9 ways to clean gold and silver at home

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Jewelry periodically needs to be cleaned and polished, as its appearance deteriorates as a result of oxidative processes when exposed to air. Even high-grade silver and gold require high-quality cleaning at least once every 4-6 months. How to clean jewelry made of precious metals - below are 9 effective and simple home methods.

Cleaning gold easily and simply

Family rings and chains, bracelets and earrings acquire a special chic over time. They darken slightly and even at first glance look expensive and solid. But sometimes they become too dull and a coating appears on the surface. In this case, the question arises in all its glory - how to clean gold at home, without turning to jewelers, and return it to its former shine and beauty? There are quite a few ways to clean gold, but the simplest, most affordable and effective are:

• Boiling soap solution. It is enough to boil the product in water with powder, soap or dishwashing detergent for 5-10 minutes to make it shine again.
• Coca Cola. Excellent for cleaning gold items. Simply soak your jewelry in this fizz for 30 minutes, then take it out, rinse it with clean water and wipe it with a flannel.
• Salt bath. Take 2 tablespoons of salt and pour half a glass of water over them. Place the jewelry in the resulting solution for 12 hours, then remove it, rinse and polish. They will be as good as new.

Cleaning items with stones

However, cleaning simple metal products is not difficult at all. Difficulties arise when the product is inlaid with some kind of stone.

Depending on the hardness level of the stone, there are three types:

• Precious stones (those with a hardness rating greater than 5). These include diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphires and others. Such stones are quite resistant to scratches.
• Semi-precious stones (having a hardness coefficient below five). These include turquoise, malachite, moonstone, opal and other minerals. They are quite sensitive and can be damaged after prolonged contact with water and other liquids.
• Organic stones. These include corals, amber, and natural pearls. They do not tolerate alkaline and acidic environments, as well as contact with ammonia.

Each of these types of stones requires special care. And, accordingly, the jewelry in which they are contained, too. Let's look at it in more detail.

Cleaning items with precious stones

Methods for cleaning items with precious stones:

• Such products can be thoroughly cleaned with alcohol. Soak a cotton swab in alcohol and gently wipe the product, including all hard-to-reach places. Then rinse off the alcohol by dipping the item in a water solution and dry the item with a dry cloth.
• You can wash the product using a soft cloth soaked in a concentrated soap solution or a solution of washing powder.
• Diamond-encrusted jewelry can be easily cleaned with a soft toothbrush dipped in soapy water.
• Also, jewelry with diamonds can be cleaned in a weak solution of ammonia (six drops per glass of water), immersing the product there for half an hour.
• If a grease deposit has formed on the product, you can get rid of it using the same toothbrush dipped in gasoline.

Cleaning items with semi-precious stones

Such stones do not tolerate prolonged contact with water, acids and alkalis. Therefore, the most effective and at the same time gentle way to clean such stones is a soap solution. You need to thoroughly rinse the product in it, and then wipe it with a soft cloth.

Cleaning products with organic stones

For organic stones, you can use the following cleaning products and methods:

• Rinse the product in an alcohol solution (50% solution).
• Pearls require especially careful care. It should be cleaned with a soft brush dipped in soapy water. Then the decoration should be rinsed with water. You can learn more about one type of pearl - baroque pearls - here.
• Amber and coral are cleaned dry, by rubbing with a suede or flannel cloth.

How to clean silver at home

Unlike gold, which simply tarnishes slightly, silver can develop a layer of black patina that detracts from the appearance of the item. But there are effective ways to clean silver that do not require expensive pastes and powders. You just need to find easily accessible products in your closet that are found in every home. To remove blackness you can use:

• Powdered chalk;
• Dentifrice;
• Baking soda;
• Ammonia;
• Salt;
• Lemon acid;
• Vinegar.

Something from this list will certainly be found in the far corner of the closet and you can proceed directly to cleaning the product.

