Gold is a special metal, noble and demanding. To make products from it look truly elegant and expensive, care is required for them.
Gold itself does not darken, but the alloys from which jewelry is made contain copper, silver and other metals, which tend to change color over time. The higher the sample affixed to gold, the less it darkens. Nevertheless, even the highest quality jewelry periodically needs to be cleaned and polished.
Gold is very soft, so other metals are added to it. They oxidize on the surface of the product, forming sulfates and oxides. With prolonged wear of jewelry, these formations are saturated with sebum, which leads to their darkening and loss of shine. How to clean gold? There are a lot of funds.
How to clean gold at home
It is necessary to mix a bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide with half a bubble of ammonia. Dip the golden item in the solution, leave it overnight, cover with a lid. In the morning, rinse with running water and wipe with a cloth.
Toothpaste cleans metal well. An old toothbrush should be applied to the decoration and gently rub. You can also use tooth powder for this , but there is a danger in this case that the abrasive will leave minor scratches on the metal.
How to clean gold with detergents
You can clean the jewelry with ordinary household soap. Soak a little soap in a small amount of water, place a gold product in it and boil for 10 minutes, then rinse it with running cold water. You can do without boiling, but then the jewelry must be left in a soapy solution all night. The latter option is not suitable for cleaning gold with inlaid precious stones. To enhance the action of soap in the solution, you can add a few drops of ammonia (with strong darkening).
How to clean gold with folk remedies
You can clean gold with lipstick. It contains titanium dioxide, which is able to save the decoration from darkening. After processing gold with a small amount of lipstick, it must be rubbed to a shine with a soft cloth.
Helps return gold to its original color and luster table vinegar and onion juice.
You can also use a soda solution, in which you should boil the product for several minutes, then wipe it with a soft cloth. A salt solution (a glass of water, 2 tablespoons of salt), in which the product must be kept for about 8-10 hours, also copes with the task perfectly.
How to Clean Gold Gemstones
Precious stones can be accidentally damaged or scratched during cleaning. Therefore, products with stones should be especially carefully looked after. First of all, you must remember that cleaning them with sharp objects is unacceptable. It is best to use cotton cosmetic sticks previously moistened in cologne.
You can lower the product into a solution of alcohol, then just gently wipe it with a cloth moistened with clean water. It should be remembered that this method is allowed to be used only if the stones are soldered to gold, but not glued.
Gold items with hard stones, which include rubies, diamonds, quartz, can be cleaned with a solution of laundry soap or laundry detergent. Jewelry with diamonds can be cleaned with ammonia (6 drops of alcohol in a glass of water, stand for half an hour in a solution). After cleaning, you need to wash the gold with running water, rub it to a shine with a cloth.
Jewelry with pearls can only be cleaned with a soft brush (a shadow brush is suitable) dipped in a solution of water with a neutral shampoo. You need to gently rub the pearl and rim with a brush, rinse with water and dry.
How to clean gold with professional products
You can purchase specialized tools for cleaning gold jewelry from a jewelry store. The instructions attached to them describe in detail how to use them.