Gold is a beautiful metal, but it looks its best when it’s well cared for. Whether your gold is in the form of jewellery, coins, bullion, or anything else, gold cleaning and polishing can help to maintain it.
When you clean gold, you obviously don’t want to damage it in any way. It’s important to use the right methods that will help your gold to look clean and bright without causing any problems. Fortunately, there are plenty of tried and tested methods that you can use to clean your gold in a safe way.
Methods for Cleaning Gold
There are various methods for you to explore to clean any gold items you own. You can choose whichever method works for you.
Gold cleaning solutions
If you want to clean any gold items that you own, you could start by looking at gold cleaning solutions. These commercial products are designed to clean gold gently and efficiently, and they can be a quick and simple way to ensure you clean your gold safely.
Household cleaners
However, if you want to save money, you might want to explore other methods. There are some everyday household products that you could use to clean gold. For example, a little washing-up liquid mixed with some lukewarm water can be an effective solution for cleaning gold. You can also use sparkling/carbonated water (sodium-free), which can help to loosen dirt. You can soak your gold in the solution for around 15 to 30 minutes, then use a soft-bristled toothbrush to scrub away dirt before rinsing and drying.
Another option is to use a few drops of ammonia mixed with water. However, ammonia is strong, so be sure to only soak your items for a few minutes at most.
If you have any jewellery with glued-in gemstones, avoid soaking these in water. It can cause the stones to become loose. Instead, you can wipe the jewellery down with a soapy cloth, then finish it with a clean, damp cloth.
Professional cleaning
If you’re not sure about cleaning your gold at home, you could also choose to have it cleaned professionally. While this might be a more expensive option, some people prefer to use a professional service if they’re looking for complete peace of mind.
Polishing Your Gold
If you want to give your gold an extra polish, perhaps in between cleans, you can use a microfibre cloth. These soft cloths are also useful for drying your gold items after you have washed them. A jeweller’s cloth can be used to do the same job. This can help to give your gold a little extra shine.
How Often Should You Clean Gold?
What are the signs that you need to clean gold items, and how often should you do it? Gold can generally stand up to frequent and gentle cleaning, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to clean it all the time. Gold jewellery that you wear often should be cleaned more often. A gentle weekly clean should be sufficient, and you can use deep cleaning methods if there’s any reason your gold jewellery might be dirtier than usual. Jewellery that you only wear on occasion probably only needs to be cleaned when it looks dirty.
As for other gold items, you probably don’t need to clean them if they don’t appear dirty or tarnished. The occasional clean and polish can help to make them look their best.
What Causes Gold to Tarnish?
Gold may become dirty from being worn or other factors.Pure gold does not tarnish but jewellery is usually made of an alloy of gold and other metals such as silver and copper and can tarnish due to a chemical reaction that causes a dull film to form. This can eventually turn black if it isn’t cleaned off, causing your gold jewellery to look unsightly. There are also certain things that can make tarnishing worse, such as wearing gold jewellery while swimming.
Protecting Your Gold
As well as understanding the best methods for gold restoration when it needs cleaning, you can take steps to protect your gold. If you protect it, you can prevent it from becoming dirty and tarnished. For good gold maintenance, keep your gold somewhere clean and dry. If you have gold jewellery, avoid wearing it when you’re sweaty, working out, or going swimming. There are also some products you can use to spray gold items to create a protective layer that helps to repel dirt.
Cleaning your gold will help it to stay looking smart so it retains its value. If you have any gold items, make sure you understand proper gold maintenance.