How to Clean Gold Rings

Co-authored by Nicole Wegman and Danielle Blinka, MA, MPA

Last Updated: August 30, 2021 References

Gold rings are a lovely way to accessorize your look, but they can get dirty over time. Body oil, soap, and lotion build up on the ring, which attracts dirt and grime. The safest, simplest way to clean your gold jewelry at home is to use mild dish soap and water or white vinegar. Both of these cleaners will remove mild tarnish on your gold rings. However, you can clean heavily soiled gold jewelry in ammonia, as long as you don’t do it too often.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using Mild Dishwashing Detergent

1
Add about ¹⁄₈ cup (30 mL) of dish detergent to a bowl of warm water. Choose a dishwashing detergent that’s labeled for fighting grease. Then, add it directly to your bowl of warm water. Swish the bowl to mix them together.^{[1]
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- Your measurements don’t need to be exact, so it’s okay to just squirt some detergent into the bowl.
- You can also use a commercial jewelry cleaner, if you'd like.^{[2]
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  Expert Source
  
  Nicole Wegman
  Jewelry Professional & Founder of Ring Concierge
  Expert Interview. 23 April 2020.}
- As another option, you can stir the bowl with your soft-bristled toothbrush.
2
Put solid gold or diamond rings in the solution and soak for 15 minutes. Gently place your rings into the bowl using your fingers, a slotted spoon, or a small strainer. Then, set a timer and let them soak for 15 minutes.^{[3]
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- If your ring is solid gold, it doesn't matter if it soaks for longer. However, it's best not to let diamond rings soak for too long, as some settings may loosen. While this isn't likely to happen, it's a possibility.
- The soapy water will loosen any dirt, debris, or oils so they’re easier to remove.
Variation: Don’t soak rings that have a gemstone or pearl setting. Instead, just scrub the ring with a soft-bristle toothbrush or wipe it down with a soft cloth that’s dampened with your dish detergent-water solution.^{[4]
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3
Use a soft-bristle toothbrush to scrub your ring until it’s clean. Dip a soft-bristle toothbrush into the soapy water to get it wet. Then, brush the top, sides, and bottom of your ring to get it totally clean. Pay special attention to crevices between the stones, as well as any gaps on the back side of your ring.^{[5]
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- Gold can scratch very easily, so don't clean your ring with anything abrasive, like a medium- or hard-bristle toothbrush.^{[6]
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  Expert Source
  
  Nicole Wegman
  Jewelry Professional & Founder of Ring Concierge
  Expert Interview. 23 April 2020.}
Variation: You can buy a special brush made just for jewelry cleaning, if you prefer. You can find these at your local jewelry store, jewelry counter, or online.
4
Dip the ring in your cleaning solution for an extra rinse. Use your fingers, a slotted spoon, or a small strainer to dip the ring back in the soapy water. Swish it around a little to help wash away any remaining grime. Then, remove the ring from the cleaning solution.^{[7]
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- If your ring was very dirty, you might want to visually inspect it at this point to make sure it’s clean. If it’s not, then you can scrub the ring a second time.
5
Rinse your ring in fresh warm water. Hold your ring under running water to wash away the soapy water. Be careful not to drop it down the sink drain.^{[8]
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- As an alternative, use a cup of fresh water to rinse your ring. Simply dip the ring in the cup and swish it around to remove any soapy residue.
6
Let your ring air dry or use a microfiber polishing cloth to dry it. Lay it out on a soft, clean cloth if you want to let it air dry. However, if you'd like, you can blot it dry with a lint-free microfiber cloth, an old T-shirt, or a soft dish cloth.^{[9]
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Expert Source

Nicole Wegman
Jewelry Professional & Founder of Ring Concierge
Expert Interview. 23 April 2020.} Be gentle as you wipe the ring dry, as gold is easy to scratch.^{[10]
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- Some cloths can scratch gold, especially if they’re made of rough or fibrous fabric. Avoid using paper towels, as well.^{[11]
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  Expert Source
  
  Nicole Wegman
  Jewelry Professional & Founder of Ring Concierge
  Expert Interview. 23 April 2020.}
- Air drying your ring will not cause tarnish.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Washing Your Ring with Vinegar

1
Place a solid gold or diamond ring at the bottom of a bowl. Put the ring in the bowl first so you can add less vinegar. This will make it easy to handle the ring once it’s done soaking, and it will prevent wasted vinegar.^{[12]
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- If you already poured the vinegar into the bowl, use your fingers, a slotted spoon, or a small strainer to put the rings into the vinegar.
Variation: If you want to clean a ring with gemstones, it’s best not to soak it. Just dip the ring into a bowl of shallow vinegar and immediately remove it. Then, move on to scrubbing.
2
Cover the ring with white vinegar and soak for 15 minutes. Pour the white vinegar over your ring until it’s completely covered. Then, set a timer for 15 minutes to treat the ring. The vinegar will loosen the dirt, grime, and oils that are built up on the ring so they’ll come off easily.^{[13]
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- A solid gold ring can soak longer than 15 minutes, but a diamond setting could come loose. Although this likely won't happen, it can in some cases.
- Only use white vinegar to clean gold rings. Other types of vinegar may damage the finish.
3
Scrub the ring with a soft-bristle toothbrush dipped in vinegar. Soak the bristles of your toothbrush in the bowl of vinegar, then scrub each side of the ring until it looks clean. Work the bristles around dips and crevices to remove hard-to-reach grime.^{[14]
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- Make sure your brush has soft bristles, as medium- or hard-bristle brushes can damage the gold.
4
Rinse the ring under running warm water. Hold your ring under the stream of water, being careful not to drop it. Continue rinsing it until all of the vinegar is gone.^{[15]
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- Your ring may smell like vinegar after your wash it, but this smell will dissipate. However, you might have to wait a few hours.
5
Air dry the ring or pat it dry with a microfiber cloth. Lay the ring on a soft, clean cloth to air dry. As another option, use a lint-free microfiber cloth if you have one. Gently blot the ring dry using your cloth.^{[16]
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- Don’t use rough or fuzzy fabrics to dry your ring, as these can scratch the gold.
- Letting your ring air dry won’t cause any tarnish or discoloration.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Doing a Deep Clean with Ammonia

