Wedding Ring Cleaning & Care

Whether it's gold, platinum, set with diamonds or plated with rhodium - every wedding band requires regular TLC. This is a ring that you'll wear for a lifetime, and so it's vital that you take proper care to maintain its beauty and lustre.

While wedding bands are crafted from precious and durable metals, they also have to put up with daily wear-and-tear, and even the hardiest of rings will begin to suffer eventually!

We've put together our answers to the most frequently asked questions surrounding wedding ring cleaning, as well as how to store & polish your bands.

Read on for general advice on how to care for your wedding band, or jump to…

Caring for your Wedding Band during COVID-19

How to Care for Gold Wedding Rings

How to Care for Platinum Wedding Rings

General Wedding Ring Care Advice

How often should wedding ring cleaning take place? 

To keep your wedding band looking its best, you should try to clean it a few times a month at home. It only takes five minutes, and it will make a world of difference when it comes to maintaining that sheen!

When it comes to cleaning wedding rings, we would suggest taking it to a professional jeweller once or twice a year to get a more specialist treatment, but this somewhat depends on your wedding ring's material. For example, harsher cleaning treatments will wear away the rhodium plating on a white gold wedding band much faster.

My wedding ring has diamonds - what should I do to keep them sparkly?

To clean a diamond wedding band at home, we would recommend the Connoisseurs Diamond Dazzle Stik. Make sure to brush all around the stone(s) and into the setting to eliminate any hard-to-reach dirt. We have several wedding ring cleaning kits available from Connoisseurs; the answer to keeping these jewels in tip-top shape.

Can I wear my wedding ring in the shower?

Many people wonder if water will ruin their wedding band, or gradually cause damage to it over time. 

The good news is that you can wear your 18ct gold ring in the shower without risking any damage to the metal, whether that’s yellow, rose or white gold. However, repeated exposure to water will gradually reduce your ring’s shine, so it’s probably best to take it off before hopping in the shower.

Likewise, wearing your platinum ring in the shower will not damage it, but it will gradually reduce the metal's lustre.

In addition, if your wedding band has diamonds, products like shampoo can end up getting into the nooks and crannies of your ring - leading to a grimy build-up that will be tricky to remove.

Should I sleep with my wedding ring on?

Wearing your wedding band to sleep in isn’t a problem if it’s a plain band with no embellishments. However, rings that are shaped or set with stones are generally best removed before getting into bed. These can get caught in things (like your hair!) and that’s sure to ruin a peaceful night's rest.

How should I store my wedding ring?

Although most people prefer to never take their wedding band off, you may want to remove it for certain activities (such as sleeping, showering and cleaning). 

The best way to store your wedding ring is by placing it in an individual fabric pouch, box or compartment in your jewellery box. The most important thing is that your ring is stored away from other jewellery, as this will make sure that it doesn't get scratched.

Above all, make sure you’ve stored it somewhere safe and memorable - don’t leave it sitting on the kitchen counter or hidden in the depths of a random drawer!

Caring for your Wedding Band during COVID-19

How to clean wedding rings

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, it’s incredibly important to undergo wedding ring cleaning, especially as it’s a piece that you wear every day. So, it's time to learn how to clean wedding rings at home.

To keep your ring clean and free of bacteria, we would suggest that you clean it at the end of each day. A specialist jewellery cleaner is ideal, but you can also use a very mild solution of dish soap and warm water to disinfect your wedding band.

For more advice on keeping your jewellery clean during coronavirus and general jewellery care, make sure to read our ultimate jewellery care guide.

Is hand sanitiser bad for wedding rings?

One misconception often made is that hand sanitiser is what's best to use for your wedding ring cleaning. However, you won't attain the same sheen and it can almost do the opposite.

While solid gold and platinum are very resistant to cleaning agents, the metal itself shouldn’t suffer any damage if you’re applying hand sanitiser more often than usual. However, excessive exposure can dull the shine of your wedding band over time, just like wearing it in the shower would.

White gold wedding rings have an added vulnerability, as hand sanitiser will gradually wear away their rhodium plating (meaning you’ll have to get it replated sooner).

