Women wear gold and silver jewelry for many years and never clean it once in all the years. But if you externally compare their jewelry with new ones, then the differences are noticeable to the naked eye. It is especially a pity when gold loses its noble appearance. Therefore, the question: "How to clean gold jewelry?" now it is very sharp. In the article, we will take a closer look at some of the simplest and most popular ways to clean this precious metal.
Why does gold jewelry need cleaning?
Pure gold items and jewelry of the highest standard are not on sale, because they are very soft and can be squeezed by hand. To make gold hard, you need to make an alloy with the addition of silver, copper and other metals. This helps to make it tougher and stronger, but it also makes the metal more prone to aging, becomingdull, an oxide film forms on the surface.
This is one of the main causes of gold pollution, but there are others:
- Sebum, which is constantly secreted by our sebaceous glands.
- Urban smog, dust.
- Various creams and decorative cosmetics.
In connection with the above, the question arises: "How to clean gold jewelry at home so that their age is not noticeable?". Consider some of the simplest ways.
Soapy water
There are two ways to clean gold with soapy water:
- In warm water you need to dissolve a few drops of dish gel or soap. In the resulting soapy water, you need to dip the gold item and wait 2-3 hours until the dirt softens. Then, using an old toothbrush, you need to carefully clean each product. After the procedure, the jewelry should be washed under running water and wiped.
- In the second method, you need to place the product in soapy water and boil for 2-3 minutes. Then the gold must be cleaned with a soft brush in the same way as in the previous method.
Both of the above methods than cleaning gold jewelry at home are popular.
Water with soda
Boiling in water with baking soda is another economical yet effective method of cleaning gold. Pour water into a container, place a piece of gold in it and heat the water. Then add soda there at the rate of one tablespoon per glass of water and boil for several minutes. Thereafterthe decoration must be taken out, cleaned by hand with a brush, rinsed with water and dried.
Many advise rubbing directly with baking soda and vinegar, but this is a very harsh method that can damage the jewelry. Soda leaves scratches on the surface, and the higher the purity, the higher the risk of metal damage.
Vinegar is also best excluded from the cleaning procedure. Gold with a high sample of vinegar is not afraid, but an alloy of metals may suffer. Also, never use acids to clean gemstone jewelry. Some minerals can be harmed even by the mere evaporation of acids. How to clean stones in gold jewelry, see below.
Sweet solution
In a glass of water, you need to dissolve one tablespoon of sugar and completely immerse the gold item in it. Then leave the jewelry in this sweet water for about 3-4 hours for maximum results. Sugar will make the metal more shiny. After cleaning, rinse the gold thoroughly so that it is not sticky.
Strong pollution cannot be removed in this way, but getting rid of grease and dust will work out fine. It is very important that this method is safe for gold items and is very easy to perform. After all, when the question arises of how to clean gold jewelry at home, simplicity and efficiency are the main criteria.
Toothpaste
The composition of any toothpaste contains substances with abrasive properties, which means that they can easily clean the metal. The advantage of this method is that it will not work to damage the gold, because in the composition of the pastethere are foaming agents that successfully soften the harsh impact of the abrasive.
Gold jewelry needs to be covered with paste and brushed like teeth. Only the brush should be soft. The duration of this cleaning depends on the size of your jewelry and how thoroughly you want to clean it.
Onion juice
Many housewives think about how to clean gold jewelry, but they don’t even realize that an ordinary onion can help with this.
Cut a small onion and rub your gold jewelry well with a fresh cut. Thus, you mechanically clean the product, but at the same time, the onion juice affects the metal. Leave the decoration for a few hours so that the onion juice works well. You need to finish the procedure in the same way as all the previous ones: rinse the product and dry it.
Peroxide and ammonia
Hydrogen peroxide and ammonia are sure helpers in the question of how to clean gold and silver jewelry. If your jewelry does not have any inserts that may be sensitive to chemicals, then this method will work great for you.
