Women wear gold and silver jewelry for many years, and never once in all years do they clean them. But if one outwardly compares 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 acute. In the article, we will consider in detail several of the simplest and most popular ways to clean this precious metal.
Why do gold jewelry need cleaning?
Pure gold jewelry 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 more rigid and strong, but at the same time the metal becomes prone to aging, over time it becomes dull, and 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?". Let's look at some of the easiest ways.
Soapy water
There are two ways to clean gold using soapy water:
- In warm water you need to dissolve a few drops of gel for dishes or soap. In the obtained soapy water you need to dip a gold product and wait 2-3 hours until the mud softens. Then, using an old toothbrush, you need to thoroughly clean each item. After the procedure, the decoration 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 soda is another economical but effective method for cleaning gold. Pour water into a container, place a gold product there and heat the water. Then add there a soda at the rate of one tablespoon per glass of water and boil for several minutes. After this, the jewelry should be removed, cleaned by hand with a brush, washed with water and dried.
Many advise rubbing the product directly with soda and vinegar, but this is a very tough method that can damage the jewelry. Due to soda, scratches remain on the surface, and the higher the sample, the higher the risk of metal damage.
Vinegar is also best excluded from the cleaning process. Gold with a high breakdown of vinegar is not afraid, but the alloy of metals can suffer. In addition, in no case do not use acids to clean jewelry with stones. Some minerals can be harmful even by the evaporation of acids. How to clean stones in gold jewelry will be considered below.
Sweet solution
In a glass of water you need to dissolve one tablespoon of sugar and completely immerse the golden product in it. Then leave the decorations in this sweet water for about 3-4 hours to achieve maximum results. Sugar will make the metal more shiny. After cleaning, rinse the gold thoroughly so that it is not sticky.
Strong pollution in this way cannot be removed, but getting rid of grease and dust will turn out perfectly. It is very important that this method is safe for gold products and is very simple to execute. After all, when the question arises of how to clean gold jewelry at home, simplicity and effectiveness 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 does not work to damage the gold, because the paste contains foaming agents that successfully soften the harsh effect of the abrasive.
Gold jewelry should be covered with paste and brushed, like teeth. Only the brush should be soft. The duration of such cleaning depends on how large your decoration is and how carefully you want to clean it.
Onion juice
Many housewives think about how to clean gold jewelry, but do not even realize that an ordinary bow can help.
Cut a small onion and grate your gold jewelry well with a fresh cut. Thus, you mechanically clean the product, but at the same time, onion juice affects the metal. Leave the jewelry for several hours so that the onion juice works well. You need to complete 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 loyal helpers in the matter 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 perfectly help you.
To prepare the composition, pour water in 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 several hours, and you will see that they will shine like new. This method will help get rid of even the most severe impurities, eliminate the oxide film. It is worth noting that this method is suitable for cleaning gold products without stones. How to clean gold jewelry with diamonds and stones, we will consider a little below.
Stone jewelery cleaning
Jewelry with stones requires special care. Some of them, for example, turquoise and malachite, are subject to the aggressive influence of abrasives, therefore powder, salt and soda cannot be used when cleaning such jewelry. As for topaz, ruby and pomegranate, these gemstones are very sensitive to the action of high temperatures, so they can not 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 them to professionals.
If you still want to learn how to clean gold jewelry with stones, then use the following methods:
- Alcohol. Just moisten the cotton wool in any solution containing alcohol (alcohol lotion, strong alcohol) and wipe the jewelry to get rid of greasy plaque.
- Petrol. Dip an unnecessary toothbrush in it and rub the gold product. Thin bristles are perfect for cleaning hard to reach areas.
Shine White Gold
How to clean gold jewelry from white gold is also a popular question that many housewives are asked. The difference between this metal is that nickel, silver or palladium is added to the alloy to give the product a light shade. On top of such jewelry is often covered with rhodium, which gives a white shine.
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 product in the resulting liquid for 30 minutes, and then rinse and dry it.
- Sugar. It is necessary to dissolve two tablespoons of sugar in a glass of water. In the resulting solution, you need to soak the jewelry for about 12 hours. Such a cleaning will return the former shine to your gold products.
Brushed Gold Shine
Polishing materials for cleaning this type of gold cannot be used, because it is already made matte thanks to a special polishing method. With 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 just rinse and dry the jewelry.
Gold Plated Products
So, we looked at options for cleaning gold jewelry. Now let's dwell on gilded items. Such jewelry is only covered from above with a thin layer of gold - gilding. At the same time they are pasted over with a layer of foil. Therefore, harsh methods (abrasives) for their cleaning can not be used, 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 suitable for cleaning. Just soak the product in it for a few minutes, and then rinse and dry it.
Tips to keep gold from getting dark
So, we examined the most popular methods for cleaning gold items. There are some tips to keep gold in its original form for as long as possible:
- It is necessary to store gold items away from the sun, best of all in a special box.
- Remove jewelry before starting cleaning, go to the sauna or bath.
- If gold items are exposed to moisture, be sure to wipe them dry.
- If possible, clean the gold monthly.
- Shift with a light flannel so that they do not scratch each other.
Follow these simple recommendations, and your jewelry will delight you with its appearance for many years.
Conclusion
Remember that all jewelry needs constant care. Only then will they look like new. All types of gold must be cleaned in different ways so as not to damage sensitive metal and precious stones. To refine the 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 such a method is not suitable for all jewelry, for example, emeralds. This gem is also impregnated with oil to give shine. As for turquoise, jade and pearls, it is possible to give an initial appearance to such stones only with the help of coloring.
To avoid embarrassing and unforeseen incidents with cleaning gold jewelry, it is better to entrust this procedure to professionals, because only they know all the details of cleaning gold and precious stones. Then you can be sure of a 100% positive result.