Caring for Individual Stones

Rules for caring for some stones:

• Diamond and sapphire. These stones should be cleaned with ammonia or soap solution, wiping with a soft cloth intended for optical glasses. It is worth protecting stones from sudden impacts or exposure to high temperatures.
• Emerald, topaz, ruby. Only professional cleaning products are used for these stones. Cleaning at home can damage the stone.
• Amethyst, garnet. These stones can also be cleaned in soapy water using a soft cloth or brush. Ultrasonic cleaning is also used. These stones don't like harsh ones. temperature changes.
• Aquamarine, chrysolite. These stones are cleaned by washing them in a solution of ammonia or washing powder. However, the solution should be slightly warmed up, but in no case hot. Avoid contact with acids on stones.
• Opal, turquoise. These stones can be cleaned at home only with a dry suede cloth. Under no circumstances should these stones be washed or ultrasonic cleaned.

Cleaning silver with baking soda and foil

If the silver has become very dark, you can use a very effective cleaning method - using foil and soda. All you need to do for this is cut out a piece of food foil, place it in a saucepan and spread silver items over the surface. Fill it all with water so that the decorations are completely hidden and place the container on the stove. When the water boils, you need to pour a tablespoon of soda into it. A violent reaction will begin and foam will form - don’t be alarmed, as a result of the chemical process, silver jewelry will be cleaned just perfectly and can be removed within 10 minutes. Polish them with flannel and no one will distinguish old jewelry from new.

When baking soda is added, abundant foaming will begin - this chemical reaction will completely remove all contaminants.

How to clean gold: effective ways

To answer this question, three nuances should be taken into account:

• Product quality;
• Pollution level;
• The presence of other elements (gilding, stones, etc.).

Before you start cleaning silver, you should remember that using any aggressive means is only appropriate for things that are entirely made of silver.

If there are stones or some kind of coating on this or that object, then it is wiser to use gentle products. It is better to entrust the cleaning of any miniature jewelry to a specialist.

Today you can buy a variety of cleaning agents for silver. They can be liquid or paste-like.

When cleaning silver, you should avoid using hard brushes or sponges to avoid damaging the items.

It never hurts to know how to quickly clean gold at home. For example, in case there are literally a few minutes before leaving, and the only pair of earrings or pendant that matches the look looks, to put it mildly, unmarketable. There are always suitable means for cleaning gold at home - don’t waste time and restore the attractiveness of your jewelry.

Ammonia

Cleaning gold at home with ammonia or ammonia is the easiest way to get rid of cloudiness of the precious metal and stains on jewelry. To effectively clean gold from blackness, you need to make a solution of water and ammonia with the addition of shampoo. Recommended proportions for a small container of warm water: 0.5 tsp.

Gold rings in ammonia solution

In this way, you can soak gold with some stones: the ammonia solution perfectly removes dirt and oxides from hard-to-reach places. To dry, simply place the jewelry on a paper napkin or towel.

Hydrogen peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is also an effective and affordable liquid for cleaning gold. For minor stains, it is enough to wipe the jewelry with a cloth soaked in peroxide. In other cases, a more aggressive method is recommended:

1. Make a solution: 1 glass of warm water, 30 mg of hydrogen peroxide (3%), 1 tsp. ammonia, a small amount of liquid soap (by eye).
2. Mix the ingredients thoroughly.
3. Immerse gold items in a container with the solution and leave for 3-5 hours.
4. Rinse the jewelry with plain water and dry it on a napkin.

You can clean a gold chain, bracelet or ring using regular white 9% or apple cider vinegar, with the addition of soda or lemon. Please note that only yellow and red gold can be cleaned with vinegar; this method is unacceptable for white, matte or inlaid with stones.

You can use a toothbrush to clean gold.
In some cases, it is enough to simply soak the items in vinegar for 10-15 minutes and then rinse with water; in others, you will need to walk over the surface with a toothbrush.

Baking soda will help clean gold from dirt, but it does not always cope with difficult stains. Most often, boiling with soda is used for cleaning:

1. Place foil at the bottom of a small container of water and place gold on it.
2. Heat water and add soda - 1 tbsp. water 1 tbsp. soda
3. Boil for a few minutes.
4. Clean with a brush.
5. Rinse with plain water and dry.

Soda is not used to clean jewelry with inserts: it can cause tarnishing of the stones, and the soda solution can also leave a whitish residue in hard-to-reach places on the fastenings.