To prepare the composition, pour water into a glass or enamel container, add three teaspoons of ammonia and two tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide, as well as a few drops of liquid soap.
Leave your gold jewelry in this solution for a few hours and you will see that it will shine like new. This method will help get rid of even the most stubborn dirt,remove the oxide film. It is worth noting that this method is suitable for cleaning gold items without stones. How to clean gold jewelry with diamonds and stones, see below.
Cleaning jewelry with stones
Jewelry with stones requires special care. Some of them, for example, turquoise and malachite, are subject to the aggressive action of abrasives, so powder, s alt and soda cannot be used when cleaning such jewelry. As for topaz, ruby and garnet, these gems are very sensitive to high temperatures, so they cannot be washed with hot water. And pearls, amber and coral really do not like various acids, so it is better not to clean such products yourself, but to entrust professionals.
If you still want to know how to clean gemstone gold jewelry, use the following methods:
- Alcohol. Just soak a cotton ball in any solution containing alcohol (alcohol lotion, strong alcohol) and wipe the jewelry to get rid of greasy deposits.
- Gasoline. Soak an unnecessary toothbrush in it and rub the gold item. Fine bristles of the brush are perfect for cleaning hard-to-reach places.
White gold cleaning
How to clean white gold jewelry is also a popular question asked by many housewives. The difference of this metal lies in the fact that nickel, silver or palladium is added to the alloy to give the product a light shade. Abovesuch jewelry is often plated with rhodium, which gives it a white sheen.
Hard methods for cleaning such metal will not work, it is better to use the following:
- Alcohol and peroxide. It is necessary to mix these liquids in a ratio of 1 to 2, place the gold item in the resulting liquid for 30 minutes, and then rinse and dry it.
- Sugar. Dissolve two tablespoons of sugar in a glass of water. Soak the jewelry in the resulting solution for about 12 hours. This cleaning will bring back the shine to your gold items.
Cleaning Matte Gold
Polishing materials for cleaning this type of gold cannot be used, because it is already matte due to a special polishing method. On such gold, you can simply remove the visible plaque. To do this, soak the product in a solution of ammonia (25%) for several hours, and then simply rinse and dry the jewelry.
Gold plated items
So, we looked at the options for how to clean gold jewelry. Now let's take a closer look at gilded items. Such jewelry is only topped with a thin layer of gold - gilding. At the same time, they are glued with a layer of foil. Therefore, harsh methods (abrasives) cannot be used to clean them, because with frequent exposure, the gilding layer will simply be erased.
It is enough to wipe such products with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol or beer. Vinegar is also good for cleaning. Just soak the product in it for a few minutes, then rinse and dry it.
Tips to avoid goldgetting dark
So, we have reviewed the most popular methods for cleaning gold items. There are some tips to keep gold as long as possible in its original form:
- Keep gold items away from the sun, best in a special box.
- Remove jewelry before starting cleaning, going to the sauna or steam room.
- If gold items are exposed to moisture, be sure to wipe them dry.
- Clean gold monthly if possible.
- Shift with light flannel so they don't scratch each other.
Follow these simple guidelines and your jewelry will delight you for years to come.
Conclusion
Remember that all jewelry needs constant care. Only then will they look like new. All types of gold need to be cleaned in different ways so as not to damage the sensitive metal and precious stones. To ennoble stones, they are impregnated with oils, then scratches and mechanical damage are not so visible.
If you are not confident in your abilities and are afraid to clean gold jewelry at home, you can use ultrasonic cleaning. But this method is not suitable for all jewelry, for example, emeralds. This gemstone is also impregnated with oil to add shine. As for turquoise, jade and pearls, it is possible to give such stones their original appearance only with the help of staining.
To avoid embarrassing andunforeseen incidents with the cleaning of gold jewelry, it is better to entrust this procedure to professionals, because only they know all the subtleties of cleaning gold and precious stones. Then you can be sure of a 100% positive result.
