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Original poster

When do you take off your engagement ring?

80 replies

scottishGirl · 28/10/2023 19:11

Before receiving my engagement ring, I never wore rings. Therefore, I am unsure when I should be taking off the ring. At the moment I take it off for sleeping, washing dishes, cooking with raw meat, showering. I haven't been swimming since getting engaged, but would take it off for that too.

I also have to take it off for work sadly so cannot wear it as much as others will wear their rings.

I have a feeling I am probably being paranoid and taking it off more than necessary! Interested to hear your responses. Thanks!

OP posts:

ZooMount · 28/10/2023 19:11

I never take mine off.

Werewolfnotswearwolf · 28/10/2023 19:13

I take mine off all the time (and wedding ring) and sometimes forget to put it on in the morning. So does my husband. We’re no less married, just personal preference.

Ratfinkstinkypink · 28/10/2023 19:13

Never, ever, ever because it means the world to me. (DH died a year after we bought it and seven months after we married so it holds huge sentimental value)

EmptyYoghurtPot · 28/10/2023 19:14

I don’t wear mine for work and I take it off to sleep. I wear it evenings and weekends though. I’m actually wearing three right now - mine on my left hand and my mother’s and grandmother’s on my right hand.

GarlicGrace · 28/10/2023 19:15

Congratulations on your engagement!

Depends what it's made of. Mine was gold & diamond; I never took it off as both substances are more or less inert. Some stones and some metal treatments are damaged by water, perfume, chemicals, etc.

mynewusername2023 · 28/10/2023 19:15

I only wear my engagement ring when I leave the house however I only take my wedding ring off for showering and cleaning but that's because it's too big and I don't want to lose it. I wear a keeper ring next to it so it doesn't fall off the rest of the time.

My husband can't wear his wedding ring for work so only wears it when we go out in the evening or weekends.

PandaG · 28/10/2023 19:20

If I remember when making pastry or play dough, or working with sugarpaste. Sometimes if doing other dirty jobs, again if I remember. Take it off when I go swimming, or to a spa (rare occurrence). I lost the main stone out of my first engagement ring a few weeks after our 25th wedding anniversary. DH bought me a new, significantly more expensive (as we got engaged as poverty stricken students) one a couple of years later, and bar the above I wear it all the time.

DiscoBeat · 28/10/2023 19:21

Never. But I've just spent £1400 getting it restored (the setting shifted slightly and it had a tiny chip which I didn't know about till I took it in). So i now take it off when I get my hands wet or when I'm doing gardening, etc.

Pascha · 28/10/2023 19:21

I get annoyed with mine after a while. I don't like the feeling of wet hands and rings. When I'm hot my fingers swell and the rings are tight. When I'm cold my fingers are dry and itchy and the rings fall off.

I hate the feeling of sleeping in them so they come off at night and sometimes don't go back on for days and days.

Before I was married it was the same. I just don't like the feeling.

WeightoftheWorld · 28/10/2023 19:25

I can't really remember to be honest, been married almost a decade and once I had my wedding ring I started only wearing my engagement ring for special occasions really.

My wedding ring until recently I never took it off at all.

However in the last few months I've developed swelling in my fingers in the mornings (possibly rheumatoid arthritis but still waiting for my rheumatology appt). This makes my ring uncomfortable and dig in and I can't take it off then. So now I take it off every night before bed. This also means I often then forget to put it back on later, or when I'm going to work I leave too early, before the swelling has gone down so I can't put it on yet. So wear it a lot less sadly nowadays.

AgMaggy · 28/10/2023 19:27

I take mine off at night (so it’s not on for showering in the morning) and also for the gym and horse riding. Apart from that, I wear it the rest of the time.

Congratulations!

mydiaryisfull · 28/10/2023 19:30

I work in healthcare so we are not allowed to wear them for work (infection provention issues) I also take it off for dirty jobs like gardening etc.

WeWereInParis · 28/10/2023 19:31

I take it off when cooking things that involve getting my hands particularly messy eg pastry, fish cakes. Otherwise the pastry dough or potato etc gets all stuck under it and around the stones. Obviously it's cleanable but it's just easier to take it off.

ChristmasCrumpet · 28/10/2023 19:35

Mine's got an intricate clasp, so if I don't take it off when pastry making, or anything where you get gunk on your hands, marinading etc, it gets all clogged up and is a pain in the ass to clean. I take it off for those specific 5 mins or so, put it in a specific tray on the kitchen window sill, clean my hands and on it goes again immediately. It's high value, so I wouldn't just be emotionally pissed off to lose it, I'd never have another like it again as a replacement.

Apart from then, never comes off my hand.

PragmaticWench · 28/10/2023 19:38

Mine has emeralds and they can't tolerate hot water, so it comes off for the shower or washing up. Diamonds are fine with staying on.

UsingChangeofName · 28/10/2023 19:39

Totally personal preference.

I wear mine throughout the day, whatever I am doing, after a colleague who chose not to wear hers for work was burgled whilst she was at work and it was taken.
But, that will depend on your job, that will depend on the style and material of your ring.

jays · 28/10/2023 19:40

Ratfinkstinkypink · 28/10/2023 19:13

Never, ever, ever because it means the world to me. (DH died a year after we bought it and seven months after we married so it holds huge sentimental value)

I’m so sorry. That’s heartbreaking.

ChristmasKraken · 28/10/2023 19:43

I take both my engagement and wedding ring off at night as I don't like sleeping in them. And I take them off if I'm baking with my hands (so kneading bread dough, pastry, that sort of thing). I also take them off when I'm deadlifting otherwise I get painful calluses... (that's probably a bit more niche though 😂). That's it though I think.

Paperbagsaremine · 28/10/2023 19:44

I know someone whose engagement ring disappeared at about the same time the DC were getting into putting stuff down things (like drains, the loo, the sink...) So there's that to consider!

Bloom15 · 28/10/2023 19:44

I never take mr off - or my wedding ring

Bendysnap · 28/10/2023 19:44

In 17 years I’ve taken it off for four operations and two MRI scans. And the occasional clean. It’s a 2 carat solitaire so pretty chunky but it’s survived!

ForeverWinter · 28/10/2023 19:45

I take it off for swimming and showering, that's pretty much it, I sleep in mine :)

SpringingJoy · 28/10/2023 19:45

I don't think I've ever taken it off in 15 years.

OddBoots · 28/10/2023 19:46

I stopped wearing mine day to day when I accidentally scratched ds with it when he was a baby so over 20 years ago now. I still put it on from time time to time but mainly it is just my wedding band now.

Laurdo · 28/10/2023 19:46

When I'm baking, rolling out icing etc and when I'm lifting weights. That's it. I sleep shower and do everything else wearing my rings.

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