Gold jewelry is special, not only because of its high price but because of its sentimental value. It is often a gift from someone special or a family heirloom, carrying a history of warmth, love, and affection. It might be even the thing you’ve bought for yourself with your first salary, so that piece of gold jewelry is closely connected with emotions and sentiments.
Therefore, it’s natural to want it clean and sparkling, looking its best. Although a jeweler might do the work, it might take a lot of time and money to have it cleaned. So, instead of waiting and paying for this, clean your gold jewelry with several household ingredients for free.
Unlike other metals, gold can’t tarnish but it can lose its shine as a result of constant wear, dirt, and dust. Although some compounds and chemicals from harsh cleaners can restore its primary shine, they shouldn’t be used for soft stones that might be set in your gold jewelry, including opals and pearls. The best way to clean them is using nothing but soap and water.
#2 Method – Dish Soap
5 Methods to Clean Gold
#1 Method – DIY Cleaner
What You Need
- Aluminum wrap
- 1 tbsp. of salt (clears away debris and dirt)
- 1 tbsp. of dish soap (loosens accumulated dirt)
- 1 tbsp. of baking soda (cleans the metal)
- 3 - 4 tbsp. of hot water
- A bowl
- An old toothbrush
How to Clean
Drop your gold jewelry in this DIY cleaner and let it stay for 10 minutes. Then, scrub it thoroughly with an old toothbrush. Rinse with water and pat it dry.
How it Works
The aluminum foil, baking soda, and salt create ion transfers which help the metal clean naturally.#2 Method – Dish Soap
What You Need
- 1 tbsp. of dish soap
- 3 tbsp. of warm water
- A bowl
- An old toothbrush
How to Clean
Just put your gold piece in the sudsy solution, and let it stay for 15 minutes. Then, prepare another soapy solution using some warm water and a mild dishwashing liquid, and using an old toothbrush scrub your gold item thoroughly, focusing on the corners and the more detailed areas. Rinse and don’t wear it until completely dried.
How It Works
The stubborn dirt buildup will loosen due to the carbonation of dish soap with water.#3 Method – Toothpaste
What You Need
- A bit of mild toothpaste
- Water
- A bowl
- An old toothbrush
How to Clean
Dip your old toothbrush in the toothpaste solution, and scrub the gold item. Rinse and make sure there’s no residue of the toothpaste.
How it Works
A mild toothpaste can loosen grime buildup on gold jewelry, without scratching it.#4 Method – Beer
What You Need
- Beer
- A bowl
- An old toothbrush
How to Clean
All you have to do is just pour some beer in the bowl, and soak your gold object for 5 minutes. Then, scrub it gently with an old toothbrush. Don’t forget the delicate parts to remove any accumulated dirt. Rinse and pat it dry.
How it Works
Beer is a little-known, yet incredibly effective agent for cleaning and restoring the glimmer of gold jewelry.#5 Method Baking Soda
What You Need
- 1 tbsp. of baking soda
- 2 tbsp. of water
- A bowl
- A soft-bristle toothbrush
How to Clean
Dip the old toothbrush in the paste and gently scrub the gold object. Rinse and buff it dry.How It Works
The alkaline nature of baking soda reacts with the acidic dust, dirt, and residue on metal. It creates carbon dioxide bubbles which help loosen the dirt.Tips
- Even if you have to use hot water in some of these methods, it shouldn’t be boiling water. Precious stones are usually fragile and can crack due to drastic changes in temperature.
- Use as soft brush as possible, and never a stiff-bristle brush as it can completely remove the gold layer from the gold object, especially if it’s a gold-plated one.
- Prevent your precious jewelry from going down the drain when cleaning it in a sink, by covering the drain.
- Wearing wet jewelry can cause minor skin irritation as it traps the moisture against the skin. Therefore, always dry your jewelry thoroughly before wearing it again.
- Don’t use paper towels to clean your gold, since the tiny wood fibers it contains can scratch the object
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