Here's How to Keep a Wedding Band's Skin-Side Engraving Clean

Receiving a wedding band with an engraved message is a lovely event. A personal message of love permanently embedded in the metal of the ring is a reminder that your partner truly wants to be with you. Many times the engraving is on the skin-side of the ring, hidden from most people's view. That means that the engraved letters are exposed to skin oils and dirt that get caught under the ring, and all that gunk can become stuck in the engraving. Luckily, it's easy to keep the ring clean so that you don't have to deal with this gross material wedged right up by your skin.

Remove the Ring Before You Grab Something

A very easy way to keep the ring clean and keep the engraving clear is to simply remove the ring before you grab anything that could leave residue under the ring. Dirt from gardening, flour from baking, raw meat from cooking dinner — all of this filth can become trapped under the ring, and washing your hands with the ring on does not always get rid of the mess. You can have little bits left over that make their way into the engraved part of the ring. If you take the ring off, though, and then wash your hands afterward but before putting the ring back on, you can prevent a lot of dirt from building up and making that engraving look terrible.

How to Clean the Ring

In addition to not wearing the ring when you're sticking your hands in something like garden dirt, you need to clean it regularly. Get a bowl or cup and add some warm water (not hot!). Put a few drops of gentle dish soap into the water (something that cuts grease, like Dawn, is perfect) and mix, then drop the ring in. Let it sit for a while let it sit longer if it's dirtier or hasn't been cleaned in a long time. Then, take an unused toothbrush with soft bristles and gently brush the ring all over. Pay particular attention to the engraving and keep checking it to see if all of the gunk has been removed. Rinse the ring in cool water, pat mostly dry, and then let it air-dry completely. Be aware that even mild dish soap can cause the coating on a lot of paper bowls to disintegrate, so place the ring and cleaning mix in a plastic or glass bowl.

Use Lightweight Moisturizers

When you use hand lotion, the lotion itself can leave a film on the ring, so remove the ring before using hand lotion. Also, choose a lightweight lotion; you may actually have to find a facial moisturizer for really lightweight layers. These lighter moisturizers should absorb into your skin more quickly so you can put your ring back on sooner.

When you get an engraved wedding band, you have something really special. And you want that special thing to last, so take steps to keep the engraving as clean as possible.

For more information, reach out to a company such as Meyers Jewelers.