLY clean it with vinegar, which is great at cutting through the hard water residue, but is not so great on your setting!

ETA I take a blow dryer to it to finish it off after I get most of the water off.

 

[door knob solitaire]

"lol I''ve actually used both kinds. And it does work"

Shaken not stirred?

Why Ellen!

DKS

 

[Harleigh]

I was reading on the other thread about not wearing your rings in the pool or at the beach...we''re planning a wedding in Hawaii, so I''m not sure how to work that one out! I never knew that about chlorine damaging white gold rings...

<----considers now she should have opted for platinum?

Any ideas of how to keep them safe? I am not comfortable leaving them in a hotel room, nor do I want to leave my rings at home when I get married! (I''m greedy that way!)

Definitely going to try the alcohol trick...I''ve always been a Simple Green and ultrasonic girl...

 

[Ellen]

Date: 7/18/2007 12:11:35 PM
Author: door knob solitaire
''lol I''ve actually used both kinds. And it does work''

Shaken not stirred?

Why Ellen!

DKS

 

[Ellen]

Date: 7/18/2007 12:18:12 PM
Author: Harleigh
I was reading on the other thread about not wearing your rings in the pool or at the beach...we''re planning a wedding in Hawaii, so I''m not sure how to work that one out! I never knew that about chlorine damaging white gold rings...

<----considers now she should have opted for platinum?

Any ideas of how to keep them safe? I am not comfortable leaving them in a hotel room, nor do I want to leave my rings at home when I get married! (I''m greedy that way!)

Definitely going to try the alcohol trick...I''ve always been a Simple Green and ultrasonic girl...

Harliegh, call and check first, but your hotel most likely will have a safe room behind the front desk that you can keep it in.


And unless you swim a LOT, I think they''ll be ok, just might need replated a little earlier.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 7/18/2007 12:06:06 PM
Author: Ellen


And, every once in awhile, I QUICKLY clean it with vinegar, which is great at cutting through the hard water residue, but is not so great on your setting!

what will vinegar do to the setting? is this a white gold issue like chlorine or is platinum an issue too?

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 7/18/2007 12:18:12 PM
Author: Harleigh
I was reading on the other thread about not wearing your rings in the pool or at the beach...we''re planning a wedding in Hawaii, so I''m not sure how to work that one out! I never knew that about chlorine damaging white gold rings...

<----considers now she should have opted for platinum?

Any ideas of how to keep them safe? I am not comfortable leaving them in a hotel room, nor do I want to leave my rings at home when I get married! (I''m greedy that way!)

Definitely going to try the alcohol trick...I''ve always been a Simple Green and ultrasonic girl...

one time in the pool isn''t going to hurt your rings... one week in the pool won''t either... it DOES harm white gold, but if I recall the prong failure started at over 160 hours in chlorine. So wearing it on your honeymoon you should be fine, but I swim every day - 160 hours is less than half a year for me so I had to switch

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 7/18/2007 12:24:33 PM
Author: Ellen
Harliegh, call and check first, but your hotel most likely will have a safe room behind the front desk that you can keep it in.


And unless you swim a LOT, I think they''ll be ok, just might need replated a little earlier.

I don''t think so... but you do bring up a good point. rhodium is in the plat family and I don''t think it is vulnerable to chlorine so having that plating will help protect your ring.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 7/18/2007 1:01:20 PM
Author: Cehrabehra

Date: 7/18/2007 12:06:06 PM
Author: Ellen


And, every once in awhile, I QUICKLY clean it with vinegar, which is great at cutting through the hard water residue, but is not so great on your setting!

what will vinegar do to the setting? is this a white gold issue like chlorine or is platinum an issue too?

It''s acidic, so it will eat away at the Rhodium. I don''t know what, if anything it would do to platinum.

 

[door knob solitaire]

Not sure if this will help. Spend about 6- 8 hours a week in a pool- mine or yearround in the YMCA public heavily chorinated pool doing laps. Wore my yellow gold plat head solitaire for over 6 years every swim. I was lucky I guess. No damage. Jeweler examined it. This is one of those stock settings that jewelers offer. Cheapo.

While you are on a week or two on vacation or trip...the pool dive is not going to attack your ring in that short of time. I would think more than twice about leaving it behind...in room, safe or hidden somewhere. My mothers

motto is you can''t loose it if you don''t take it off. I wouldn''t worry. Call your jeweler and get his response.

DKS

 

[CaptAubrey]

Researchers like rubbing alcohol for cleaning diamonds because, unlike other solvents such as acetone, it doesn''t leave behind a residue.

The problem with swimming and diamonds is not the chlorine but the oils/lotions/goop in the water. All of this stuff will adhere to your diamond and can leave it looking cloudy depending on how dirty the water is and how often you go in. This is a bigger issue in a resort pool than a training pool at the Y, for obvious reasons.