How to clean gold and gold jewelry at home?

Gold items darken over time, lose their initial luster due to the metal's ability to oxidize. You can return the shine to gold jewelry at home, and, moreover, quickly and effectively enough.

There are many ways to clean gold, and all of them do not require serious material costs. But you need to remember that you cannot use dry ingredients, for example, soda and sugar, during cleaning, as well as rub products with pressure. It is recommended to use soft bristled brushes and lint-free cloths for wiping after cleaning.

At the pharmacy, you need to purchase a 25% ammonia solution, which is a powerful solvent. Pour the solution into a previously prepared container and put the decoration there for a while. If the product is heavily soiled, the product can be left in the solution overnight. In the morning it is enough to rinse with water, then dry thoroughly.

Vinegar

In the absence of dark spots and heavy dirt, you can use table vinegar, which can easily cope with the return of gold shine. Pour some vinegar into a glass container and put the decoration there for 25 minutes. After this time, using a toothbrush, carefully polish the product, rinse with water and then dry.

Ammonia

This method of cleaning is considered one of the most effective from blackness and carbon deposits. First you need to prepare a solution: mix 6 parts of water with 1 part of ammonia. In the resulting mixture, you should soak gold rings or earrings for a few minutes, then rinse with water. It is not recommended to leave jewelry wet, as this can negatively affect the metal. Dry with a dry flannel cloth.

Soapy solution

This method easily copes with small contamination of the yellowness of the metal. Any liquid or solid soap can be used as a component, but without the inclusion of scrubbing agents that can scratch the metal. When interacting with warm water, an effective product is obtained that returns gold to its original shine. Soaking time is about 15 minutes, then you need to rinse the decoration and dry. This method is not suitable for products with stones, as it can lead to weakening and falling of the stone from the jewelry. Also, you cannot clean with laundry soap, which contains acids that are not compatible with gold.

Citric acid

An excellent solvent for plaque is citric acid, which must be diluted with boiling water. After that, gold items should be lowered into a container with a prepared solution for 6 minutes. Upon completion of the procedure, they must be rinsed with water and dried well.

Hydrogen peroxide

Every home medicine cabinet contains hydrogen peroxide, which, when combined with ammonia and liquid soap, gives an excellent result for removing impurities and giving shine to gold jewelry. To prepare the solution, mix 2 tablespoons in a glass of water. tablespoons of peroxide, 3 tsp. tablespoons of ammonia and a drop of any liquid soap. It is recommended to soak the products in this composition for a couple of hours and then rinse with water and, of course, dry.

Hydroperite

This product is sold in pharmacies in the form of tablets and a concentrated solution (3%). Due to the bleaching effect of hydroperite, plaque and dirt are easily removed. To do this, it is necessary to dissolve several tablets of the drug in water or pour 30 mg of a concentrated solution of hydroperite into a container. Soak for no more than an hour, after which the jewelry is well rinsed and dried.

GOI paste

A popular tool for effectively getting rid of serious dirt and giving shine to gold was developed by the State Optical Institute, or in short: GOI.

There are 4 types of paste, which are numbered and are designed to obtain a specific result:

• No. 1 and No. 2 - metal polishing to a mirror surface;
• No. 3 - medium cleaning, after which an even matte shine of the product appears;
• No. 4 - rough cleaning, which removes scratches after grinding metal with abrasives.

Using a soft brush, gently wipe the surface of the product with a paste, then rinse and dry well. GOI paste is not recommended to be used for cleaning white gold, and also used if the metal surface is scratched.

Foil

Using regular foil and baking soda, you can quickly restore the shine of your gold jewelry. You will need a deep container, on the bottom of which you need to put foil, place rings and earrings on top. Then dissolve 10 grams of soda in a glass of hot water and pour the prepared jewelry with this solution. After 15 hours, rinse, then dry.

Toothpaste

Applying toothpaste is considered one of the most effective ways to clean gold jewelry. Using a soft brush, evenly distribute the paste and gently clean the chain or ring. Only white paste can be used, without any additives and bleaching properties. Gel paste has proven itself well for such purposes. Do not use tooth powder due to the presence of abrasive particles that can scratch metal.

Bow

The use of onions belongs to the folk methods tested by our grandmothers. First, you need to chop the onion in a blender or on a fine grater. The decoration should be lowered into the resulting homogeneous mass and rubbed thoroughly with the resulting mixture. It is imperative to thoroughly rinse the product so that no onion residues remain in its holes.

Coca cola

Many people know about the cleaning properties of this carbonated drink. It will help you quickly get rid of plaque and dirt. To do this, pour a carbonated drink into a container and lower the jewelry into it for 40 minutes. This method is not suitable for removing dirt and giving shine to products with stones.

The most effective ways to clean gold from the above

Each of the above methods is effective in cleaning gold items. But most of them help with little plaque or loss of shine. Many relate to gentle methods and give results only with light pollution.

