Gold jewelry has long ceased to be considered an attribute of luxury and is in every family.
They delight us with their appearance and brilliance.
However, even with the most careful attitude, gold fades over time, products from it become dirty, spots may appear on them.
How to clean gold at home, you will learn from this article.
How to clean gold at home: from grease and dirt
It is simple to eliminate any traces of dirt from gold jewelry - in a small container you need to mix hot water (50-70 ° C) and one of the detergents:
• Liquid dishwashing detergent
• Soap grated on a coarse grater (better household)
• Shampoo
• Washing powder
The gold jewelry is placed in the resulting solution for 2-3 hours, after this procedure, the dirt and grease soften and are easily removed with a normal toothbrush with soft bristles. After this, the jewelry should be washed thoroughly under running water and allowed to dry.
If after such a soapy “bathing” the mud still remains, the procedure must be repeated.
Another way to easily clean dirt and grease is by boiling in a soap solution. A gold product is placed in a container with such a solution and boils for 2-3 minutes. Next, brush the product, as in the first method.
To give gold products a shine, you can put them overnight in a sugar solution, to prepare a solution 2-3 teaspoons of sugar are added to a glass of water.
An excellent effect is given by a paste made from petroleum jelly, soap chips, water and chalk (in powder), taken in equal proportions. Gold jewelry after cleaning with such a mixture look like new.
How to clean gold at home: "folk" recipes
There are some old folk recipes that will help return gold products to their original shine.
1. Grate the onion, moisten the napkin with the juice that has stood out and wipe the gold product with it.
2. To smear the surface of the product with lipstick, after a while wipe it with a dry cloth. Lipstick contains titanium dioxide, which will help remove darkening from the surface of gold.
3. An aqueous solution of borax will help remove strong impurities, but it is powerless against stains. It is necessary to wipe the product with a cloth dampened in solution, then rinse it under running water.
4. Cleaning the surface of gold with toothpaste can also give a good effect, but requires caution. A soft toothbrush or cloth is used to apply the paste.
5. Occasionally, iodine stains appear on a gold product. A solution of hyposulfite, which is sold in departments for amateur photographers, will help to clean it.
6. Another way that our ancestors used. It is necessary to take a little beer and egg white, mix thoroughly, put on a rag and wipe the gold jewelry with this mixture. Then rinse with running water and dry.
How to clean gold at home, if it is old
If the gold is old, spots or a film of oxide may have appeared on it. To clean such products, ammonia and hydrogen peroxide are used.
On a glass of warm water is added:
• 1 teaspoon ammonia
• 30 ml of a 30% hydrogen peroxide solution
• 1 tablespoon of liquid soap
All components must be mixed in a non-metallic container, put the product in a solution for 15-20 minutes. Rinse with running water and wipe with flannel or suede.
Using ammonia, you can also achieve a good result in the fight against oxides. In a glass of water, add ½ teaspoon of 10% ammonia solution and 1 teaspoon of any detergent. After you put a jewelry made of gold there, the water will immediately darken, the product is then removed from the solution and washed under running water.
If there are precious stones in the product, these cleaning methods cannot be used.
A soda solution also cleans gold from oxides well (just do not apply soda powder to the product and rub it, scratches can remain on the surface).
Put a piece of foil in a small container, put a golden piece of jewelry on it, fill it with soda solution (a tablespoon of soda in a glass of water). Leave for a few hours. Then rinse the product under running water and dry it.
Another cleaning method is boiling in a soda solution. In a soda solution you need to add a few drops of dishwashing detergent and boil for 10-15 minutes. After this, rinse and wipe dry.
Gold is also possible clean with saline (for ½ cup of water - 3 tablespoons of non-iodized salt). Leave your jewelry in this solution all night, wipe it with a soft cloth and enjoy its shine.
If none of the methods gave the desired result, You can purchase a special professional paste or foam for cleaning gold products. It is sold in jewelry stores and large departments of household chemicals, it is inexpensive, and grabs it for a long time.
Jewelry cleaning ultrasound - Another modern way to clean jewelry. Ultrasonic devices are very effective and will help to clean gold in hard to reach places, but at the same time they are quite expensive.
How to clean gold at home: if products with precious stones
Gold jewelry with stones requires a particularly careful attitude. It is advisable to clean them at least once a month. The method of cleaning such products depends on which stone is inserted into them..
If the stone inlaid in the product is soft (amber, pearls, opal, lapis lazuli, turquoise are referred to such stones), liquid ammonia, vinegar or alkali cannot be used to clean it. You can wash such a decoration in alcohol, diluted in equal proportions with water, or in a soap solution, without leaving the decoration in it for a long time.
The pearls are washed with a brush, dipping it in a soap solution. The gold part of the product with pearls is wiped with a soft cloth.
Solid stones include diamond, ruby, sapphire, topaz, emerald, amethyst, tourmaline, zircon. Products with these stones can be cleaned with alcohol using a cotton swab, then rinse alcohol with soap and water and wipe dry with a flannel.
Jewelry with diamonds can be brushed with a soft-bristled toothbrush dipped in soapy water. Liquid soap, shampoo or laundry detergent are suitable.
Also, products with diamonds are cleaned with a solution of ammonia (6 drops of alcohol per glass of water). Then rub the stone and the frame with a cotton swab.
If the product with a hard stone is very dirty, then it is cleaned with a toothbrush dipped in gasoline.
Zircon well cleans a mixture of ammonia with water in a ratio of 1: 6.
How to clean gold at home and not spoil it
In order not to spoil the gold during cleaning, you need to remember a few rules:
• Abrasive substances when cleaning gold is better to refuse, there is a risk of leaving scratches on the surface.
• Products requiring more delicate handling (chains, thin bracelets) should not be subjected to rough mechanical stress.
• To clean products with a stone, first find out how hard this stone is, and then, based on this, choose a cleaning method.
• If the stone is glued, the product must not be wetted to prevent the stone from peeling off.
• First you always need to choose the most gentle way, for example, soaking in a soap solution, and only if it does not fit, go to the "chemical" cleaning methods.
The appearance of stains and scratches on gold jewelry easier to warn than trying to get rid of them. To do this, follow a few simple rules:
• When cleaning the house, jewelry must be removed. Firstly, because household chemicals, falling on gold, can negatively affect it, and secondly, particles of dust and dirt during cleaning can get clogged in patterns of rings or bracelets.
• At night, the jewelry must be removed in contact with the skin, they become dirty and oxidize over time.
• Each time, removing the jewelry, it must be wiped with a cloth.
• Keep gold items in places where cosmetic substances cannot get.
• It is also impossible to hold gold jewelry in cardboard boxes; the cardboard contains sulfur, which can cause stains. Gold is also not recommended to be stored in plastic containers.
If you care for the gold items correctly, then they will last a long time and look wonderful at the same time!
