A DUDE’S GUIDE TO CLEANING AND CARING FOR YOUR WEDDING RING

You’ve exchanged the rings, said the vows, and returned the tux. The hard part is over, so enjoy a deep sigh of relief. But now that it’s time to settle into wedded bliss, there are a few things you’re going to want to know to ensure that married life goes off without a hitch, so to speak_._ One of them is to know how to properly clean, store, and maintain your wedding ring so it lasts as long as your marriage—ideally, ‘til death do you part.

As arbiters of unique men’s wedding rings made of all sorts of unconventional materials, Manly Bands is here to help you spiff and shine your signature bling, no matter if it’s made of bones, stones, or meteors. Luckily, when you shop with us, you get a one-year no-hassle limited warranty and, in some cases, a limited lifetime warranty, so you can rest easy knowing your ring was a great investment.

The Fitzgerald Black Zirconium Ring

How to Clean a Wedding Band: Generally all of our wedding bands can be cleaned with warm water and mild dish soap, as long as it contains no harsh chemicals. For particularly tough jobs, you can use a soft-bristled toothbrush to scrub away dirt and imperfections. Never soak and always thoroughly dry your wedding band. Finish by polishing with a soft jewelry cloth to bring back some serious sparkle. Follow the material-specific tips below for some next-level revamping.

KNOW WHAT YOUR RINGS ARE MADE OF

Like everything you own, your jewelry should be cleaned carefully, taking the material into consideration. Think about it like this: You wouldn’t clean the body of your Porsche with Windex, so don’t clean your titanium rings with gold cleaner. Using the wrong cleaner can lead to irreversible damage that you may have to live with for a lifetime, so don’t chance it. Here’s a breakdown of how to clean our wedding rings based on their unique material.

Wood– Our wooden wedding bandsare sealed with a durable resin, but they can still be affected by too much exposure to water. For these reasons, make sure to avoid submerging them in water (we know everyone occasionally gets pushed in the pool—just don’t intentionally swim or shower with one on) and lifting heavy metal items or anything else that could scratch. Harsh chemicals are a definite no-no as they can break the sealant. And who just got out of cleaning the bathroom?! You.

✔️Mild soap and warm water

❌  Harsh chemicals

❌ Hard-bristled brushes

Titanium– You made a good choice when you picked your titanium wedding band since the stuff is one of the strongest non-alloy metals in the worldyet it is lightweight and comfortable to wear. It’s also corrosion- and tarnish-resistant, which means you don’t have to be quite as careful with it around water. Give it a mini-spritz of Windex to shine it up on occasion and to illuminate any intricate detailing. While it’s super strong and won’t crack, it may show its age with scratches over time. The more you wear it, the cooler it becomes. 

✔️Mild soap and warm water

✔️Occasional spritz of Windex

Damascus Steel– We all know steel is tough, especially the mesmerizing Damascus variety. This stuff is made from stainless steel, which—as you already know, given that your fridge is probably made of it—won’t tarnish or corrode. With that being said,chlorine can seriously damage or ruin stainless steel, so take your steel wedding band off before you hop in the pool or hot tub. Some people use a mild toothpaste on their Damascus steel wedding rings, using a soft-bristled toothbrush to scrub away grime.

✔️Mild soap and warm water

❌  Chlorine

❌ Harsh chemicals

Cobalt Chrome– If you love that white gold look and feel but aren’t super-amped on the cost of standard precious metals, you’ll love cobalt chrome. It’s more scratch-resistant and durable than solid gold yet doesn’t require any special care and won’t put you in the poor house. Clean it with the above method and to buff it up, take it to a professional jeweler for a buffing.

✔️Mild soap and warm water

✔️Occasional professional polish 

Black Zirconium– Black zirconium is a durable metal that has been exposed to high heat, creating that badass colorthat makes it so desirable among trend-setting dudes. The two-toned metal tends to age into an even cooler texture, over time, with more silver shining through, so don’t be alarmed if you see it changing. Doctors and nurses and any folks using high quantities of hand sanitizer or other cleaning solutions will especially like this ring as it’s super durable. It’s not the most scratch-resistant metal out there, though it is pretty damn tough, so we recommend it not making besties with the swiss army knife in your pocket or any other jagged metals that you may come across. 

✔️Mild soap and warm water

✔️Harsh chemicals

❌ Hard-bristled brushes

Gold– Even though it’s probably _the_most beloved precious metal in human history, gold has its flaws—it’s soft, so it may scratch, and it’s highly sensitive to chemicals. Thus, cleaning it can be a bit of a challenge. With gold, it’s okay to give it a little soak; just don’t overdo it. Leave your gold jewelry to soak in soapy water for a half-hour if you want to address any particularly challenging stains or grime buildup.

