In 2020 use of hand sanitizer, soap, and foaming antibacterial soap soared to levels never imagined. Each of these products are great at disinfecting your hands and ridding them of germs, bacteria, and viruses. Hand sanitizer is great at taking care of you when it comes to the your health and the aforementioned dangers, but it is ironically really harmful to rings, ring precious stone prong settings, and rings with decorative inlay material and the epoxy used to hold it in place.
Hand sanitizer and cleaning chemical agents are known to chemically harm white gold because it causes it to wear more quickly. Precious metals and gemstones begin to deteriorate when exposed to household cleaning products and cleaning agents including hand sanitizers, rubbing alcohol, bleach, chlorine, and antibacterial soaps. Depending on the gemstone or the precious metal and its propensity to deteriorate from chemical exposure, the shine each one had beforehand most likely will never return.
Chemicals in hand sanitizer can reduce the shine of your ring, but it also can ruin the settings of your rings and the epoxy used to cement any inlay materials or precious stones in them.
Hand sanitizer use now is part of our common everyday practice to reduce the spread of diseases, bacteria and other germs that get on our hands. The simple practice of removing your jewelry, placing it in small jewelry bowl next to your sink faucet and then washing your hands with soap and warm water or cleaning them with hand sanitizer is an easy to follow strategy to maintain your diamond ring’s metal and precious stone integrity today and the future. Be sure to dry your hands thoroughly before you put your jewelry back on.
House Cleaning and Rings that Do Not Come Off
Wear thick high sleeve rubber cleaning gloves when cleaning your home if your engagement ring does not come off.
Summing it All Up
Good hand cleaning sanitary practices can be maintained and not put your important ring jewelry in harms way. Follow the tips here and your jewelry should stay in good shape, continue to stay beautiful and be enjoyed for years to come.
