Diamond rings are beautiful and shiny and often draw positive attention when worn. However, you might notice your ring is getting dirty faster than usual, which can take away much of its beauty and shine.
Your diamond ring could be getting dirty so fast for several reasons. It will quickly get dirty if you wear it all the time–even when doing daily tasks. Such tasks include washing the dishes and cooking. The general passage of time and certain weather conditions can also cause dirt.
Want to learn more about the things that make diamond rings get dirty so fast and what to do about them? Keep reading to gather all the most important information!
6 Things That Make Diamonds Dirty and What To Do About Them
Below are the main things that make diamonds dirty and what you can do about them.
Doing Daily Tasks
Doing everyday tasks while wearing a diamond ring is a sure way to make it get dirty quickly. You might not even think about it as you’re doing these tasks, but they can cause significant dirt buildups in no time.
Below, I’ll discuss the main daily tasks that can make a diamond ring get dirty fast.
Washing Dishes and Cooking
You might think it’s OK to wash dishes while wearing a diamond ring because it involves water and dish soap, but you also have to deal with many grease and food particles. It’s relatively easy for these things to get stuck on your diamond, causing it to look dirty and grimy.
If you have to do the dishes often, you might not always remember to take your ring off. On the other hand, you might not be bothered to take it off. However, you should remove the ring whenever you do the dishes because it will keep the grease and food particles away from your diamond.
To make it as easy as possible, I suggest buying a ring holder by the sink where you can safely place your ring as you do the dishes. After you’ve finished the dishes (and after washing and drying your hands), you can simply put the ring back on your finger.
If placing the ring flat on the counter before washing dishes, ensure the area is clean.
Cooking is another way to get dirt on your ring, especially if you need to use your bare hands for certain parts of the recipe. For example, some recipes might require using your hands to make a flour and butter crumble. Liquids (like tomato sauce) can also splash onto the diamond, causing discoloration.
Like with washing dishes, it’s best to remove your diamond ring before cooking. Leave it away from the area you’ll be cooking in because it will likely get messy.
Showering and Bathing
Although showering and bathing are methods of cleaning your body, it’s best to take the ring off before doing either of these activities. Certain products, like conditioner (which can be oily), can leave a greasy layer on the diamond, making it look dirty.
If you wear your diamond ring daily in the shower or bath and notice it gets dirty quickly, consider removing it from now on.
All the products you use in the shower can leave residue on the surface of the diamond, and over time, it can make the ring look extremely dirty and soiled. The same can happen if you wear your ring while having a soapy bath.
Before getting in the bath or shower, consider placing your ring in a safe place where it won’t get wet or dirty. Once you’re clean and dry, you can put the ring back on and go about your day.
Going Out
Going out and doing the following things can cause your ring to get dirty quickly:
- Shopping
- Going on public transport
- Meeting friends for coffee and other things
- Going to work
When you go out, you come into contact with many things. In many cases, you might not even realize how many surfaces your ring is touching.
If you go out daily to run errands and do other things without removing your ring, it will undoubtedly have a buildup of dirt over time.
Using a public restroom can also cause your diamond ring to get dirty because you’ll likely wash your hands without removing the ring. In that case, the soap can leave a greasy residue on the diamond, making it dirty. However, rinsing the soap away thoroughly should mitigate the risk of leaving residue behind.
Whenever you leave the house, be mindful of where you’re going and the different surfaces your hands and ring might come into contact with.
If you’re going to a place where your ring is highly likely to get dirty, consider leaving it at home or taking it off before you start the activity.
Gardening
Gardening is a sure way to make your diamond ring get dirty quickly. Whether you keep forgetting to take the ring off beforehand or simply aren’t bothered, make it your mission to remove it (or wear gloves) in the future to avoid dirt building up.
When gardening, your ring may come into contact with many different things. Soil is one of the main things that can get trapped on the diamond’s surface, leaving dark pieces of dirt on it. As a result, the diamond will look dirty and discolored, which you certainly want to avoid.
Before tending to the garden, remove your diamond ring and keep it safe to ensure you don’t get any soil or plant debris. Gripping to gardening tools can also damage the ring over time, which is something to consider.
As I briefly mentioned earlier, wearing gardening gloves is also an option, but you must ensure the gloves’ interior is clean. If the interior is dirty, that dirt may transfer to your diamond ring.
One of the main downsides of wearing gardening gloves over your diamond ring is that the ring could get caught in the material. Therefore, the best option is to take the ring off completely.
The General Passage of Time
Even if you take your diamond ring off anytime you have to do the dishes or the garden, your ring can still develop dirt buildup over time. For example, dust particles can gather if you store the diamond ring away for long enough. If there is plenty of dust on the ring, it can appear rather dirty.