Salt is typically used as an addition to vinegar or baking soda cleaning solutions. Due to the strong abrasive nature of salt, we do not recommend mechanical cleaning of soft gold items.

Lemon acid

To dissolve plaque, you can clean gold in citric acid:

• Dilute citric acid in boiling water;
• immerse the products in the solution for 5-6 minutes;
• rinse and dry jewelry.

Toothpaste

You can clean darkened gold at home even with the most ordinary toothpaste. Using a soft brush, evenly distribute the paste over the surface of the decoration and remove dirt with gentle movements.

You can clean gold with toothpaste

Paste GOI

GOI paste
This is a special composition for cleaning gold from impurities and giving it shine, developed by the State Optical Institute. There are 4 types of paste; you should choose a specific option based on the expected result:

• No. 1, No. 2 – polishing to a mirror effect;
• No. 3 – cleaning of medium complexity to an even matte shine;
• No. 4 – rough cleaning with surface grinding and removal of scratches.

Method of use: as with toothpaste. GOI paste is not used for white gold.

Citric acid is a great remedy!

You can clean silver with citric acid in just 15 minutes. To do this, you will need a glass liter jar, into which you need to fill half of the water. Place the jar in a water bath and let the water boil. After boiling, 100 grams of citric acid is poured into the container and (!) a piece of copper wire is placed on the bottom of the jar. After this, you can dip your jewelry into the resulting solution. The product must be kept in boiling water for 15 minutes. Then dry and polish them with a soft cloth.

Advice! The copper wire can not be placed at the bottom of the jar, but can be used as a loop/loop for stringing products. After you put all your rings, earrings and bracelets on it, it will be very convenient to place such a bunch in a boiling solution of citric acid and remove it from it.

Rules for the care and storage of jewelry

Jewelry storage:

• The jewelry should be stored in a box lined with soft fabric inside.
• Products should not be in constant contact with each other while in the box. Therefore, it is worth choosing a box with multiple compartments or placing jewelry in soft fabric bags before putting it in the box.
• Semi-precious stones can deteriorate from constant contact with direct sunlight. Therefore, for them, the presence of a box is a prerequisite.
• Also, some stones can deteriorate from heat or strong temperature changes. Therefore, the box should be placed away from heat sources.

Professional care:

• About once a year, your jewelry should be professionally cleaned by a jeweler.
• The cleaning process involves polishing with a special cleaner and placing the jewelry in an ultrasonic bath (only for those types of stones that are suitable for this).
• The jeweler will also be able to prevent stones from falling out of the jewelry and secure the clasps.
• You can consult with him about cleaning and caring for your jewelry and purchase stone cleaning products that he recommends.

What jewelry is afraid of:

• Temperatures. When heated, the stones attract dust and grease, so after this they will not be able to shine as brightly in the sun as before.
• Mechanical impact. Microcracks appear on stones and metal due to mechanical stress. They may be invisible to the naked eye, however, this causes the products to lose their original shine and become dull.
• Cosmetics. Components that make up cosmetics can react with metals and have a detrimental effect on them. This may cause stains on the decoration. Apply various creams and lotions only after removing jewelry.

Other general care rules:

• You should always remove jewelry at night and when doing housework. Playing sports, taking a shower.
• It is also worth protecting products from getting perfume on them, as this can lead to stains on the metal.
• Get a special cloth made of soft material (for example, microfiber) for your jewelry and wipe the jewelry with it daily after removal.
• Pearls, as a very vulnerable organic stone, should be kept away from all other jewelry, wrapped in soft cloth. Also, if pearls are not worn for a long time, they may become tarnished. Therefore, it is recommended to wear it periodically.

Cleaning silver with ammonia

This is probably the easiest way to clean silver. You just need to buy a bottle of ammonia (10%) at the pharmacy, pour it into a suitable container and place silver jewelry in the liquid for 15-20 minutes. After which the products must be removed, rinsed in running water and polished to a shine.

In fact, cleaning silver only seems like a difficult task. You will need no more than an hour to put your jewelry in order, and you can do everything yourself, without the involvement of expensive specialists - jewelers.

