How to clean gold at home?
Gold jewelry can become tarnished over time. Dirt can spoil the appearance of any products, they begin to fade and look unattractive. Therefore, every person should know how to clean gold at home.
Peculiarities
Before you start cleaning gold jewelry, familiarize yourself with the features of this process. Learning the ins and outs of cleaning gold jewelry will help you avoid many of the mistakes that ruin the look of your rings.
Many products have hard-to-reach places that are difficult to clean. These places include convex patterns, stone inserts, and decorative ornaments. The traditional cleaning method does not capture these areas, so you will need to additionally use a toothbrush while washing with water. Choose dishes that are large enough to completely cover the piece of jewelry. Study the features of the stones. Some of them may not tolerate contact with alcohol and other substances.
White gold differs in its composition from the traditional metal. For this reason, the appropriate cleaning method should be carefully selected. Only soft brushes can be used in the work so that the villi do not scratch the metal.
Knowing the intricacies of metal processing, you will learn how to properly care for it and be able to maintain the attractiveness of jewelry for a long time.
Popular ways
Jewelry can be made from different types of gold, differing from each other in colors. The most popular is the yellow metal. To clean such gold, there are professional preparations sold in jewelry stores. You can also clean the gold from dirt yourself with the help of available tools.
The choice of product for cleaning jewelry should be based on the type of dirt itself. You can choose from several methods:
- professional cleaning. This method is considered the most effective. During it, special ultrasonic systems are used that return the jewelry to its original state. A similar procedure can be performed once a month;
- unprofessional cleaning. This method includes folk methods with which you can clean gold items yourself;
- specialized drugs. To clean jewelry with your own hands, you can use different types of compounds and acids. In most cases, such funds are served in jewelry stores, pawnshops.
There are several ways that are guaranteed to help restore the original appearance of gold so that it shines. User reviews highlight several tools that show good results.
Hydrogen peroxide
Many people purchase jewelry from a pawnshop.In these organizations, you can purchase original products at a lower cost. However, many may find that the purchased ring or chain has a dull color, which gives the product an ugly appearance.
To restore the natural shine to your jewelry, you can use hydrogen peroxide by wiping your jewelry with a cotton pad soaked in it. Also you can combine the drug with a solution of ammonia. Such a mixture quickly removes any type of pollution.
To restore the rings to their original state, you will need:
- mix 50 ml of ammonia and 100 ml of hydrogen peroxide;
- place the rings in the resulting liquid;
- jewelry should be left for 12 hours. To prevent evaporation of vapors, cover the container with a lid;
- then you need to get the products and wipe them with a suede or flannel cloth.
If you want to speed up the process, add one glass of water and 0.5 tablespoons of plain laundry detergent to the mixture. The powder can be replaced with dishwashing liquid. Take hot water, and choose ceramic or glass dishes as a container. Jewelry should be in this solution for about five minutes. Then the products are washed and dried.
Vinegar
Cleaning gold from dirt with vinegar is an undesirable method for products that contain stone inserts. A solution of acetic acid can damage the stones, giving them an unpresentable appearance.
If you are the owner of low-karat gold jewelry, refuse this method of cleaning, since such material contains many impurities in the form of non-ferrous metals, which can be irreparably damaged by acid exposure.
If you decide to choose this method, choose a solution with a low concentration of vinegar - no more than 3%. The acid will need to be diluted by half with water.
Soda
Soda will help remove the stain in a short time. Many methods are designed for long reaction times. You will need to wait several hours for the product to become clean again. If you urgently need to clean your chain or earrings, it is better to use baking soda.
To give the precious metal a natural shine, you will need:
- fill the container with one glass of water;
- put your jewelry in it;
- put the pot on the stove and wait for the water to boil;
- put one large spoonful of baking soda into boiling water;
- you need to boil the jewelry for five minutes, after which you can drain the water;
- brush the gold with a soft type toothbrush.
Some users use dry soda powder, but it is not suitable for working with gold items. This is due to the fact that soda belongs to the category of abrasives that can damage the material, precious inserts.
Acceptable options include only mixing baking soda with water to form a paste. Other methods are not allowed.
Foil
With the help of foil, you can return the attractiveness to gold yourself. All you need is plain metal foil, water, and baking soda. It is necessary to correctly calculate the proportions when mixing, so as not to damage the metal.
