Whether you store it all the time or wear it every day, gold jewelry can lose its luster and look dull. Sweat, perfume, hairspray, lotion, detergent, dust, makeup flakes, or even dirt on your skin can make gold darken faster. This is true especially in gold jewelry with a low level of purity because it is alloyed with lots of other metals.
But, you don’t have to worry. Gold jewelry can be cleaned easily and practically using household products. So, you don’t need to pay a lot of money or bother bringing your gold jewelry to a special cleaning service.
Here are some products that can be used to clean gold jewelry to make it shine again.
- Toothpaste
Toothpaste contains mild abrasive substances that can remove dirt on gold jewelry quickly.
It is quite easy to do. Mix approximately 2.5 cm of toothpaste with enough water but don’t make it too runny. Rub the gold jewelry evenly with a soft-bristled brush until it is clean, then rinse it with water and dry it with a soft cloth.
- Dishwashing liquid
Use dishwashing liquid that contains surfactants. The surfactants help to remove all the dirt that sticks on gold jewelry. In addition, dishwashing liquid also has a soft texture so there is no risk of scratching jewelry or making it porous.
Simply dissolve a few drops of dishwashing liquid in a bowl filled with warm water, stir, and make sure it mixes well until it foams. Soak gold jewelry in the solution for 15 minutes, then remove it and brush it with a soft-bristled toothbrush to help remove dirt without scratching the jewelry.
After that, rinse it with plain water and dry it with a clean cloth. Wait for it to dry completely before placing it back in the jewelry box.
- Shampoo
Shampoo contains cleaning agents that help to clean the dirt and dust attached to the gold jewelry.
Dissolve 3 tablespoons of shampoo in 1 glass of warm water. Soak gold for 20 minutes, brush gently using a soft brush then rinse and dry it with a clean cloth.
- Baking Soda
Baking soda is an effective component for cleaning white gold that has turned yellow. The mild alkaline nature of baking soda is known to remove dirt and grease quickly.
Dissolve about 60 ml of baking soda with 2 tablespoons of water, stir well to form a paste. Apply the paste to the gold jewelry and let it sit for 5 minutes. After that, pour vinegar over the jewelry and rinse it under running water. Dry the jewelry using a clean, soft cloth.
Or, you can use another method. Cover a medium sized bowl with aluminum foil, then pour in freshly boiled water. Mix a teaspoon of baking soda in it and soak the gold jewelry for about 3-5 minutes. After that, rinse the jewelry under running water and dry it using a clean, soft cloth.
This method is very effective, but you shouldn’t use it to clean gold jewelry that has pearls or precious stones.
- Boiling water
Hot water can remove dirt, stains, and dust from jewelry. But this method is not suitable for gold that has a white coating or other additional accessories because hot water can permanently damage pearls and gemstones.
If you want to try this method, simply pour hot water into a bowl and soak the jewelry for a few minutes until the water cools down. Remove and dry it with a cloth.
- Salt
Salt has abrasive characteristics that are not much different from baking soda so it can help remove dirt and dust on the gold.
Put a pinch of salt in the hot water. After that, soak the gold jewelry into the water solution and let it sit for 3-5 minutes. Then, remove and dry it with a cloth.
- Tweezers
Tweezers can be used to reach dirt tucked into jewelry. Usually, in gold jewelry that has motifs or carvings, there are small cavities that are difficult to reach with water or wipe with cloth. Therefore, we can use tweezers.
Remove this tucked-in dirt carefully. It takes foresight and patience, because you can risk scratching or damaging your gold jewelry if you rush too much. Apart from tweezers, you can also use other objects with thin, sharp edges such as needles.
- Liquid Ammonia
Ammonia is a powerful agent for cleaning gold and making it shine again.
Mix a small amount of liquid ammonia with a glass of normal temperature water. Then, put the gold jewelry into the ammonia solution. Leave it for a few minutes and then remove it with the help of tweezers or a spoon. After that, rinse the jewelry with clean running water and wipe it with a soft cloth.
Remember, ammonia is a dangerous compound, so keep it out of reach of children. Ammonia itself has a very sharp odor that can make your eyes sting. Also, don’t soak your gold jewelry in an ammonia solution for a long time as this can cause it to rust.
- Liquid Alcohol
Not all gold jewelry is suitable for cleaning with alcohol. If your gold jewelry is alloyed with other metals, you have to be more careful because there are metals that are not suitable for contact with liquid alcohol.
If your jewelry is pure gold, you can soak it in liquid alcohol for a few minutes. After that, remove and clean it with a soft cloth. However, if not, you should use a cotton bud. Dip a cotton bud into the liquid alcohol and then rub it gently over the entire surface of the jewelry. Do it carefully so as not to scratch the jewelry.
