Wedding Blog

When I first got engaged, I didn’t know anything about owning a ring or how to take care of one. I never wear any jewelry at all, so wearing a ring all the time took a little getting used to. This might sound a little dumb, but I didn’t even know if I was supposed to take off my ring before I go to bed or before I take a shower. I was just that clueless and I was terrified of losing it (if you know me, you know how clumsy I am and how often I tend to lose/break things).

About 2 weeks into our engagement, I went on a business trip to Washington, DC. I never took my ring off at all because I wanted to avoid having to tell Mr. Martini that I lost my ring and risk being told not to come back to NJ (kidding… he would never say that… or would he…). By the time I got back, I started to notice that my ring wasn’t as bling bling as it was when I first got it. I was all set to buy a jewelry cleaning machine and started asking around for suggestions on different types of cleaners. I found that I generally got the same advice from most of my newlywed friends - a jewelry cleaner is a huge waste of money. So if it’s a waste of money, how do I clean my ring?

My matron of honor told me that she bought two pricey electric cleaners, and she never used either of them. She actually got her ring cleaning secret from a friend of hers. Her friend’s ring was always super shiny so my MOH couldn’t resist asking her what she used to clean it. The secret? Good old toothpaste. She gets comments on her ring all the time and they are always shocked when she tells them that she just pretty much brushes her ring like she brushes her teeth. I’ve tried this and it works! I bought a child toothbrush dedicated to ring brushing (best 3 bucks I’ve ever spent), added a little toothpaste and brushed away. It worked wonders and I watched my ring turn from dull to glow glow glow.

Another good friend of mine suggested using dishwashing liquid, so I tried that as well. I thought it worked just as well if not better. In fact, I prefer this to toothpaste because it foams better and washes off faster. Just place a small dab on the same kiddie toothbrush, brush, and rinse under hot water to watch the dullness wash away.

I also found something called Maas Jewelry Cleaner and thought I’d give it a try as well:

The cleaner actually comes with a little brush, but I prefer using my own kiddie brush.

There is a basket inside so fishing out your ring is a piece of cake.

Brush brush brush.

All clean! I don’t know why my hand is spread out like that. I swear I’m not a Trekkie.

Of course I have to admit that nothing will get it as clean as a professional cleaning, but I found these three things to work very well for me. I am bit partial to the Maas Cleaner because it was created specifically for jewelry, so I know it is safe. I do a quick brush with the dishwashing liquid sometimes before I run out the door.

Do you have any ring cleaning tips? If so please share because I’d love to hear!