Your engagement ring is a special reminder of the day you and your partner finally committed to tying the knot. It’s tempting to wear the ring everywhere you go and for everything you do, but some locations and activities can cause damage to the polished surface of the ring or the gem itself. You could even lose the ring or worse—experience a theft.
Knowing the times you should take off your engagement ring and why will help you avoid losing or damaging the precious jewelry. You don’t need to take off the rose-tinted glasses of romance to protect your prized belonging—just know when to take off the ring!
You may think you’re doing your engagement ring a favor by taking it into the shower with you; in reality, your body soaps and hair care products can cause a dull finish on the ring itself. Soapy water can also make its way underneath the gemstone and gum it up with suds. This type of grime is much harder to clean due to its location under the stone.
In addition to the potential damage to your engagement ring, slippery soaps may cause your ring to fall off and wash down the drain—and no future bride or groom wants to fish for a ring in the shower drain.
Though showering is a danger zone for your engagement ring, wearing it while washing your hands is fine—and encouraged! Hand soap tends to be gentler than body wash, allowing you to clean your hands and the surface of your ring without damaging the precious metal. If you use stronger hand soap with a scent, play it safe and remove the ring before washing or swap to a gentle soap.
When using alcohol-based hand sanitizer or lotion, take off your ring until your hands are dry or the lotion settles in. Hand sanitizer will dull the metal and affect the setting of the gem, while lotion can leave a grimy, sticky residue on the inside of the ring. Precious metals commonly found in engagement rings aren’t strong against most irritants—even the kinds that make your skin feel clean and smooth.
The same rule applies to cleaning and doing dishes—harsh chemicals and engagement rings don’t go well together. When cleaning with bleach or any chemical-based cleaning agent, take off your engagement ring. Bleach and other cleaning products can oxidize your ring and dull its shine.
While your brand of dish soap may be gentle, you should avoid wearing it while you do the dishes. Just like in the shower, the ring could easily slip off your finger and find its way down the drain—or in the garbage disposal. Avoid slipping your way into a cliché horror movie by taking off your ring before doing the dishes.
Any hands-on form of yard work shouldn’t involve your engagement ring. Lifting heavy objects, doing construction, and rooting around in the garden can easily damage your ring or scuff the metal. Even if you wear gloves, the ring might eventually wear a hole through the fabric or chafe your finger.
Watering your plants and mowing the lawn are fine to do with your ring on, but if you do any yard work that involves harsh chemicals, take your engagement ring off for safety.
Consider how grimy and gross you feel after a hard workout—now imagine that grime sitting underneath your engagement ring. Sweat can corrode the precious metal coating of your jewelry just as badly as a chemical or soap would.
In addition to the dangers of sweating hands, gym workout equipment can damage your ring. Your ring can even lead to a gym-related injury. Your ring may affect your hold on a crucial grip-bar or scrape you during an intense workout. Taking your ring off is the safest option for any workout—even the ones that don’t require your hands.
If you work in the food industry, healthcare industry, construction industry, or manufacturing industry, the workplace environment isn’t safe for your engagement ring.
For chefs, fast food workers, and nurses, it’s important to remember that anything you touch at work without gloves stays on your ring until you clean and sanitize it. Your ring will rub against any rubber glove and could poke a hole that exposes you to foods you touch or harmful biohazards. Without gloves, you can lose the ring at any time—and at work, it could be anywhere.
Heavier industries put your ring at risk of getting damaged by packaging or machinery—putting your fingers at risk, too.
On vacation, the last thing you want to do is go anywhere without your engagement ring. It’s difficult to trust anyone with your personal belongings—even hotel or resort staff. Two activities that stand out when discussing the times you should take off your engagement ring include:
Whether you’re in a pool or in the ocean, bringing your engagement ring along is a huge mistake. Chlorine in pools degrades the ring’s shine—especially if it’s made of gold. Gold engagement rings will turn yellow after exposure to chlorine.
If you haven’t been horrified by tales of rings lost at sea and at the beach, you should be. Beaches and deep ocean or lake water are some of the most dangerous spots to wear any jewelry, let alone something as precious as an engagement ring. Cold water shrinks your finger, which allows the ring to slip off more easily than it would normally. Leaving your ring in your bag on the beach isn’t a safe option unless it’s with someone you trust—though even with security, you may experience a beach bandit incident.
Wearing fancy jewelry in the city isn’t about someone stealing your engagement ring right off your finger; it’s more so about the target it puts on your back. Scammers and thieves may see your elegant engagement ring and consider it a sign of wealth—this goes double for obvious tourists. They may approach you and distract you with a scam while their partner pickpockets you.
All these scenarios and more are preventable dangers. You could leave your ring at home, but if you want to always keep it close to your heart, then you should consider a portable ring case that locks your engagement ring on a lanyard. NeoChara’s unique LoveLocker design keeps your wedding ring or engagement ring safe while you live your life—no more worrying about losing or damaging a constant reminder of your fiancé.
