On the best days, many of us are germaphobes. My obsession with keeping germs at bay went into overdrive when I became a mom, and then throw in a pandemic, and I’m considering fashioning myself a hand sanitizer holster. Oh yeah, I’d wear it.
Years ago when I worked in retail, even then I had a small bottle of hand sanitizer close at hand. I remember being told that too much could eat away at the rhodium plating on my ring (I had a white gold wedding set at that time). Still, a quick rub here and there kept my hands feeling clean, and, though my ring definitely bled yellow over time, it’s hard to know if that was the reason why—or if it was just general wear and tear.

“To my knowledge, hand sanitizers are not capable of removing tough, albeit thin, rhodium that’s on a piece of jewelry,” says Aithal. “Hand sanitizers come in two varieties: alcohol-based and non–alcohol-based. The ones with alcohol are benign to jewelry items as alcohol is the main germ-killing ingredient. However, non–alcohol-based ones typically use chlorine-based compounds as germicides. These chlorine compounds could react with water and release free chlorine. Free chlorine radical is very reactive and could cause tarnishing of jewelry, especially if it is made of sterling silver. Also, halogens are known to cause stress corrosion cracking in low karat golds, in particular, nickel white golds.”

What about diamonds and sapphires? 

“If anything, people should be cleaning their jewelry more,” says Susi Smither, founder of The Rock Hound. “Think of all that horrid buildup of crud under rings and behind the setting of claw-set earrings. Hand sanitizer kills the baddies then evaporates fast—this shouldn’t have any detrimental effects on your gemstones, even materials such as gemstones and pearls. If you’re worried, at the end of the day give them a rinse and dry when you get home.”

“Sanitized skin should not come into contact with your pearls until completely dry and evaporate—wait about five minutes before putting on your pearls,” says Grosz. “As with perfumes and hairspray, the alcohol in the hand sanitizer can change the surface of the pearl, the two noticeable differences being a loss of lustre and a change in colour—white pearls, for example, will become yellowed if repeatedly exposed to such chemicals. Pearl rings should be removed when applying hand sanitizer, but because they have a mounting which separates them from direct contact with the chemicals, it is safe to put rings back on after a few minutes.”

Bottom line? Most, if not all, jewellery will be just fine, lovers of Georgian and early Victorian pieces should  take special care as water can get into rings with closed-back mountings and affect the appearance of the stones. Also, locket rings or any ring that has a photo of some other decoration under glass should not be washed with water.

But of course, sometimes the simplest advice is the best. When in doubt, it is always better to take your rings off before washing your hands.!

 If you are resting your rings on the sink while you scrub, please be sure the drain is closed, okay

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1) Avoid slipping and sliding

2) Replace Worn Tires

It’s extremely important to check your tires each winter season because worn or bald tires can be very dangerous. Tires have tread wear indicator bars moulded into them. A solid bar of rubber across the width of the tread means it’s time to replace the tire. 

3) Make Sure Your Tires Are Correctly Inflated 

For every 5°C drop in temperature, tires lose one pound of air pressure. To ensure optimum fuel efficiency and prevent irregular or premature wear, tire inflation should be checked monthly. Several tire manufacturers recommend that tire pressure should be higher in the winter, so check to see whether your tire pressure should be adjusted accordingly. 

4) Fill Your Trunk With A Winter Survival Kit

Winter weather can be very unpredictable, so make sure you have a winter survival kit in your trunk in case you get stuck in bad conditions. Every car should have a scraper for the windshield, a small shovel, candles, and warm clothing such as a winter jacket, gloves and a hat. Also, make sure you bring a cell phone with you on every trip in case you need to call for help.

What many people aren’t aware of is that your cell phone payment history DOES affect your credit score.
 
Cell phone accounts work differently than a credit card or a line of credit. A cell phone is an open or “O” account, which means the balance has to be paid in full at the end of each month.
 
There is no such thing as a minimum payment with an “O” account like there is with credit cards and lines of credit. You can’t just pay a portion of your bill. The amount that you see on your statement has to be paid in full otherwise your credit score will suffer.
 
Unfortunately, many Canadians don’t view paying their cell phone bill in full or on time as being as important as other payments. Lenders disagree. The bank underwriters (the people who review your application) are thinking, “If you can’t make or keep track of a cell phone payment, what are the chances that you are going to be responsible with your mortgage payment?”

Costly Missed Payments

Let’s take a look at one borrower, John, who was declined for best-rate mortgage financing on the purchase of a new house because he had three late payments on his cell phone bill during the last two years. His argument wasn’t unique. “I called (the phone company) before the payment was due and asked if I could pay half of the bill this month and the remainder of the outstanding balance the following month,” he said. “The customer service rep told me that it was okay to take a couple of months to get caught up.”
 
Susan and Frank found themselves in a similar situation. They were approved for mortgage financing but were then declined at the last minute due to a recent late payment showing up on their report in the same week they were supposed to be moving.
 
Arranging a mortgage and preparing for a move is stressful enough without having a financing issue in the eleventh hour. In the end they were able to find a resolution, but it resulted in a delayed closing. They had to get approved by a different lender at a higher rate. In addition to all the stress and time, this small mistake ended up costing them $3,459.28.
 
Despite what they tell you, late payments will continue to be recorded until your account is caught up. Underwriters will look at an applicant with an outstanding balance as someone who is not in control of their finances. It will drop your score and hurt your chances of being approved for the best rates and terms.

A Matter of Principle

It’s common for consumers to not make a payment because they were unfairly charged or they found a mistake on their bill. On principle, I understand that you might not want to make the payment, however, even if you are disputing the charge, it will not stop the negative item from showing up on your credit report.
 
And keep in mind that one late payment can be enough to negatively impact your best rates and terms for future financing. Your cell phone company will start the collection process if an overdue balance is not paid within 60 to 90 days.
 
As you can guess, a collection appearing on your report does not help your credit score. Many of my clients echo my caution, and in hindsight wished they had simply paid the bill in the first place. If you find yourself in this situation, my suggestion is to clear the amount owing first and then dispute the charges. That way it doesn’t lower your score or cause you to get charged higher rates just because of one account. 

Warning…Warning

If you have paid out or closed your cell phone account, make sure you get something in writing to confirm that there is no outstanding balance owing.
 
The same goes for an outstanding amount or settled collection. Don’t take anyone’s word for it or assume that it will be updated on your credit report. Are you starting to see a trend? Whatever you do, get a confirmation in writing! If you don’t, it will make trying to correct the error even more difficult.
 
The only way to avoid having your cell phone report on both Equifax and TransUnion is to go with a pay-as-you-go contract. If you are on any other type of plan, keep your fingers crossed. You don’t want to be one of the unlucky ones to have a cell phone error or problem tarnishing your credit. To improve your chances of avoiding any issues, ensure you pay the full amount owing each month and keep good records.