Engagement rings are precious symbols of love that spouses cherish for life. To keep it sparkling, you’ll want to take extra care to keep it clean. These tips will help you care for your ring properly and enjoy it for years to come.

1. Avoid Touching Your Center Stone

Whether your ring is simple or baroque, its center stone will attract attention. To keep it radiant, you should avoid touching it. When you rub your fingers across your engagement ring, you leave natural oils on the surface of the stone. These oils attract dirt and dust that can block light and dim the brilliance of your jewelry.

2. Remove Debris

If you see dirt and debris stuck between the prongs of your ring or underneath the stone, you can carefully scrape or push it out with a wooden toothpick. Use a soft touch — you don’t want to bend the ring’s setting or scratch its metal. If clothing fibers get caught in your ring, you can pull them out with tweezers.

3. Clean Your Ring

Cleaning your ring at home is the key to keeping it beautiful; just remember to be gentle. If you’re wondering how to clean rings at home, you need only a bowl of lukewarm water, mild dish detergent, a soft-bristled toothbrush, a soft cloth, and fresh water to do the job. Every few weeks, soak your jewelry for a few minutes, then rinse it clean and pat it dry to restore its luster.

4. Have a Professional Cleaning

When you want your ring to look perfect for a special occasion, take it to a jeweler for cleaning and servicing. A professional can safely deep-clean your ring and ensure that all the stones are secure in their settings. This process can extend the life of jewelry and keep it looking new.

5. Don’t Overpolish Your Ring

If you want to give your engagement ring a quick touch-up, it’s okay to rub it with a soft cloth — just don’t overdo it. Although you want to keep your ring luminous, too much polishing can harm your engagement ring. Whenever you buff scratches from the surface of your band and setting, you also remove small amounts of metal. As time passes, this action can dull your ring, make it thinner, and cause dirt and oils to cling to its surface.

6. Keep Ring Dishes Around the House

Sometimes, you’ll want to remove your engagement ring to keep it clean and safe. To keep your ring visible when it’s not on your finger, place a few ring dishes in your kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom for safekeeping. This will also help keep grime off your ring while doing chores. If you worry that you might misplace your ring or knock it out of its dish, consider putting it on a strong chain with a secure clasp and wearing it around your neck.

7. Remove Your Ring at the Pool or Beach

Although you’ll want to protect your ring, wearing it is the best way to keep it close. Still, there are times when you’ll want to leave your ring at home. It’s easy to lose jewelry at the beach. Sand and salt can get stuck in the setting. The same is true at the pool — your ring could slide off while swimming, and chlorine could tarnish its shine.

8. Remove Your Ring When You’re Active

Your engagement ring can withstand daily wear, but you should always treat it with care. Rigorous hands-on activities like playing basketball or tennis, working on your house, gardening, and washing dishes can trap debris in your ring and lead to scratches and damage. If your ring has tiny accent stones, they can easily come loose under heavy pressure. Remember, if you’re using common sense, you don’t need to worry. You should be able to sleep in your ring and carry out normal errands without a problem.

9. Avoid Harsh Chemicals

Most engagement rings are made from precious metals like gold, silver, platinum, and rhodium. In many cases, exposure to chemicals can dim their luster or cause irreparable damage like corrosion and pitting. If you have a rhodium-plated ring, keeping it away from chlorine, ammonia, and other cleaning agents will help it maintain its shine. Cosmetics and skincare products can also damage your jewelry, so try to keep them away from your ring. You’ll also want to avoid using most jewelry and metal polishes around your ring, as these agents can weaken and damage the metal, causing it to attract dirt. If you have questions about keeping your ring clean and bright, ask a jeweler for guidance.

10. Store Your Ring Properly

When you’re leaving your engagement ring at home, be sure to store it properly. Protecting your ring from light, dust, moisture, air, and contact with other jewelry will help maintain its beauty. If harder jewelry rubs against your ring, it could scratch and damage its surface. To prevent a mishap, keep your ring in the fabric-lined box it came in. If you have a silver ring, keep it in a tarnish-proof bag. Whether you place your ring in a drawer, jewelry box, or safe is up to you — do whatever gives you peace of mind.

Keep Your Engagement Ring Shining and Beautiful

Your wedding will be one of the most special events in your life. An engagement ring symbolizes all the joy that will come to pass in your marriage. With proper care, your jewelry will serve as a stunning reminder of your love for years. Keeping your ring clean and bright is a wonderful way to keep the sentiment alive and protect your treasure forever.