How to Clean Tungsten Rings: A Step-By-Step Guide

Tungsten rings are designed to be durable, and the maintenance on them is relatively low, it is very popular in men's jewelry. For a long time, ring materials such as gold and sterling silver have reigned supreme. Beloved for their classic and neutral but noticeable looks, they’ve persisted far beyond trends that have come and gone over the past few decades and continue to be favorites even today. However, things have slowly but surely been changing on this front.

While precious metal rings don’t seem like they’re going anywhere anytime soon, certain alternatives have become more and more common. Tungsten is perhaps one of the best examples, now embraced as a new standard due to its inherent comfort, incredible durability, and more affordable price tag. 

But there is one problem with this. Because tungsten rings have only recently become such a mainstay in the jewelry world, many don’t know how to properly take care of their new accessory. This can lead to several issues down the road, ultimately reducing longevity and negatively impacting the piece’s aesthetics. 

Although, tungsten rings aren’t all that difficult to maintain if you know what we’re doing. And we’re here to help fill you in on the entire process from start to finish. So, read along for our entire step-by-step guide on how to clean your tungsten rings, and keep them looking like new no matter how many years pass you by.

1. Create a Homemade Cleaning Solution

Tungsten is, by and large, easy to care for. It doesn’t require any expensive cleaners, nor does it generally require professional help to ensure that the sands of time don’t ravage its appearance. Indeed, the best thing you can do for tungsten is to gently wash it every now and again in a homemade cleaning solution.

Don’t worry; this is super easy to make. Our suggestion is to merely combine a couple drops of a mild dish detergent of your choice with some warm water. Unlike other materials, tungsten comes clean with little effort and doesn’t jive well with harsh chemicals like those sometimes found in conventional, store-bought jewelry cleaners.

Soap and water is a much better alternative. It’s very gentle but will get the job done in no time flat. Naturally, just be sure you buy a brand that won’t be too tough on your ring. Industrial-strength cleaning power might be great for those dirty dishes piling up in the sink, but it’s totally unnecessary for a quick ring cleaning!

2. Allow the Ring to Soak in the Mixture

With your homemade solution mixed up and ready to do its thing, the next step is to let your ring have a quick dip in its new bath. It doesn’t need particularly long, and some people might skip this step entirely, yet we think it’s a really helpful addition to your tungsten ring cleaning regimen. After all, soaking your ring gives any sweat, oils, or dirt time to break down before you get scrubbing, guaranteeing a more complete clean. 

Just a minute or two in the soapy water should suffice for most rings. Work with your hands a lot, though, or are involved in work/hobbies that get nasty fast? Feel free to leave them a bit longer. Tungsten is entirely waterproof, so you won’t have to worry about any ill effects from soaking too long. 

3.Gently Scrub Clean with a Cloth or Brush

After you’ve swished your ring around to your heart’s content, you’ll want to move on to scrubbing all the softened gunk off its surface. A quick note: go easy with this. Tungsten is a remarkably durable material, one that resists scratches, chips, and all sorts of other damage that are pretty par for the course with “soft” metals like gold or silver. But that doesn’t mean you need to be rubbing it down with some steel wool or something.

As we’ve said before, tungsten is easy to maintain and clean. Using intense abrasives probably won’t hurt it, although it’s also not necessary. Thanks to its densely-packed bristles, a cheap toothbrush will do the job just as well, if not better, than uber-scrubby materials. 

4.Rinse and Pat Dry

After scrubbing at your ring for a few minutes, any build-up should be long gone, and your tungsten accessory should positively shine once again. At this stage and happy with your cleaning results? Go ahead and rinse off your ring with some clean tap water. Try to be thorough here to avoid leaving any leftover residue to sit on the surface. Using warm water over cold will help to dissolve any leftover soap residue that might still be clinging to your ring’s surface. 

All you’ve got to do now is just give your ring a quick dry. A nice, clean, microfiber cloth works best since it won’t transfer any lint or stray fibers back onto your newly-cleaned tungsten ring, but whatever you’ve got on hand should be just fine. See? Simple and effortless!