You’re new to the whole “wearing a sentimental ring everywhere you go” thing, so you’re sure to have more than a few questions. As a newly engaged fiancé, it’s always better to ask your questions—even if they seem silly—than to be wrong and damage your engagement ring. If you find yourself paralyzed at the shower wondering whether to take the ring off or leave it on, then it’s time for us to answer the age-old question: should you take your engagement ring off to shower?
The short answer is “yes,” but why?
The soap that you use to clean your body and the soap you use to wash your hands at the sink are vastly different. Body soap tends to be more fragrant and uses harsher chemicals than hand soap. If you wash your ring with body soap or overly fragrant hand soap, you could tarnish the precious metal coating. Body soap and other cleaning products, such as shampoo and lotion, can also cause gross residue buildup in the crevices of your ring and underneath the gemstone.
Rings are small enough to slip down most types of shower drains—and if the ring itself can’t fit down the drain, the components can if they break off. If you lose your ring while you’re in the shower, especially a public shower, you may have a difficult time getting it back.
Damage to the ring is also possible while you’re in the shower. You could slip and bash the ring against the wall, floor, or lip of the tub, which could cause breaks, bends, or the gem to come loose. Save yourself the trouble and keep your ring somewhere dry when it’s time to take a shower.
The last reason why you should take your engagement ring off to shower is invisible to the naked eye. As you work, play, and go about your daily life, bacteria can build up underneath your ring. Taking the ring off while you take a shower allows you to scrub your hands and cleanse yourself of any unwanted bacterial hitchhikers that may live under your sparkly ring.
You can always clean the interior of the ring with a gentle hand soap without a strong scent—this is the perfect at-home way to keep the ring clean. Just don’t clean it with the same body soap you use in the shower.
Whether you’re showering at home or at the gym, taking your ring in with you is a bad idea. Keep your engagement ring safe in a LoveLocker keychain wedding ring holder and keep it somewhere away from soaps, lotions, and drains. Place the small safe on your bedside, in your bag, or your gym locker for quick, easy, and secure protection for your jewelry.
