How to clean gold at home
The easiest way is to use special tools. They are designed specifically for jewelry and will not harm them, quickly and efficiently removing dirt and plaque.
Ultrasonic device
This device is very effective and makes it possible to perfectly clean gold earrings or other jewelry in hard-to-reach places. However, the device is expensive, and not everyone can afford such a purchase.
But what to do if there are no special tools at hand? It is acceptable to use available and inexpensive materials, the main thing is to understand how to properly clean gold with their help.
Professional paste
This composition can be purchased at a jewelry store for a reasonable amount. It is economical and the product will last for a long time, in addition, it is not difficult to use, just follow the instructions for use. There are also foams and sprays that can cope with plaque and dust on precious metal.
Additional cleaning tools and helpful tips
- After cleaning the gold, you can rub it with a toothbrush. This should be done before the decoration is dried and wiped dry. Jewelry can be left in the solution and cleaned in water. This will remove dirt on jewelry with many small parts.
- For more effective cleaning, you can stir the gold in a container. This is done manually or using mechanisms. On the Internet you can find instructions for assembling a special washing container with a motor that will vibrate and agitate the contents of the container.
- To make it easier to remove gold items from the container, they should be strung on something. Then you won’t have to catch them in hot water and wait until they cool down.
- After drying the gold, it should be rubbed with a coarse-pile cloth. This will finally remove the solution from the surface and further polish it.
Cleaning gold with baking soda is very easy. But we must remember that if the technology is violated and the presence of foreign substances in the solution is allowed, the result may be negative. It is also easy to damage the surface of the jewelry by improper cleaning. Following precautions will allow you to obtain shiny gold that will look like new, will delight the owner and delight others.
How to clean gold with hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is used in combination with ammonia and soap to clean gold from blackness at home. For 50 ml of 3% composition you need to take 1 teaspoon of ammonia and 1⁄2 teaspoon of liquid soap. Mix the substances and dilute with 200 ml of heated water.
How to clean gold at home in this way? It is better to pour the resulting solution into a ceramic, glass or plastic container and place the items there for 15 minutes. Then wash the gold from the cleaning agent and dry with a cloth.
Cleaning silver at home
Silver, like gold, develops a patina. Even if you minimize the contact of silver with aggressive substances, over time it still oxidizes under the influence of oxygen. A so-called oxide film forms on the jewelry, which changes the true color of the metal.
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Copper is often added to the silver alloy. Due to contact with air, it can form silver sulfide - this is a dark coating on the product.
Silver is cleaned with soda. Here's how to do it:
- Place a tablespoon of baking soda and 2-3 pieces of aluminum foil in a glass - the size of one piece is approximately 5 × 5 cm.
- Place silver jewelry on the bottom.
- Pour boiling water over and leave for 5-10 minutes. Soda reacts with aluminum, resulting in the release of hydrogen, which removes dirt and oxidation.
- We rinse the products with cold water and wipe with a dry cloth.
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Cleaning gold with ammonia
This is a powerful remedy that dissolves even old stains. The following sequence of work must be followed:
- Mix 1 teaspoon of ammonia with 1 tablespoon of any soap or dishwashing gel.
- Dilute the composition with 200 ml of hot water.
- Cool the solution and pour it over the decorations.
- After 1–2 hours, remove the products and wash in running water.
- Polish gold jewelry with a flannel or wool cloth.
This composition should be used with caution when cleaning products with stones of both natural and synthetic origin.
Exposure to moisture and temperature
Before mechanical cleaning, you should learn more about the stone that is inserted into the gold jewelry. If there is no information on the Internet on how to clean a mineral, you can seek advice from a jeweler.
Some stones are contraindicated for prolonged contact with water and temperature changes. Boiling water can damage the adhesive and the insert will fall off. The best solution would be to take such jewelry to a workshop for cleaning. If this is not possible, then the stone needs to be isolated from water: held above the surface, wrapped or sealed with something.
Pearls, opal, amber and turquoise do not tolerate moisture. Contact with hot water and sudden changes in temperature can lead to discoloration, tarnishing and even destruction of the structure of the stone.