1
Use ammonia only on solid gold or diamond rings. Ammonia is a very strong cleanser, so it’s not appropriate for most gemstones or pearls. However, it’s okay to use it for solid gold or diamonds, which are very strong. Just don’t use it more than once every 6 months because the ammonia can discolor your gold if used frequently.^{[17]
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- It’s best to use ammonia only when your gold is so dirty that the tarnish or grime mars the look of the ring.
2
Mix 1 part ammonia with 6 parts warm water to create a jewelry cleaner. Pour the ammonia into a bowl, then slowly add the water. Be careful not to splash. The measurements don’t have to be exact, but they should be a close estimation.^{[18]
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- For instance, if you use ¹⁄₈ cup (30 mL) of ammonia, add ³⁄₄ cup (180 mL) of warm water.
Variation: Use a household cleaner that contains ammonia to clean your plain gold or diamond ring if it’s very dirty. Create a jewelry cleaning solution by mixing 1 part cleaner with 3 parts water. However, don’t use this type of cleaner on platinum, gemstone, or pearl rings.^{[19]
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3
Soak your ring in the solution for 1 minute. Gently place your ring into the solution using a slotted spoon or a small strainer. Then, watch the clock for 1 minute. Remove your ring from the solution using your spoon or strainer. Don’t let it soak any longer because the ammonia is too strong.^{[20]
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- Don’t put your fingers into ammonia, as it may irritate your skin.
4
Scrub your ring with a soft-bristle toothbrush until it’s clean. Dip the toothbrush in the ammonia solution, then brush each side of the ring until it’s clean. If your ring has diamonds, pay special attention to the crevices around the stones.^{[21]
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- Never use a medium- or hard-bristle brush, as these are too stiff and may damage your gold.
5
Rinse the ring thoroughly in warm running water. Hold the ring under the warm running water to rinse away the ammonia solution. Make sure the ring is thoroughly rinsed. However, be careful that you don’t drop it down the drain.^{[22]
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Let the ring air dry or pat it dry with a microfiber cloth. To air dry your ring, lay it out on a clean, dry cloth. If you have a lint-free, microfiber cloth, you may prefer to pat your ring dry. Gently blot the ring to remove the excess water.^{[23]
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- Avoid using stiff or fuzzy fabrics to dry your ring, as these can scratch the gold.
- Letting your ring air dry won’t damage the finish.

Expert Q&A

Question

What are some things to avoid when I'm cleaning gold?

Nicole Wegman
Jewelry Professional & Founder of Ring Concierge
Nicole Wegman is the Founder and CEO of Ring Concierge, a New York City-based fine jewelry brand. Specializing in engagement ring and wedding band trends, Ring Concierge creates a luxury experience catered towards millennials. Ring Concierge offers engagement rings along with earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and anklets. Nicole's work and Ring Concierge have been featured in Vogue, Glamour, Who What Wear, Martha Stewart Weddings, Brides, and Cosmopolitan. Nicole is a GIA (Gemological Institute of America) Accredited Jewelry Professional and holds a BS in Fiber Science and Apparel Design from Cornell University.

Nicole Wegman

Jewelry Professional & Founder of Ring Concierge

Expert Answer

Gold can scratch easily, so don't clean it with anything abrasive. When you wipe the ring dry, use a soft T-shirt or a dish cloth rather than a paper towel, for instance.

Things You’ll Need

Using Mild Dishwashing Detergent

Gold ring
Bowl
Warm water
Mild dish detergent
Soft-bristle toothbrush
Cup of water (optional)
Soft microfiber cloth

Washing Your Ring with Vinegar

Gold ring
Bowl
Vinegar
Soft-bristle toothbrush
Warm water
Soft microfiber cloth

Doing a Deep Clean with Ammonia

Gold ring
Bowl
Ammonia or Ammonia-based cleaner
Warm water
Soft-bristle toothbrush
Soft microfiber cloth

Warnings

If your ring has a pearl in it, take it back to your jeweler to be cleaned. It’s very easy to damage a pearl because they're very porous, so it’s risky to clean it yourself.

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Ammonia may stain your gold rings if you use it too often. Additionally, it will likely damage gemstones and pearls, so don’t use it if your ring has them.^{[27]
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