Hand Sanitizer & Your Rings: What You Should Know

These days, we’re using a lot of hand sanitizers. And that’s a good thing! However, it can also bring up questions like, “Is hand sanitizer bad for  diamond rings?” or “How can I stay hygienic and also preserve my jewelry?” We investigated for you so you can help preserve the life of your fine jewelry.

What Does Hand Sanitizer Do to Rings?

Unfortunately, we’ve got a little bad news here. Prolonged use of hand sanitizer does, in fact, have the potential to damage your jewelry. Now, will hand sanitizer ruin your ring? Not exactly. It’s just not great for the materials.

Over time, the alcohol in sanitizer will make the finish on white gold wear a little bit faster. Additionally, cleaning agents like sanitizer and alcohol can break down the brilliance of your gems and metals more quickly than if you weren’t using it. That means your gems might lose their luster.

Alcohol-based sanitizers can also loosen the prongs that hold your diamonds and gemstones in place. Again, over time. Answering “will hand sanitizer ruin my ring?” is mostly tied up in the long term.

In the end, is hand sanitizer bad for diamond rings? Yes and no. Not immediately, but over time, you risk damaging your jewelry.

What Can I Do to Preserve My Rings?

We’re absolutely not saying you should stop using sanitizer. Health and hygiene will always come before a piece of jewelry! Here are a few tips to help preserve your beautiful, precious rings.

Take Your Ring Off Before Application

The best way to answer “will hand sanitizer ruin my ring?” and help avoid damage is to remove it before you apply the sanitizer. If you’re out and about, consider investing in a small but secure ring dish that sits in your cup holder or armrest. When you return to the car, you can stash your ring there briefly, sanitize up, and safely let it dry. Then put your ring back on and go about your day.

Or, if you’d rather sanitize before touching your car keys, drop your ring in your pocket or a small pouch securely within your purse or wallet. Just make sure that you are extra careful where you place your fine jewelry.

Wash Your Hands as Soon as You Get Home

If you don’t want to remove your ring while you’re out but are still wondering if hand sanitizer will ruin your ring, washing your hands as soon as you get home can help reduce the amount of time the alcohol is in contact with your jewelry.

Remember, the answer to “will hand sanitizer ruin my ring?” is yes, over time. Reduce that time with immediate hand washing.

Clean Your Ring Regularly

In addition to the above steps, clean your rings once per week to remove sanitizer, dirt, and other debris. You can use a jewelry cleaning kit or simple dishwashing detergent. Just make sure your cleaner and tools are gentle.

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