Impact of Hand Sanitizers on Jewellery
Impact of Hand Sanitizers on your Precious Jewellery
Yes!
Repeated contact with cleaning agents and hand sanitizers can break down the brilliance or vivid colour of gemstone jewellery over time.
In the light of the coronavirus pandemic, alcohol-based hand sanitizers can kill the virus, but it can wreak havoc on your precious gems.
With the global outbreak of COVID-19, people are continuously rubbing their hands using soaps and using sanitizers to reduce the spread of the virus. In this challenging time, your safety should be at the top priority. But what about your jewellery?
In the path of practising good hygiene, make sure that your jewellery doesn’t lose its charm and lustre. To prevent this, you need to understand the not-so-good relationship between your precious jewellery and hand sanitizer.
Hand sanitizers are widely used as a cleansing agent and disinfectants to clean your hands. It mostly contains isopropyl alcohol that helps in killing most of the germs. Hand sanitizers come in two types:
Alcohol-based hand sanitizers -
It’s mixed with isopropyl or ethyl alcohol, glycerin, water and fragrance.
Alcohol-free hand sanitizers -
It contains antibacterial contents like triclosan and antiseptics like povidone-iodine and chloride cleaning agent.
The chemicals and compounds used in hand sanitizers and cleaning agents can be bad for your jewellery.
During such crises, alcohol-based sanitizers are more preferred to kill bacteria and prevent the growth of microorganisms, thus leading to diseases. As the COVID-19 cases are on the rise, sanitisation and hygiene are vital. The question is how to stay clean without damaging your jewellery?
Almost all alcohol-based sanitizers contain 60-95% alcohol as it reduces the growth of bacteria but damages your jewellery. Thus, you need to understand that chemicals are harsh on your jewellery and consider removing it, especially when you’re cleaning or washing hands.
Before we move forward, it’s essential to look for the following changes in your ring:
- less sparkle and shine
- lack of brilliance
- effect on the ring or gemstone lustre
- the residue of film over the ring
- build-up between gemstones and metalwork
Hand sanitizers also consist of halogens that can wear or tarnish the plating. Speaking about soaps, it also contains harsh abrasives that damage the surface plating. These chemicals can ruin your jewellery faster as compared to natural wear and tear.
Before it gets too late, it’s essential to care for your gemstones without compromising on your health.
Let’s give you a few handy tips to protect your engagement rings.
Washing your hands with your engagement ring on isn’t a good idea
Take off your jewellery when applying hand sanitizer to refrain it from getting dingy and cloudy. Also, be mindful about where you place it.
Avoid keeping it above drains or carpets as dropping your ring down the drain would be worse than a little film over it!
Place a soft cloth on the counter and prefer removing it. Don’t forget to wear it after thoroughly drying your hands.
Clean your gemstones using warm water
If you’re using hand sanitizers more often, then there are chances of developing a filmy residue around your engagement ring.
To maintain your diamonds and gemstones, add a few drops of dishwashing soap in warm water and soak your gems. Gently scrub all the residue using a soft-bristled brush. Make sure you allow them to dry completely before putting your jewellery back on. Do it once in every 15 days.
Consider cleaning your diamonds in an ultrasonic cleaner
Unlike other gemstones, diamonds are durable, making it safe to clean in an ultrasonic cleaner. It helps to get rid of deeply encrusted dirt and grime accumulated on your diamond rings. Make sure you rely on a professional jeweller for the same.
Another home remedy is to soak all your hand and finger jewellery in warm dishwashing soap.
Be extra cautious with organic minerals
Refrain from using alcohol-based sanitizers, especially with your jewellery on. The best way is to remove your jewellery before using a sanitizer as it can lose the lustre and shine of your pearl ring. If you experience a yellow coloured film on your pearl, then make sure you remove your jewellery whenever you apply hand sanitizer.
sanitizers can negatively harm your jewellery
Continuous use of sanitizers can loosen the prongs that hold your diamonds. In worse situations, you may end up losing your precious jewel. This sounds like a nightmare though!
Excessive use of sanitizers and cleaners can also affect the finish on white gold faster. It’s a slow process, you might not see it now, but in the long-term, your jewellery may lose its elegance while precious stones can lead to surface damage or cracking.
Please wear gloves
Another alternative is to put on your gloves whenever you’re doing household chores. With this, you don’t need to sanitise or wash your hands frequently.
Keep your jewellery hearty and healthy
Buy hand sanitizers with 60% of alcohol, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Also, avoid contact with harsh chemicals to save your engagement ring from long term damages.
If possible, then consider removing your jewellery until the coronavirus outbreak is officially over. By doing this, you can stay proactive with your sanitizer and minimise the exposure to toxins.
Over to you!
The safest thing to do is to stop wearing your gemstones and diamond jewellery until the situation is under control. Since you're at home, removing your jewellery would be a wise thing. Limit the interaction between your precious gems and hand sanitizers to keep your diamond shining.
It's important to think about your safety first and avoid wearing jewellery considering the situation now. Before placing in the drawer, make sure you clean it to make it virus-free.
Just remember one thing: This situation is temporary, but your diamonds need to glitter forever.
Every piece of jewellery at ZIVAR.in has been made to perfection, just like your personality. We use high-quality and certified products, and a lot of prominences are given to diamond assortment for a selected grade of colour and clarity. Each product passes through 27 different processes that ensure our customers remain satisfied. Take a look at our collection!