Today’s post is going to be a short, sweet, and helpful one for Brides. If you’ve been around the blog for a little while it’s no secret I l-o-v-e ring shots! They are one of my favorite details to shoot. Each one is unique and I love what they represent. Plus they are so sparkly! :)

If you want to keep that ring looking as beautiful as the day he put it on your finger here are just a few ways to clean your ring safely:

1. Visit your jeweler. Normally the store you bought the ring from with shine and clean it up for you for free. Just stop in next time you are out running errands and they will shine it up for you!
2. Clean it at home. There are several at home jewelry cleaners that work great, but you can also just soak it in a mixture of water and dish soap for 20-40 minutes and then scrub it with a very soft toothbrush (and not your husbands…one you save for this purpose only :) Then rinse it off and dry with a soft cloth or cotton t-shirt.
3. Drop it off for a scheduled maintenance. Martha Stewart recommends visiting your jeweler as often as your dentist – twice a year. They will tighten any stones and for white gold “re-dip” your ring so it stays that shiny color you love. Plan to leave it there for at least 2 weeks though since most places have to send it off to get this work done! When you pick it up it will be as good as new! You can do this before your engagement session since we’ll grab a few shots then but for sure do it the month before your big day!
4. Get your nails done! Any excuse for a manicure right? At least where I go, while they are pampering your hands they’ll drop your ring in a cleaning solution so it soaks while you wait. Then you get a shiny new ring along with your beautiful new nails!

A few more tips:

• Don’t clean it too often as this can lead to unnecessary wear. Every 5-10 weeks at most.
• Take it off when you are applying lotion or washing dishes to avoid build up. Just keep it in a secure location away from any ledges or where it could fall into the sink. I love a ring dish for this!
• If you want to take it off while traveling, hiking, or for any extended period of time, keep it in the ring box or a soft padded bag and away from other jewelry. Since diamonds are such a hard stone they can scratch other stones. And if you are traveling – lock it up in the hotel safe! Don’t risk it :)

Either way, clean or not we are still going to get some great shots and what matters, in the end, is not the ring but the marriage it represents.