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So, you got the ring–congrats!! Now what? Being a first time engagement ring-wearer is really exciting–but comes with a lot of questions. Should you take it off in the shower? Should you wear it to workout? How often should you wash it? This is the happiest time of your life, so let’s keep it that way by answering your most burning engagement ring questions right here:
First things first, you must insure that puppy and use this checklist of things that brides should do as soon as they get engaged.
Now, let’s clarify when and where you should wear it. Here’s a list of 10 things you should never do while wearing your ring (cleaning your oven, gardening, and more can loosen or damage your stones and are not advised). Beyond that, wearing your ring during normal activities like showering and washing dishes is perfectly fine and even advised because you are less likely to misplace it if you wear it all the time. (We’ve all heard the horror stories about women who drop their ring down the drain after leaving it by the sink to do dishes!).
Now to upkeep and maintenance. Wearing your ring for all these activities means that things like dish soap, body oils, shampoo, lotions and dirt can build up on the ring and cause it to look dull. You don’t want your ring to lose it’s luster, so you should clean your diamond ring with dish soap, baking soda, and a toothbrush. Here, we have a whole video on how to do it:
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OREnA_H5St4[/youtube]
Now–how often this should be done? Not only do you need to worry about your diamonds looking dull, but you should consider the health aspects of not washing your enough, too. According to Dr. Robert Lahita, “Dirt and skin and oil accumulate [on rings], and when you wash with soap and water, it doesn’t get all that off.” Dr Lahita said that everything from food to fecal matter can be found on jewelry–especially under the band of your ring. Unless you have an open wound, this shouldn’t cause a problem, but if you don’t want your ring finger to be a hotbed of bacteria, you should take off your ring and wash all sides thoroughly once every couple of days. Of course this varies from person to person, and you can certainly get away with doing it less–but don’t push it too far!
In addition to washing it at home regularly, you should have your jeweler inspect and professionally clean the ring every 6 months. The jeweler will check for things like loose settings that might be result in a lost diamond (this has happened to me three times–it’s no joke!). So, in addition to getting a really good, deep clean–you’ll be preventing potential damage to the ring as well.
READ MORE: What Your Center Stone Says About You