✔️Mild soap and warm water

✔️Occasional professional cleaning

❌  Harsh chemicals

❌ Hard-bristled brushes

Tungsten– The weighty feel and durability of tungsten make it a big winner in our book and allow it to be cleaned and lived in without fear of scratching, tarnishing, oxidizing, rusting, or fading. Yet all superheroes have their kryptonite, of course, and tungsten is no different. The finish can be irreversibly damaged by certain harsh chemicals, and it’s brittle, so it can break if dropped on hard-surface floors like tile.

✔️Mild soap and warm water

❌  Harsh chemicals

❌  Tile floors

The CEO Tungsten Ring

Meteorite– Your meteorite wedding ringmade it from the depths of space onto your finger, so you’d think it could handle a deep clean. Indeed, these materials are finished with a strong, heavy-duty sealer, so they’re protected from the damages of day-to-day life. With that being said, a meteorite is composed mainly of iron, which means oxidation is a possibility. Just keep it away from any harsh chemicals—no chlorine, bleach, or salt—and you’re good to go. To address oxidation and rust, scrub with a little baking soda.

✔️Mild soap and warm water

✔️ Baking soda 

❌ Harsh chemicals

❌ Chlorine

❌ Saltwater

Dinosaur Bone/Antler – The dino bones and antlers we use for our wedding bands are sealed with a special jewelry resin, but they can still expand and ruin your ring if exposed to too much water. As such, it’s important that you don’t do any soaking when rocking your bone or antler ring. Additionally, the sealant or resin that’s on the outside of the ring can scratch and wear down, so you want to avoid any serious heavy lifting.

✔️Mild soap and warm water

❌  Harsh chemicals

❌ Hard-bristled brushes

Silicone– As you can tell from the above list, all metals have their weaknesses, and no material is 100 percent safe from the occasional scratch or tarnish. To address this, many guys wear a silicone wedding ringpart of the time—like when they’re at the gym, beach, pool, garage, or factory. These super-durable, flexible wedding bands can handle whatever you throw their way and, if they get lost, damaged, or broken, it’s not a huge deal since it costs under $30 and is super easy to replace. To clean yours, literally, all you have to do is toss it in the dishwasher (seriously).

✔️Mild soap and warm water

✔️ Dishwasher safe

WHAT IF MY RING IS MADE OF MULTIPLE MATERIALS?

We’re glad you asked since many of our rings feature several different materials. In this situation, you need to treat your ring as if it were made of the more fragile or sensitive material, avoiding all possible damages.

TIPS FOR KEEPING YOUR RING IN TIP-TOP SHAPE

Now that you’ve got a general rundown of how to keep your band fresh, you’re well on your way to keeping it in like-new condition so it can be passed down to future generations. Make sure to follow these storage and maintenance hacks, too, to avoid any ring-related snafus along the way.

Don’t swim or shower with your wedding band on. It can be tough to remember, but constant exposure to moisture can expand materials, damage finishes, and cause obvious water damage that may void your warranty. Slip it off before you dive in! Or, if you feel totally naked without it, rock your silicone band when you head to the pool or beach. 

Make your jewelry the last thing you put on when you’re getting ready. Exposing your ring to any hair care products, cologne, or deodorant can cause gross buildup that can permanently affect the finish. Jewelry is meant to be the icing on the cake, after all. Plus, some of these products contain harsh chemicals that can cause your ring to tarnish. 

Don’t put certain rings into an ultrasonic cleaner. These handy little spiffing machines are great for getting grunge out of the nooks and crannies of your ring, but they have a tendency to loosen precious stone settings and damage fragile inlays. If your wedding band has diamonds or any other type of stone, skip the ultrasonic device. 

Keep your rings away from any harsh chemicals. Garages, warehouses, factories—they’re all fun places to get your hands dirty, but they can expose your ring to harsh chemicals that can cause staining, tarnishing, or warping, so avoid them as much as possible. By the same token, take your ring off before carrying anything sharp or heavy. 

Store your jewelry in temperature-stable environments. Though metal is super-tough, extreme temperatures can alter it permanently. Make sure to store all your favorite jewelry pieces in temperature-stable environments and avoid exposing them to high heat. 

Make a routine—and stick to it. Treat cleaning your wedding band like you treat the rest of your body. A simple hand wash using a gentle soap will do the trick. 

Remember to trust the professionals. As tempting as it is, don’t take household tools to your ring to fix anything loose, bent, misshapen, or otherwise damaged. Manly Bands made to order comes with a free limited lifetime warranty can be replaced or repaired at no cost to you. 

MAKING YOUR MANLY BAND LAST

At the end of the day, your goal is to wear your ring for eternity, and we get that. By shopping with a reputable dealer like Manly Bands, you’re already well on your way. With some of the toughest, strongest, and downright coolest materials in the world, our rings are built to be lifelong show-stoppers. You can always reach out to us if you have any specific questions about how to clean, repair, or maintain your Manly Band.