Prevention of oxidation

To prevent jewelry from turning black too often, you should follow simple rules of prevention:

• store in a dark, closed place;
• wrap silver in foil for storage;
• avoid contact with chemicals;
• After each use, rinse with water and rub dry with a woolen cloth.

Frequent blackening of jewelry during wear may indicate the presence of undiagnosed diseases. It is worth paying attention to this and visiting a doctor. If everything is in order with your health, then you can easily clean silver and gold using the methods listed above.

Causes of darkening

Costume jewelry is made from an alloy of metals that are susceptible to oxidation when interacting with other substances. When in contact with skin, water (especially chlorinated, sea water), or exposure to air, jewelry gradually darkens, loses its shine and brightness.

Costume jewelry can darken from household chemicals, perfumes, and frequent contact with other objects. It is important to regularly clean products, including stones, which also become dull and scratched. It is better to remove jewelry before cleaning and contact with water.

Correct technique

When starting to clean silver with ammonia, you need to prepare a solution by diluting 1 tbsp. l. alcohol in 10 tbsp. l. water. After this, put silver items in the liquid and leave for at least half an hour (soaking time depends on how firmly the blackness is ingrained into the precious metal, but no more than an hour). When the time is up, wear gloves, remove the product from the solution and wipe with dry wipes.

If the coating is not strong, to get rid of the blackness, you can moisten a woolen or flannel cloth with ammonia (it is advisable not to bend over the bottle because of the pungent odor). After this, rub the blackened surface well.

You can rid silver items of blackness by mixing ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, baby liquid soap and water in equal proportions. After this, put the silver in the solution and wait the time necessary for the blackness to pass. Dry the cleaned product with napkins and polish with a woolen cloth.

In case of very severe contamination, you can use a pure ammonia solution. To do this, put the silver in the product for fifteen minutes, then remove it, rinse and dry. When cleaning silver using this method, you must act carefully and do not lean over the product, so as not to be poisoned by the smell of ammonia.

Home medicine cabinet remedies to remove tarnish from jewelry

What other ways can you clean your jewelry? Medicines from the first aid kit, which, as a rule, are in every family, will help restore the shine and radiance of everyone’s favorite gold. Ordinary ammonia and hydrogen peroxide will come to the rescue. When using the first one, you need to have a lot of patience, since the cleansing procedure will take quite a long time. The smell of ammonia is not at all pleasant, so you should be prepared for this. It is necessary to pour a little alcohol into a container (not a metal one) and place the products there. If the contamination is not very strong, three hours will be enough to remove it, and if the coating is thoroughly absorbed into the metal, you will have to wait about 10-12 hours.

Special device for cleaning jewelry

Immersing the jewelry in hydrogen peroxide (about 40 ml) for 20 minutes will help to add shine to gold that has been lost during long wear. In addition to hydrogen peroxide, the solution must include other components, including:

• 1 tsp soap
• the same amount of ammonia.

When 20 minutes have passed, the product will need to be rinsed with plain water and then wiped dry with a suitable cloth.

How to Polish Gold

In some cases, it is better to entrust the polishing of jewelry with complex designs to professionals, but you can handle simple jewelry yourself. To make a gold ring shine like new, use the following techniques:

1. Soak the jewelry in hot water with shampoo or soap for 7-8 hours, and then polish with a soft toothbrush. The method is suitable for both shiny and matte gold.
2. Soaking for 10 hours in an ammonia solution (25%), which can be purchased at a pharmacy, will help to add shine to gold.
3. Polishing gold from scratches is done using a cleaning paste for gold items - factory-made or homemade from Vaseline, powdered white chalk, water and soap shavings. Buff with a soft toothbrush without applying pressure.
4. Apply GOI paste to the felt, wipe the product with unidirectional movements without pressure: this will help restore shine and effectively polish scuffs and scratches.

The cost of home polishing of gold jewelry is several times lower than professional polishing. But when polishing yourself, it is important to take into account the characteristics of the metal: dullness, color and quality of gold, the presence of jewelry inserts, blackened or rhodium-plated coating.

04.07.19