Engagement ring cleaning at home

My engagement ring needed a clean, so I read through this vogue forum thread to see how other girls look after their rings at home.

First up - a close up of my dirty diamond - see all the specks!

I soaked it in a little tub of detergent and warm water for about 15 mins:

Then scrubbed it with a soft toothbrush, rinsed it in cold water (after putting the plug in the sink first!), then poured a little vodka over the diamond.. (apparently this gets rid of any left over soap residue??)

Finally, I dried it using a hairdryer.

The result:

No more specks!

And extra sparkle!

I'm not too sure how often I should be cleaning it.. I'm worried about dislodging the small diamonds down the side. I'm also not too convinced about using vodka - I can think of better uses for alcohol!