How Do I Safely Clean My Gold Jewelry at Home?
Cleaning gold jewelry at home is an easy process that requires nothing more than some items you probably have in your kitchen.
The natural oils, germs and bacteria are easy to be washed off gold jewelry with some dish soap and warm water, particularly with gemstone or pearl embellished jewelry.
You can restore the shine to your gold jewelry by cleaning it regularly with a homemade mixture or a store-bought gold jewelry cleaner. Keep reading to learn how to clean gold jewelry at home using a quick DIY cleaner.
Never use toothpaste, baking soda, bleach, ammonia or any commercial metal cleaner on gold jewelry. These abrasives and caustic chemicals will scratch, harm or eat into gold alloys, gemstones and pearls.
Look for Loose Gemstones and Embellishments
Make sure that all loose gemstones and embellishments on each piece are intact. Place items with loose stones or embellishments in for repair immediately to avoid losing them.
Remove plain or safely set gold jewelry for cleaning.
Mix the Dish Soap Cleaning Solution
In a small bowl, place some warm water and a few drops of liquid dish soap. Combine the soap and water thoroughly.
If your gold jewelry does contain pearls or gemstones, do not add vinegar to your soap-and-water cleaning solution, as vinegar will damage these materials. You shouldn’t use vinegar to clean plated gold, either.
Soak for 10 to 20 Minutes
Place gold jewelry in the bowl one piece at a time, and let sit for 10 to 20 min. To avoid scratching, it is advisable to clean only one or two gold items at a time in the bowl so that they do not rub against each other.
Scrub Gently with a Soft Toothbrush
Examine gold jewelry pieces and gently rub off any buildup with a soft-bristled toothbrush. Also of help with jewelry cleaning can be a soft bristle eyebrow brush. The stiff bristles can scuff the gold. And cotton swabs can get to small crevices and help remove dirt.
Rinse and Dry
Take pieces out of soapy water and rinse with plain water.
Wipe each dry piece individually with a soft cotton cloth. Do not use paper towels to dry your gold jewelry as they can easily scratch the surface, particularly on higher karat gold.
Smart Strategic Tip - If you have inadvertently cleaned your gold with silver polish or some other cleaner and your pieces are dulled, remedy this with a mixture of dish soap and water.
Place your jewelry in the solution, wait five minutes and wipe the film off with a soft cotton cloth. Soak the jewelry again in the soap-and-water solution for 15 minutes and then rinse and dry.
How Often to Clean Gold Jewelry
Pieces that are worn regularly should be cleaned monthly or whenever the finish appears to be losing its luster. Gold does not tarnish like silver but has acquired a dull patina with regular use. Also, lower karat gold has a higher ratio of alloys that will tarnish in the presence of excess chemicals, such as chlorine, alcohol, acids and sulfur compounds.
Tips to Keep Gold Jewelry Clean Longer
Remove gold jewelry before washing hands or bathing as soap scum can build up on the surface.
Remove all jewelry prior to entering a hot tub, swimming pool, or the ocean/bay/any beach. Chlorine, acids, sulfur, and salt will attack and destroy or discolor gold, especially if it is not 24k. Gold jewelry is structurally compromised by chlorine and will eventually break.
Do not allow hair sprays, make-up, medicated lotions, and creams to come in contact with gold jewelry.
Store gold jewelry in individual compartments of a fabric-lined jewelry box so that pieces do not scratch one another and dull the finish.