The best way to protect your ring is to remove it every time you apply hand sanitiser, and make sure your hands are totally dry before putting it back on. 

How to Care for Gold Wedding Rings

Gold is traditionally favoured when it comes to wedding bands, especially yellow gold. This metal is distinctly lustrous and luxurious, and if you already wear gold jewellery to accessorise your outfits, it’s the perfect choice of metal for your wedding ring. 

All gold band wedding rings at Joshua James are crafted from 18ct gold, meaning they're 75% gold and 25% other metals. This ensures that your ring will effortlessly stand up to everyday wear-and-tear, but it doesn’t make it invincible; it will still require some maintenance to keep it looking shiny and new.

Read on for our top tips on cleaning your gold wedding band at home!

How can I make my gold ring shiny?

Gold wedding bands can lose their lustre over time due to a number of factors. You might not even notice as it happens so gradually, but every ring needs an occasional touch-up to keep it looking as good as it did on your wedding day.

Luckily, it’s quick and easy to make your gold ring shiny again! You just need a specialist gold polishing cloth such as this ultrasoft one from Connoisseurs to give it a light polish and restore lustre.

You can also take your gold wedding band to a jewellers to have it polished professionally. This is a good option if you’ve noticed some deeper scratches in your ring’s metal, as jewellers have specialist materials which can buff these out. 

How often should I polish my gold ring?

You can polish your gold wedding band at home once a month or so to keep it looking bright and shiny. 

You should only get it polished professionally once a year (twice at most), as more often than that can end up damaging your ring. The polishing process is slightly abrasive, meaning that the surface of the metal is worn down a little each time you have it done. Too often and you’ll do more harm than good!

What can I use to clean my gold wedding ring?

Next is wedding ring cleaning for gold. Whether your wedding band is yellow, white or rose gold, we would recommend the following specialist products to clean your gold wedding ring at home: 

How to Care for Platinum Wedding Rings

If you’re not aware of the advantages of platinum, you should head over to our Jewellery Metal Guide and find out what makes this material so special!

One of the best things about platinum wedding bands is that they’re incredibly durable and resistant to damage. When platinum gets scratched, the metal is displaced rather than worn away, meaning that a simple polish can restore it back to its original state.

However, this metal still requires the occasional TLC. Read on for our advice on how to care for your platinum wedding ring!

Why does my platinum ring scratch so easily?

While platinum is incredibly durable, it can still be scratched. The metal sits at 4-4.5 on the Moh’s hardness scale, meaning any material that is harder than this (e.g. some precious gemstones and glass) can scratch it. 

Your platinum wedding ring will be pristine when you first receive it, meaning that even the smallest of scratches may seem noticeable. The good news is that these scratches can be polished out, as the metal has merely been displaced rather than worn away.

How to polish a platinum ring and remove scratches

If you’re keen to get the scratches out of your platinum wedding band, you can take it to a jeweller for a professional polish. Platinum can require some more specialist equipment to buff the imperfections away, so it’s possible that your local jeweller will not be able to do it in-house.

Without polishing, your platinum ring will develop a soft patina over time, as the metal becomes displaced and takes on a more vintage appearance. Rather than gleaming white, your band will take on a softer lustre. Many people actually prefer this look, as they feel it adds character to the ring.

If you prefer the original bright white finish of your platinum wedding band, you can also have it plated with rhodium (like white gold). This means less need for polishing, but you will need to have your ring replated every few years as the coating wears away.

How often does platinum need to be polished?

If you want to maintain the original white lustre of your platinum wedding ring, you will probably want to have it professionally polished once or twice a year. You can also buff it more regularly at home using a polishing cloth. 

Of course, it will also depend on your wear habits: if you never take your wedding band off, it will require more regular upkeep than if you remove it for more vigorous activities.

What can I use to clean my platinum ring?

Similar with wedding ring cleaning in gold, to clean your platinum wedding band at home, we would recommend the following specialist jewellery cleaners by Connoisseurs:

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For further advice on wedding ring cleaning and care for all types of jewellery, make sure to check out our ultimate jewellery care guide. And if you've got any other questions about how to care for wedding bands, make sure to let us know in the comments below!