To clean jewelry with foil, you will need to follow a few steps:
- dissolve in 0.5 liter of hot water 50 grams of baking soda;
- lay the foil on the bottom of a deep dish;
- a mixture of soda and water must be poured into a container;
- lower the gold into the selected container;
- products must lie in the solution all night;
- The last step is to wash the gold with water and dry it with a soft towel.
Ammonia
Ammonia allows you to effectively remove dirt from the metal. To clean gold, you will need:
- mix one glass of water and a small spoonful of ammonia;
- moisten a cotton pad in this solution and carefully process the product;
- wash gold with soapy water and rinse with clean water.
There is another way to use ammonia, for which you will need to combine chalk powder with ammonia to form a paste. The resulting mixture should be wiped with a product and washed with soapy water. The use of lump chalk is not allowed, as it is possible to scratch the delicate metal.
Ammonia can be combined with washing powder. You will need a small spoon of ammonia and a tablespoon of laundry detergent. Mix these ingredients in a glass of water and dip your jewelry into it. After three hours, you can wash the gold under running water.
There is an easy method of cleaning jewelry with an alcohol solution. You will need to dissolve a couple of drops of ammonia in a glass of water and put your jewelry into the liquid formed for one hour. Then you can rinse the gold with warm water. To remove heavy soiling, you can dilute the mixture with dishwashing detergent.
Many users were able to appreciate the following method:
- pour a glass of water into a ladle and bring to a boil;
- add one tablespoon of ammonia solution with liquid soap to the water;
- put your jewelry in the liquid for a couple of hours;
- after 2 hours, you need to rinse the gold in water and wipe it with a cloth.
After cleaning by any of the above methods, you will need mustard powder. It will give the products a beautiful shine. It is recommended to pour the product on a soft rag and rub the decoration with it.
Toothpaste
The paste belongs to the category of abrasives, so you need to carefully clean rings and chains with it. This method helps to clean diamonds well. You will need to squeeze a small amount of paste onto a cloth and polish the jewelry with it. It is allowed to use only classic white toothpaste without whitening effect.
If you decide to use tooth powder, dilute it with lemon juice. After the cleaning process, it is required to rinse the rings in water and dry with a paper towel.
Coca Cola
Coca-Cola cleans the surface of gold items well. To use this method, you only need a drink. The selected jewelry is placed in it for 12 hours. After cleaning is complete, wash them with clean water.
This method has several limitations:
- this option cannot be used on products with precious stones. Inserts may turn into an incomprehensible shade due to contact with the drink;
- gilding under the influence of Coca-Cola can peel off rings and chains.
Salt
This is the most affordable method of cleaning jewelry. You will need a dish in which you should pour a glass of hot water. Stir 4 large spoons of salt completely into the water. Jewelry should be kept in the solution for 12 hours. Then the products are washed with tap water and dried.
Strong pollution
Self-purification of gold from contamination is a difficult task. Separately, you should consider the question of how to clean gold from blackness.If using the methods described earlier you could not restore the products, refer to mechanical cleaning. This method is considered the most effective.
Do not use abrasives: baking soda, toothpaste and other preparations, as they can ruin jewelry. Gold is a delicate metal, so it can be scratched by contact with abrasives. To restore the attractiveness of the darkened metal, you need to use special types of pastes. Such tools have a low price and do not harm the coating.
Use a soft toothbrush or tissue. You will need to apply the paste to the darkened rings or chains and clean only in one direction. When you are finished, wipe the product with an alcohol solution. It will eliminate the film that remains after cleaning.
You can create a paste for mechanically cleaning jewelry with your own hands. For this you will need:
- mix in identical proportions vaseline, grated soap, warm water, classic toothpaste and crumbled chalk;
- apply the mixture to jewelry with a soft brush;
- clean strictly in one direction;
- at the end of the procedure, you will need to treat the metal with a solution containing alcohol and wipe it with a napkin.
To wash a soiled ring from iodine, you can use a teaspoon of hyposulfite dissolved in a glass of water. Leave the ring in this solution for 15 minutes. Then you should rinse the jewel with tap water and wipe it with a dry cloth.