How to properly clean gold earrings or rings with stones
Jewelry with stones requires a delicate approach and careful handling. In order not to damage the product, you must follow the following rules:
- If possible, polish the stones every day with a soft cloth, cleaning them from dust and sweat;
- use alcohol less often to clean jewelry, otherwise stones such as pearls, malachite or turquoise will lose their shine; it is better to use cologne;
- do not use abrasives or sharp objects even if the jewelry darkens significantly;
- when processing products with stones, exclude methods in which it is necessary to immerse the object in a cleaning composition;
- When using brushes for cleaning, choose those with soft bristles;
- clean jewelry with stones using a cotton swab dipped in the selected composition;
- Gold jewelry should be cleaned regularly, even if you rarely wear it;
- if you are using a special composition, carefully read the instructions before starting work.
Clean gold only with proven substances, and if you doubt that you will do everything correctly, it is better to entrust this work to a professional.
How to clean gold from blackness
If your jewelry has darkened and lost its former luster, there is no need to contact a jewelry workshop. You can solve the problem yourself by using one of the remedies below.
Sugar syrup
Add 3-4 tablespoons of sugar to 200 ml of hot water, stir thoroughly and cool the liquid. Then place gold items in the syrup and leave for 10–12 hours.
Afterwards, wash the items from the sweet composition and remove moisture from the surface with a soft cloth.
Dishwashing liquid
Pour 1 teaspoon of detergent into a glass of water and stir the solution. Place jewelry in a container with the composition for 8–10 hours, then wash the items in plenty of running water and dry well.
Toothpaste
To clean heavy stains, use a composition without abrasive particles, otherwise you risk scratching the product. Apply the paste to the jewelry and scrub the metal using an old toothbrush or rag. For hard-to-reach places, a cotton swab is suitable. After cleaning, rinse the gold and wipe thoroughly with a cloth. If the product is not too dirty, it is better to use a more gentle method, leaving the toothpaste to be used for its intended purpose.
Saline solution
The cleaning composition is prepared in the proportion of 2 tablespoons of salt per 200 ml of water. Stir the product thoroughly until all the grains have melted and add the items to be cleaned into it. After 8 hours, remove the jewelry, wash and polish well with a soft cloth.
A mixture of baking soda and fine salt
It removes plaque well from the surface of gold chains or rings. You need to use it like this:
- mix 2 tablespoons of finely ground salt, soda and citric acid;
- dilute this composition with water to a paste;
- Taking a ring or earrings in your hands, you need to rub this mixture into them;
- then rinse the product under cool water and dry it thoroughly.
You can also use the above products in the following recipe:
- Cover the bottom of any container with foil;
- put gold there;
- pour salt, soda and any dishwashing detergent on top (take all ingredients one tablespoon at a time);
- add hot water;
- After half an hour, you can rinse the product under cold water and wipe dry.
Lipstick
A cosmetic product will help if the gold is not too dirty. A small amount of the composition is applied to the surface and the metal is polished with wool or flannel until it acquires its original appearance and attractive shine.
Liquid soap solution
Dilute 1 teaspoon of liquid soap in a glass of water and stir thoroughly. Pour the product over the decoration, first placing a soft cloth under it, and leave for 20 minutes. Then wash the product under the tap and wipe dry.
Onion
Peel the onion and chop it on a grater or meat grinder. Collect the mixture in cheesecloth and squeeze out the juice well. Moisten a soft cloth with the resulting liquid and clean off dirt and blackness on the product. Then wash the jewelry and dry it with a piece of cloth.
Soap paste
Grind a bar of soap on a grater and dilute with water to form a paste mixture. Apply the cleaner liberally to the jewelry and leave for several hours. After the paste has hardened, clean the gold with a soft brush, wash in plenty of water and polish with wool or flannel.
Beer and egg white
The white of one egg is diluted with a small amount of alcohol and stirred until a homogeneous composition is obtained. Then the cleaning agent is applied to the gold item, after moistening a cloth with it, and the metal is wiped. Afterwards, wash the jewelry under running water and polish it with a cloth.