Although there’s nothing you can do about the passage of time and general wear and tear, you can maintain the diamond ring by wiping it regularly to remove dust particles. The longer you go without cleaning or wiping your diamond ring, the dirtier it will become.
Failure To Take Good Care of Your Diamond Ring
If you’re careless with your diamond ring, it will likely get dirty fast. For example, you might never clean it because you don’t think it’s necessary. However, cleaning your diamond ring now and then is an excellent way to keep the dirt to a minimum.
Constantly wearing your diamond ring when doing messy tasks is also a sure way for the ring to get dirty quickly, so you should have a clean and safe place to leave it whenever you need to do these tasks.
Any time you accidentally drop the diamond ring or get it dirty in some other way, clean it thoroughly rather than leaving it be. If you don’t clean it after doing specific tasks, you’re not taking proper care of the ring, and it will stay dirty until you take action.
Below is a guide on how to clean your diamond ring. To ensure you take good care of it, be sure to use this method at least once every other week:
- Fill a container with clean, hot water. Hot water is good because it will help break down any dirt on the diamond ring.
- Add some soap to the container. It’s best to use dish soap because it can break down grease that may have built up on the ring. Avoid harsh products like bleach.
- Place the ring in hot water. Remove your diamond ring and place it directly into the water and soap.
- Leave the ring to soak. The time to leave it soaking depends on how dirty the ring is and how much time you have. If it’s highly grimy, leave it for around 30 minutes. You can leave it for a few minutes if it only needs a light cleaning.
- Remove the ring and clean it with a brush . Allowing it to soak isn’t enough to clean it. Scrubbing the ring ensures the dirt can fully come off. Use something like a small toothbrush to get the job done.
- Rinse the ring under clean water. To remove the dish soap residue and any remaining debris, run the ring under a tap for a few seconds.
- Dry the ring before wearing or storing it. It’s best to ensure the ring is thoroughly dry, and you can do that by using a dry cloth. The cloth must be clean and free from dust to avoid transferring anything to the ring.
Certain Weather Conditions
In general, diamond rings remain safe and well in different weather conditions (like rain and snow), but wet conditions can cause some rings to rust. Although the diamond itself won’t rust, the ring band may rust if it’s made of a cheaper material.
For example, cheap steel material is more likely to rust. If the band has some rust on it, you can use baking soda to try and remove it. To prevent rust on the band in the future, avoid getting the ring wet. If it does get wet, dry it as soon as possible.
So if you stay out in wet weather for a long time and don’t dry the ring correctly, rust can form around the band, making the ring look dirty rather quickly. Of course, this won’t be an issue for higher-end rings, but it’s still something to consider, just in case.
Wind can also cause your diamond ring to become dirty. For example, you could be at the beach when it’s rather windy. In that instance, the wind may blow some sand onto the diamond, and some particles may remain there. In turn, your diamond ring will look dirty and should be cleaned.
Wet and windy weather can also cause issues, especially if there are dirty puddles on the ground and some of that dirty puddle water splashes onto the ring. Be aware of the weather when wearing your diamond ring outdoors. If the wind manages to blow dirt particles onto the diamond, clean it as soon as you get home to keep it looking sparkly and fresh.
Leaving Your Diamond Ring in an Unclean Place
It’s possible that, without realizing it, you often leave your diamond ring in an unclean place when you’re not wearing it.
For example, you might leave it in an old closet that never gets cleaned, full of dust. If you leave the ring in a place like that long enough, it will gather dust and other particles, making it dirty.
Alternatively, you might leave it somewhere in the open, where it can get dirty easily (like on a kitchen counter). It’s easy to forget about it if you remove your ring and leave it on the kitchen counter, so try to keep it out of harm’s way.
If you leave the ring on a kitchen counter and someone comes along to cook, they might not see it and could get sauce and other food particles on the diamond. Doing this frequently is a sure way to make your ring get dirty!
Storing a Diamond Ring To Keep It Clean
Throughout this article, I’ve mentioned the importance of storing your diamond ring in a safe and clean place before doing certain activities. However, I have yet to recommend a good place to keep your valuable jewelry.
For the most part, it’s best to have one specific safe spot to keep your ring when not wearing it so as not to misplace it. The area should be in a place that won’t get dirty (like a kitchen counter or the side of the bathtub). That way, it can remain clean and safe.
A few examples include:
- A safe
- A clean cupboard or drawer
- A nightstand
Conclusion
There are many reasons your diamond ring could be getting dirty so fast. After reading this article, you should better understand the leading causes and how to deal with them.
The best piece of advice is to remove your ring before certain activities, such as:
- Cooking
- Washing dishes
- Showering and bathing
- Gardening
Whenever you don’t wear the diamond ring, make sure it’s stored in a clean and safe place. Clean it regularly to maintain cleanliness.
If you found this article useful, make sure you save this pin below to your Jewelry board.