To clean matte gold, try the following methods:
- you will need dishes in which a little bleaching powder is added, a spoonful of bicarbonate salt and a spoonful of edible salt.Pour a third of a glass of water into the mixture. Products should be placed in the resulting paste for a couple of minutes. Rinse the gold with an alcohol solution and dry well;
- stir 10 g of chalk, 5 g of lead white and half a spoonful of bloodstone with magnesia. The resulting mixture is required to clean the metal;
- to implement this method, you will need to mix 80 grams of kolkotar and a little ammonia. This solution should be used to clean contaminated rings, chains or earrings;
- borax solution effectively copes with stains on gold rings. A cloth soaked in it should be wiped with jewelry;
- some people remove tarnish with an eraser.
New products
It is easiest to clean rings with a smooth surface, on which there are no stones and other decorative inserts. However, such products are rare. Most women wear sleek wedding rings with more intricate jewelry.
New products can be quickly cleaned to a shine with a soft cloth. If there are no inserts on the ring, soaking in soapy water is suitable. New jewelry can be cleaned with toothpaste using soft-bristled brushes. Despite the fact that even in gold 750 other types of metals are present to give strength, such a material has plasticity. That's why you need to act carefully so that there are no scratches on the product.
If you are a supporter of folk methods, you can resort to the onion option. You will need to cut the onion into two parts and rub the surface of the decoration with it. With this method, you can remove dirt and grease from jewelry. This simple method will help clean gold watches and other things.
old surfaces
Stains or an oxidizing film may form on old gold.To restore worn gold, ammonia and hydrogen peroxide will help you.
Mix several ingredients in 200 grams of warm water:
- a small spoonful of ammonia;
- 30 ml of 30% hydrogen peroxide;
- one tablespoon of liquid soap.
Pour the resulting mixture into a non-metallic container and dip your jewelry into it for 20 minutes. Then you will need to rinse the jewelry in tap water and wipe thoroughly with a suede cloth. Alternatively, you can use flannel fabric.
Gifted gold can be purified qualitatively with ammonia. You will need:
- 200 grams of water;
- 0.5 small spoons of ammonia at a concentration of 10%;
- 1 small spoonful of dishwashing detergent.
When you dip old jewelry into the resulting liquid, the water will immediately take on a dark hue. Remove them and rinse with tap water. Keep in mind that this method is not suitable for working with products that contain precious stones.
A solution of baking soda also cleans blackened gold well. Do not use powder, as an abrasive preparation can scratch your rings and earrings. If you could not return your old gold to its original appearance, purchase a special paste or foam, which are sold in jewelry stores. This will last you for a long time.
You can restore the attractiveness of jewelry using ultrasound. This method is modern and expensive. However, you will be able to effectively remove all stains and blackness from the precious metal.
Jewelry with stones
You can clean products with stones at home using mechanical methods. When working with precious inserts, be careful not to damage the material.When choosing the right method, keep in mind that alcohol can make some types of stones dull.
Moisture is an unacceptable condition for stones, therefore soaking a ring or earrings with stones in cleaning solutions will not work. To clean such jewelry, you can use a simple cologne. Dip a cotton swab into it and wipe the stone. Cologne is able to degrease the surface and remove impurities. After this method, you will see that your jewelry shines again. Gasoline also effectively cleans precious things with stones.
Many people are faced with a situation where the diamonds in the rings become dull. You can restore the original shine of the decoration at home. When rubbed and heated, the stones begin to attract dust and grease. It is impossible to stop this process if you wear rings all the time, so you should explore ways to help restore darkened gold with a diamond. Cleaning should be done carefully so as not to damage the metal surface.
To quickly clean the engagement ring, jewelers recommend using alcohol. You will need to dip the jewelry in the liquid and wipe it with a soft cloth. This method is able to quickly return gold to its former attractiveness without harm and consequences.
Many people go to water procedures in rings and do not remove them when they are in the water. Chlorine, which is present in pools, aggressively affects precious stones, due to which they become dull and dark. It is able to penetrate into soldering spots, where stains are most difficult to remove. Therefore, experts recommend removing jewelry before going to the pool.
Gemstone jewelry should be cleaned once a month. Wipe down your engagement ring or bracelet with a soft cloth, checking the condition of the setting and the gold itself. Sometimes the metal needs a little polishing to fix minor damage and scratches.
white metal
Traditional methods will help you deal with blackness on many pieces of jewelry. However, not every method will be effective when working with white gold. Such a metal is considered special, since it does not contain copper and nickel. The surface of gold is covered with rhodium, so the cross or pendant should be cleaned carefully.
You can clean white gold at home by yourself. For this you will need:
- soft cloth;
- liquid soap or shampoo;
- ammonia solution.