Cleaning paste
To make an effective gold cleaner, you will need the following ingredients:
- chalk;
- toothpaste;
- laundry soap;
- petrolatum;
- water.
All components are taken in equal proportions, and soap and chalk are pre-crushed, and toothpaste is used that does not have whitening properties. The ingredients are mixed until a homogeneous mass is formed and applied to the jewelry. After 30 minutes, the composition is washed off and the product is thoroughly polished.
Ammonia, peroxide and soap
- in a glass of boiled water you need to stir a teaspoon of ammonia and 50 ml of liquid soap;
- now you can add 40 ml of hydrogen peroxide;
- put gold earrings or a ring into the prepared mixture and leave for 15 minutes;
- then you just need to rinse the product in cool water.
We should not forget that the use of hydrogen peroxide and ammonia should be strictly limited so that the chemical reaction that inevitably occurs during such a procedure cannot damage the jewelry.
How to purify gold from iodine
Using iodine, it is easy to get dirty and also to smear a ring or bracelet. Cleaning with ammonia at home will not give any results; you cannot wash off such a stain with water, but you can use hyposulfite. This composition is easy to buy in a specialized store for photography enthusiasts.
You can use one of the methods described below:
- Soak the jewelry in water with liquid or grated soap diluted in it, then clean the jewelry with a brush.
- Among the cleaning products, there is the following composition: grated soap, chalk, a little Vaseline and warm water, which you need to mix and apply to the fabric, and then polish the gold items.
- It’s a good idea to boil 250 ml of water in a saucepan with a small amount of soda and vinegar. Then put chains, rings and earrings there and boil them for 10 minutes.
- Onion juice applied to a soft flannel or microfiber polishes gold items well. Use this cloth to thoroughly wipe the jewelry.
- A mixture of egg white and beer, as well as rubbing the product with mustard powder, will help get rid of strong blackness.
You want to save the efforts made to clean gold chains and rings for a long time. That is why it is important to follow the rules so that the products remain clean and sparkling for as long as possible, and surprise with their brilliant appearance:
- It would be a good idea to regularly clean your jewelry with toothpaste.
- Once or twice a week, you can place a chain overnight between two halves of raw potatoes.
- Gold must be stored in a place that will be well protected from dust. Ideally, this could be a box or a box covered with fabric.
Polishing
Here are the most common methods for cleaning gold so that it shines, shimmers and looks like it was just brought from a jewelry store:
- Vinegar (concentration 6%, 9%). You need to moisten a piece of soft cloth in the substance, then gently rub the product. After the procedure, you should wipe the jewelry with a dry cloth.
- Paste GOI. There are four types, one of which is intended directly for polishing. This is a black paste containing abrasive particles of optimal size. The product must be applied to the material (it is advisable to use a flannel or waffle towel for this). The product is rubbed with it, after which the remaining substance must be removed with a dry soft cloth.
- Ammonia. Before cleaning gold with ammonia, this substance should be purchased at a pharmacy. The optimal concentration is 25%. Completely immerse the object to be cleaned in this product for 10 hours using a deep container. To extract gold from ammonia, you just need to wipe the object with a dry cloth or napkin.
How to care for gold items?
To ensure that your rings, bracelets and chains get less dirty and need cleaning as little as possible, follow these simple recommendations:
- remove jewelry while doing homework;
- do not take a bath or shower without first removing the rings from your fingers and taking out the gold earrings from your ears (the same applies to visiting the pool);
- play sports without decorating yourself with jewelry, sweat leads to the formation of plaque and dust “sticking” to the surface;
- if you are taking medications, put off gold jewelry until the end of the course of treatment, as some medications increase sweating;
- do not leave jewelry on an open shelf, table or dressing table, as they will quickly become dusty; it is better to place them in a box and put them in a closet, chest of drawers or desk drawer.
Of course, the optimal solution would be to go to a jewelry workshop, where a specialist will carefully clean it without any difficulty or risk of damaging the product. In addition, you can purchase a special product that will do a good job of removing plaque and darkening of the metal. However, such substances have a high cost and therefore are not particularly popular; most people prefer to use home remedies for this purpose, which are not difficult to find in every home.