Care and Maintenance for Luxury Dice

Whether you roll gemstone, sharp-edge resin, liquid core, or heavy metal sets, a little care keeps them beautiful and rolling true. Use this guide to clean, store, and handle premium dice without shortening their lifespan or scuffing your table.

Quick Start: Do/Don’t

• Do roll on a soft surface (felt, neoprene, velvet).
• Do wipe fingerprints and dust with a dry microfiber cloth after play.
• Do separate materials in storage (stone vs. metal vs. resin).
• Don’t use alcohol, acetone, or harsh cleaners on inks or finishes.
• Don’t toss multiple sets together loose in a bag or box.
• Don’t expose dice to extreme heat, freezing temps, or prolonged sunlight.

What Actually Damages Dice?

• Hard surfaces: Repeated impacts on wood, glass, or stone chip edges and can bend tips on sharp-edge resin.
• Abrasive contact: Dice jostling together create micro-scratches, especially on inks, enamel, and soft stones.
• Chemicals & heat: Solvents lift paint; heat can warp resin or stress liquid cores; sudden temperature swings fracture glass/stone.
• Moisture: Can spot metals and tarnish finishes if left sitting on the surface.

Safe Cleaning by Material

Metal Dice (brass, zinc alloys, steel, etc.)

1. Dust with a soft brush, then dry microfiber wipe.
2. If needed, lightly dampen the cloth with water and wipe. Dry immediately.
3. Avoid metal polishes unless you’re prepared to re-ink numbers; polishes can strip paint.
4. Keep away from bleach, alcohol, and ammonia cleaners.

Gemstone & Glass Dice (amethyst, quartz, obsidian, “ice glass,” etc.)

1. Use a blower or soft brush to remove grit first.
2. Wipe with a barely damp microfiber cloth; follow with a dry cloth.
3. Do not soak. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners and household glass sprays.
4. Roll only on padded trays; chipping happens fast on hard surfaces.

Sharp-Edge Resin Dice (including embedded or iridescent inclusions)

1. Dry microfiber wipe after sessions to remove skin oils.
2. Spot clean with mild dish soap in cool water on a cloth; never soak.
3. Keep away from high heat (car dashboards, sunny windowsills) to prevent warping.
4. Store tips “up” or individually to protect edges.

Liquid-Core Resin Dice

1. Treat like premium resin: cool temps, soft surfaces, gentle wipes.
2. Avoid freezing or baking heat; rapid expansion/contraction can stress the core.
3. Do not squeeze or press the die faces—let the core settle naturally.

Hollow Metal (cage-style) Dice

1. Use a dust spray blower to remove dust from cavities.
2. Microfiber wipe; cotton swabs for corners. No soaking.
3. Roll on padded trays to protect joins and plating.

Storage That Prevents Wear

• Divide by material: Keep metal away from resin and stone so heavier pieces don’t mark softer ones.
• Individual pockets or pouches: Stops dice rubbing during travel.
• Dry, room-temp location: Avoid bathrooms, basements, and direct sunlight.
• Liners matter: Felt, microfiber, or velvet interiors reduce hairline scratches on faces and inks.

Protecting Your Table (and Your Dice)

• Always roll on a tray or mat. Heavy metal and stone can dent wood and chip edges on contact.
• Keep trays clean: Grit on the rolling surface is sandpaper in disguise.
• One set at a time: Piling dice in a tray leads to mid-roll collisions and nicks.

Number Ink Touch-Ups

If numbers lose paint:

1. Degrease the face lightly with a drop of mild soap and water; dry fully.
2. Apply enamel paint or paint-pen into the grooves.
3. Let set, then wipe the face flat with a barely damp cloth wrapped around a rigid card to avoid pulling paint from the grooves.

Test on an inconspicuous die first. Some finishes are more delicate than others.

Travel Tips

• Use a case with soft dividers or individual sleeves; avoid loose backpacks.
• Keep silica gel packs in long-term storage to control humidity.
• For conventions, transport metal and stone in separate padded compartments.

FAQ

Can I use alcohol wipes?

Not recommended. Alcohol can haze resin, strip number inks, and dull protective coatings.

My dice picked up tiny scratches. What now?

Clean, then switch to softer rolling surfaces and segregated storage. For resin micro-marring, a specialty plastic polish sparingly applied can help, but test first.

Do glow-in-the-dark or liquid-core dice need special care?

Treat them like premium resin: avoid heat, hard surfaces, and solvents. Charge glow sets with room lights; don’t use heat sources.