1. You will need 20 ml of hydrogen peroxide (3%), 1 teaspoon of ammonia, 1 glass of water, a few drops of any liquid soap. Pour water into a deep bowl (ceramic or glass) and add all the prepared ingredients. Mix everything thoroughly, then put gold items in the resulting composition. After 1.5 hours, rinse with water, then dry thoroughly.
2. As components, you need to prepare: 1 glass of water, 1 teaspoon of ammonia and 1 tablespoon of any washing powder. Boil water and dissolve the powder in it, then add the ammonia and mix thoroughly. The jewelry should be in this solution for 2 hours. Then rinse with water and dry.

How to clean white and matte gold?

Certain types of gold require more careful handling, including when cleaning. This is due to the peculiarities of the alloy, inclusions in it, as well as the upper coating of the product.

White gold

This metal contains nickel in its composition, due to which a white tint is obtained. Any product is covered with rhodium on top, which wears off over time. That is why white gold bracelets, rings and earrings should be cleaned very carefully and only use a soft cloth. In no case should you use brushes, tooth powders and different types of pastes.

There are 2 proven ways to clean white gold at home:

Ammonia

In a glass of water, dilute a teaspoon of ammonia and a few drops of any detergent. The product should be placed in the solution for 1 hour, after which it should be thoroughly rinsed with water and dried. With prolonged exposure to ammonia, there is a high risk of damage to the top layer of rhodium, so you need to make sure that there is no substance left on the surface after cleaning.

Egg white and beer

Mix the ingredients and gently wipe the decoration with a soft piece of flannel dipped in the resulting mixture. Then wash and dry.

Brushed gold

Such jewelry requires delicate care. When cleaning, do not use brushes, any cleaning powder, hard cloth.

Ammonia

It is necessary to immerse the products in a solution of 25% concentration, leaving there for 2 hours, then rinse thoroughly and blot with a soft cloth until completely dry.

Lime, salt and soda

To obtain a mixture, lime (1 teaspoon) should be mixed with water to obtain a liquid homogeneous mass. Add baking soda (1/2 teaspoon) and a pinch of table salt. The resulting mixture should be removed for several days so that it is infused, after which the jewelry can be immersed in it for several hours. Upon completion of cleaning, they must be rinsed and dried.

How to clean gold with stones to make it shine?

Gold jewelry with stones needs more gentle care when cleaning. The use of hot water is excluded, since the adhesive base can be damaged. In addition, the stone, when interacting with boiling water, may fall out of the mount.

The cleaning method is selected depending on the type of stone:

Amber, turquoise, opal and pearls

The use of vinegar, lemon juice and ammonia is not suitable for them. Such products will corrode the stone. You can wash products in soapy water or dilute alcohol with water (1: 1).

Topaz, tourmaline, emerald and ruby

Using a cotton swab, stones can be cleaned with regular alcohol, then washed thoroughly using soapy water, then rinsed with water and gently wiped off with flannel.

Diamond

You will need a soapy solution prepared in advance from shampoo or liquid soap, as well as a toothbrush, but always with soft bristles. After carefully cleaning the products, it should be rinsed with water and wiped with flannel.

Zircon

A mixture made from ammonia and water (1: 6) is suitable. The product must be dipped in the solution for a few minutes, then rinsed with water and dried.

Apatite and moonstone

A soda-soap solution is suitable for them.

If the jewelry with stones is heavily soiled, you can use ordinary gasoline. This method requires thorough rinsing after cleaning.

How can you clean gold in the microwave?

There is an opinion on the Internet that you can quickly and efficiently clean gold in the microwave. Unfortunately no! Your jewelry could be damaged. The most interesting thing is that the microwave oven can be used to melt gold and give the metal a different shape, but this is already the prerogative of professional jewelers.

How long does the gold shine and sparkle after cleaning?

Gold items immediately after cleaning acquire a shine and look like new. If the jewelry is not worn, carefully putting it in a box until a certain occasion, then you can keep the shine for several months. Otherwise, they may fade in a few weeks, but much depends on the careful attitude towards them.

1. When using various hand creams, medicines (iodine, brilliant green) and cosmetics, jewelry must be removed in order to avoid any reactions with the metal.
2. When taking a shower, cleaning the house, or going to the pool, try to remove rings, bracelets, and chains.
3. It is better to store gold jewelry in a box in order to exclude direct sunlight on the metal.
4. Try to exclude any mechanical damage, such as scratches.
5. Do not put rings, earrings, as well as gold bracelets in the bathhouse, sauna, skating rink, to avoid the negative effects of temperature changes.

To make the gold shine- you can clean it once a week with a soapy solution or wipe it with a flannel cloth. This will keep the shine for many months and will be a good prophylaxis against serious dirt.

Don't forget to clean the silver: