~Will Cleaning My Rings In Glass Cleaner Hurt Them?~

[GlitterBug]

I ran out of jewelry cleaner and my engagement and wedding rings were getting dirty. So I soaked them in some Windex for about 5 minutes and then rinsed them and dried them. They look pretty clean and shiny now. But doing this overtime, could it ruin my rings? Probably a stupid question, but I thought I would ask :)

[meltodd69]

Don't have any idea if it will. I do know toothpaste works great as a cleaner. Have used it for years.

[ladybugva]

i always use hydrogen peroxide on mine. So far so good. the bubbles clean out all the crevices

[galeane29]

Toothpaste and peroxide are both good ideas. I have used both.
Not sure about the windex.

[poggles3]

i always use hydrogen peroxide on mine. So far so good. the bubbles clean out all the crevices

Yea that! Thats all i know of, sorry no info on windex.

[MistyWolf]

Remember the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding?" .. they used Windex for everything!

How To Clean A Diamond (and Other Jewelry)
Your original jeweler (with their specialized equipment for cleaning jewelry) is the best place to get your pieces professionally cleaned, and they should always do it with a smile and free of charge. But often it's not convenient and you don't want to make the trip. Fear not.

The internet and stores are full of crap, pricey witch oils in pretty packaging, and even environmentally-friendly suds you don't need to clean your diamonds or just about any other precious or semi-precious stone or metal you have. (of course, if you insist on the enviro-happy stuff, I support you, but you won't sparkle like you would with the use of good old-fashioned ammonia!)

The only "professional" products worth buying are ultrasonic cleaners and steam cleaners. But for far less than the $100 these products go for, you can get a really good cleaning at home.

In fact, you can clean your jewelry with things you already have in your home right now. Two are in the kitchen or cleaning supplies, and one is on the bathroom counter and probably needs to be replaced by now anyways.

Get some window cleaner with ammonia, an old, soft toothbrush and some paper towels. The window cleaner breaks up the grease, streaks and dirt, the toothrush helps gently remove it, and the towels dry for a nice shine.

1. close the sink stopper (this should seem obvious, but I have had to take the sink pipes apart to retrieve an earring)
2. microwave/heat some window cleaner for about 20 seconds (a coffee cup works fine)
3. make sure the sink is closed (sorry to nag, but you'll thank me)
4. dip pieces of jewelry and toothbrush in the hot window cleaner
5. use soft toothbush to brush lightly, not allowing toothbrush fibers to get beneath the prongs, using care not to loosen the setting
6. rinse in hot water again
7. pat dry with paper towels (or an old t-shirt, my preferred drying tool)

The only exceptions to this are pearls, opals, corals, cameos, costume jewelry and some antique pieces. For pearls, opals and other soft, porous stones avoid ALL harsh chemicals (like ammonia) and abrasives when cleaning these items. Some places sell "pearl cleaner" and similar products. Avoid them. The only thing to use on pearls is a soft, lint-free cloth. No chemicals, no treatments, no nothing.

The same goes for costume jewelry and some antique pieces. If your antiques are 14K gold and above and have no soft stones, you can clean them as described above. But many older pieces are made with less than 14K gold and incorporate soft stones and using ammonia may damage or abrade them. They are beautiful and already old, so care for them gently. However, if you have old platinum and diamonds, go for it. You'll be amazed what some window cleaner and an old toothbrush will do!

If you have any questions about a specific piece of jewelry, ask me. When in doubt, be careful, and ask for advice first. I love to help.

(At my house, I use a combination of "professional" and "at-home" materials. I use an old, soft head on my ultrasonic toothbrush and window de-greaser for all non-delicate pieces of jewelry.)

http://www.theblingblog.typepad.com/the_bling_blog/2006/02/how_to_clean_a_.html

[ElleGee]

I use Windex on my rings. Doesn't hurt them

[Bahet]

Ammonia based products are fine. Do not use bleach products. Swimming with your rings on will make them pretty and clean but bleach and chlorine will eat gold. I used to be assistant manager of a jewelry store after college. I had a customer come in once who knew her rings always looked better after swimming with them on so she put them in a bit of bleach to soak overnight. When she woke up the next day she had a cup of diamonds. The gold had been completely eaten away.

[Kimberly61]

windex wont hurt them....I clean mine with toothpaste and it works better then jewelry cleaner in my opinion.

[GlitterBug]

Thanks for the advice everyone! I might just stick with using my Windex then instead of purchasing more jewelry cleaner...it's much cheaper. Although I did read my bottle of window cleaner and it said it was ammonia free...so I guess I didn't get the full cleaning LOL.

[Ms.LG]

For my diamond engagement ring I just put a lil bit of dish soap (grease cutting seems to work best) in a glass with warm (not hot) water for 10 - 15 minutes to soak. If there happens to be anything left after the soak I use the same mix with a very very soft old toothbrush to get it back to sparkley goodness.

Hope that helps.

[Explorer 4x4'r]

I've always soaked my diamonds and gold in ammonia.

However don't use ammonia for real pearls. I learned the hard way on a pair of earings

[vicky122]

For my diamond engagement ring I just put a lil bit of dish soap (grease cutting seems to work best) in a glass with warm (not hot) water for 10 - 15 minutes to soak. If there happens to be anything left after the soak I use the same mix with a very very soft old toothbrush to get it back to sparkley goodness.

Hope that helps.

I do it this way or toothpaste.

[YankeeMary]

If using a toothbrush do not use alot of pressure. My jewler told me that scrubbing with the toothbrush will wear down the gold.

[GlitterBug]

Okay,thanks everyone :)

[kidzpca]

I also soak my rings in a glass of water, drop a denture cleaning tablet in.

Let it soak for 5-10 minutes and then take an old tooth brush to gently brush the grime away under running water and done.

[howdedoo]

I went in Friedman's Jewelry one day and one of the clerks was cleaning rings with Mr. Clean (lemon) cleaning solution. Everything in there was shining like a diamond.

[nanajoanie]

I also soak my rings in a glass of water, drop a denture cleaning tablet in.

Let it soak for 5-10 minutes and then take an old tooth brush to gently brush the grime away under running water and done.

That's what we use. Bought a small box of store brand like Polident tablets.