With the help of solutions in which these components are present, you can wipe your jewelry. Soaking white gold items overnight is prohibited.
White gold cannot be cleaned with tooth powder or paste, saline solutions. You can use a mixture of ammonia and shampoo. The following method will work for you:
- mix in equal proportions ammonia and water;
- add a few drops of shampoo to the liquid;
- dip the jewelry in the solution for 30 minutes;
- then you will need to wash the white gold with water and dry it.
Shampoo can be replaced with liquid soap. It will take two presses of the dispenser. Dilute the soap in one glass of water and place your rings in the mixture. Leave jewelry for 20 minutes, then rinse in water and dry.
Cleansing from negative energy
The entire world around us consists of energy flows. It is contained not only in the atmosphere around us, but also in ourselves, as well as in jewelry.Gold products have powerful energy, as such a material is popular. People wear rings every day, contact with others. Due to the continuous interconnection, jewelry absorbs all the energy that they encounter.
If you received jewelry as an inheritance or as a gift, they contain a large amount of someone else's energy that you need to get rid of. The most dangerous are ancient rings and treasures. Products that were mined from ancient tombs are in a special category, since for several centuries they were located next to human remains, having absorbed a lot of negativity.
Understanding that your gold needs to be cleared of negativity is easy. If you began to notice apathy, bad mood and loss of strength behind you, you should take action.
To clean gold products from negativity at home, you can use several methods. The main methods to combat negative energy are 4 earthly elements, but there are other options that work no less effectively.
With the help of fire
Fire contains a great potential for cleansing energy. To remove the negative from the ring, you will need to hold the jewelry over the fire for a few seconds. Incense is allowed.
You can also take a lit candle and look at the flame for several minutes. Your eyes during this time will be able to keep the outline of the fire. Then you will need to take the product and imagine how the flame surrounds it and burns all the negativity.
Ash is a derivative of the flame, so it can also be used to clean the precious metal. You will need to put gold in it and rub it.
If with the help of such events you cannot eliminate the negative, contact the jewelers to melt the jewelry.
water
This method is the simplest. It consists in a simple washing of jewelry in tap water.
With the help of the earth
Earth is good at removing other people's energy from the rings. You will need to bury the jewelry in the ground for 7 days. When you take out the product, it will be cleaned.
Salt
For this method, you will need a glass filled with salt by a third. Put the gold in the bowl and fill the glass to the top. After 24 hours, you can put on the ring, and it is recommended to bury the used salt in the ground or throw it into the river.
In the method, you can use sea or table salt. A saline solution will also work well for this task. When cleaning, remember that removal of the object should be done with a spoon or pencil.
In the church
Most believers turn to the church to solve problems of this kind. You will need some holy water and church candles. Put a piece of jewelry on the table and rotate the candle in circles. Move counter-clockwise.
The number of rotations will depend on your feelings. When you realize that the negative has left the jewelry, the cleaning process can be completed.
sound
Working with sound vibrations is considered an unusual way that helps to clear gold of negativity. You can use a gong, church or simple bells, loud music in your work.
Try to concentrate and imagine how the waves of sound enter the gold and cleanse it of the accumulated negativity.
By the light of the moon or the sun
To use this method, you will need to place gold rings or earrings in a place where direct sunlight or moonlight hits. Jewelry should be left for 8 hours. During the process, make sure that cloudy weather will not interfere with you.
If you work with products that contain stone inserts, remember that some of them may fade in the sun. This method is not suitable for amethyst, yellow topaz and citrine.
Care instructions
In order for jewelry to please with its brilliance for a long time, you should study the rules for caring for gold. These recommendations will help you keep the beauty and attractiveness of jewelry for a long time:
- gold should not be allowed to come into contact with alkaline or acidic substances. These components are contained in almost every detergent, washing powder;
- If you don't want your gold to tarnish, keep your rings out of contact with nail polish remover. Many girls do manicures right in the rings, wondering why the gold turned black;
- some cosmetic preparations also contain components of mercury, sulfur and chlorine, which adversely affect the precious metal;
- before working with paint and abrasives, remove all jewelry;
- you can not go to the bath, sauna and solarium in gold;
- do not store jewelry in a cardboard box. It contains sulfur, which will "help" your products turn black;
- do not forget to periodically clean the gold from contamination. You can do this at home using the methods that were described earlier.
How to clean gold at home, see the following video.