How to Clean & Care for Titanium Rings

Titanium is a metal known for its resistance to corrosion and tarnishing, but that doesn’t mean your titanium ring won’t need the occasional cleaning or polishing.

Whether it’s because you’ve been wearing it for years and it’s lost its luster, or it collected dirt and debris from your activities that day, there’s simple ways to bring a new shine to your titanium jewelry.

But you need to be careful, because there are ways to add further damage if improperly cleaned.

Here are tips for how to clean and care for titanium rings.

Ways to Clean Titanium Rings

Water & Dish Soap

The materials you need to a clean titanium ring are ones you likely already have in your home:

• A bowl
• Mild dishwashing soap
• Soft cloth
• Clean towel

Follow these four steps to clean your titanium ring:

1. First, add mild soap to a bowl of lukewarm water.
2. Let the titanium ring soak in the solution for several minutes.
3. Next, using a soft cloth, gently rub the debris off the titanium ring ring, being careful not to scratch it.
4. Rinse the titanium ring with water, and then pat it dry with a clean towel.

It’s important to thoroughly dry the ring with a towel. If you leave it to air dry, it may develop spots that result in an overall worse look than before you cleaned it.

Ammonia

Titanium rings can also be cleaned with ammonia. It’s a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen that’s often used as a household cleaner, but it’s also an effective way to clean titanium.

In a similar way as using dish soap, create a solution of half water and half ammonia. Soak the ring for several minutes, rub it with a cloth to remove any debris, and then dry it with a towel.

If you don’t have pure ammonia, you can also use Windex, which contains the chemical. Cover the titanium ring with a few sprays of Windex and then rinse it with water.

Ultrasonic Cleaners

Ultrasonic cleaners are a common way to clean many types of jewelry, and they also work for titanium. It removes the germs, contaminants, and dirt from the jewelry by agitating the water with high-frequency sound waves. 

Some contain only water, but many use a solvent that better cleans the jewelry. Titanium is resistant to most chemicals, so there are many cleaning solutions you can choose from. In general, the prepackaged solutions for cleaning jewelry can be used for titanium.

You should first pre-rinse the titanium with water, but then simply place your titanium ring in the rack or basket and allow it to be cleaned for several minutes.

Cleaning Anodized Titanium Rings

Anodized titanium jewelry has its crystalline structure altered at the surface through an electrolyte finishing process. It changes the oxide level in the surface of the metal, resulting in the titanium turning different colors.

You shouldn’t clean anodized titanium rings in the same way as regular titanium. This is because rubbing it too hard or using too strong of a cleaning agent can damage the colored surface.

Instead, follow these simple steps.

1. First, fill a bowl with warm water and a few drops of mild dishwashing soap.
2. Soak the anodized titanium ring for several minutes to loosen debris and remove dirt.
3. Rinse the solution off with water, but don’t scrub the ring because you could cause more damage to the colored metal.
4. Soak the jewelry in a small amount of ammonia or Windex, and let it sit for a few minutes.
5. Dry it with a clean towel or soft cloth instead of letting it air dry.

Any time you clean anodized titanium, there’s the potential for discoloration. By opting for a mild, gentle approach, you lessen the chance of further damage.

How to Clean Titanium Rings with Gems

If your titanium ring has a gem, your first priority should be ensuring the cleaning process doesn’t damage the valuable gem, whether it’s a diamond, pearl, or gemstone.

This means you shouldn’t use an ultrasonic cleaner, which has the potential to shake the stone loose from the ring. You should also avoid cleaning agents with harsh chemicals. Even if it doesn’t cause problems for the titanium, the real concern is protecting the gem.

You should also ensure that particular gem won’t be damaged by soaking it with warm water and dishwashing soap. Most fare well with water and mild soap, but avoid scrubbing it. 

Instead, let it soak for a few minutes, and dry it with a soft cloth or towel.

If you’re unsure whether the particular cleaning method you want to use on your titanium ring with a gem is safe, it’s best to play it safe and have it cleaned by a professional.

Polishing Titanium

If you want your titanium to be more than just clean from dirt and debris, you can also polish it. There are two primary ways to polish titanium rings.

The first is to use a jewelry polishing cloth. They’re used for all types of jewelry, including titanium rings.

Some jewelry polishing cloths not only remove tarnish and leave it shining, they also add a layer of protection to prevent further tarnishing.

The other method of polishing titanium rings is to use a cream polish that removes tarnish and oxidation. Place a small amount of the cream on a soft cloth, and then rub it gently on the titanium. 

You may notice dirt or grime coming off the ring as you rub it. If this happens, clean the cloth before rubbing the jewelry again, so you’re not rubbing the contaminants back on the ring.

Don’t use this method on colored titanium. Instead of polishing it, you’ll likely wear down the color.

Caring for Titanium Rings

The best way to care for your titanium ring is to prevent it from getting dirty in the first place. 

This means you should remove the jewelry during physical activity or during times it has the potential to collect dust or debris. If you believe it has the potential to experience hard impact or get scratched somewhere such as at the gym or playing sports, remove the ring and store it in a safe place.

Titanium can withstand water in the shower or chlorine from a swimming pool, but if your ring contains other types of metal, it’s best to remove it. 

The same is true about scratches. A scratch will only cause minor issues for titanium, but the same cannot be said about metals such as gold and platinum because they scratch much deeper.

Conclusion

It’s important to clean and care for titanium rings. The strong metal is meant to last forever, but that’s dependent on you avoiding instances where it could be severely damaged and taking the time to clean it when it does collect debris.

The simplest solution is soaking it in water with dish soap, because it works whether the titanium is anodized or holds a gem.

You can go further than just keeping it clean by polishing it with a jewelry polishing cloth or polishing cream.

By following these simple maintenance tips, you’ll have a titanium ring you can wear for years to come that has the same shine as the day you bought it.