The Best Way to Clean Gold Jewelry At Home

Once you’ve bought your gold jewelry, you want to take good care of it. It’s a pricey asset that you don’t want to lose. Keeping your jewelry clean can help prolong its life span and minimize any harm or dangers it may cause on your skin. Whether it’s your 10k gold rope chains or your wedding bands or necklaces, you want to make sure that they are in good shape. The hands of time will leave the pieces looking dull and worn, so keeping them clean is a must. Cleaning gold is a task that you do at home and the good thing is that you don’t have to be an expert in order to shine up your pieces of gold chains. However, there are tips you want to know to help you do the cleaning the right way and avoid causing damage to the chains.

How often to clean your gold jewelry

You will need to clean your jewelry after every few weeks to allow it to remain sparkling, however, if you are not using the chain on a daily basis, you can clean it after a couple of months. The frequency in which you clean the piece depends on how often you use it and how often it’s exposed to elements. Probably, you may not want to do continual repolishing because it can cause the metal to wear out pretty quickly. When it comes to polishing, you can do it every few months with a polishing cloth.

Cleaning gold chains at home

It’s quite easy to clean your jewelry from home. There are a couple of things you can purchase that can help with the process. However, the cheapest way is to use warm water and a washing-up liquid.

Cleaning plain gold chains

If you own a gold chain without gemstones, you can use warm water and soap to clean it. Soap and water can work pretty fine to keep the piece clean and this method is suitable for pieces that don’t have gemstones.

You can follow these steps to clean the gold piece.

1. Get a bowl and fill it will warm water and mild soap
2. Get the gold jewelry and dip it into the soapy water
3. Allow the gold chain to rest in the soapy water for about 20 minutes
4. Get a soft-bristle toothbrush or even a paintbrush to help you loosen up sticky dirt between settings and the chain’s details
5. Rinse your chain under the tap and dry it by gently patting with a soft cloth
6. Air-dry the jewelry on a soft towel before you wear it or store it.

Using this method helps eliminate the oils and dirt that could be lodged on the surfaces of the gold chain. It also helps eliminate the daily wear that could cause the jewelry to have a duller appearance. The process is fast and easy to do and allows you to restore the beauty of your gold chain.

Cleaning gold chains with gemstones

If you have gold jewelry embedded with gemstones, you can clean it at home without causing harm to the stones. One thing you want to avoid is submerging the piece into the water because the water can be trapped inside the setting contributing to rusting and discoloration of the stones or the piece. Water may also cause the stones to fall out over time.

To clean gold chains embedded with stones, you will need to use the following steps.

1. Fill a bowl with warm water and some mild soap
2. Get a clean dry cloth dampened with the soapy water
3. Use a paintbrush or soft-bristle toothbrush to remove stubborn dirt
4. Use the damp cloth to clean the gold chain by rubbing gently over the gemstones and setting.
5. Use a different damp cloth to help rinse your chain and dry the piece in the air

Cleaning gold chain by using ammonia solution

You can use an ammonia solution to clean your gold chain at home. When using this method, you should be cautious. Although an ammonia solution is effective in getting rid of dirt and grime, using this solution frequently can cause damage to your gold chain. It can also tint the chain.

To clean your jewelry using this method, you can follow these steps.

1. Combine one part ammonia with six parts of water in a bowl
2. Pop your chain into the solution for about 60 seconds – that’s one minute
3. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush to clean the hard-to-reach spots like the gold engravings and dampen the piece with warm water.
4. Remove the jewelry and rinse it thoroughly under tap water to ensure that you completely wash out the ammonia solution
5. Use a soft polishing cloth to dry the jewelry
6. Polish the jewelry upside down in order to allow it to air dry. This will allow any water that may be trapped in the jewelry to drain away without causing damage to the stones or being trapped in the setting.

Cautionary measures to take

Since each gemstone has varying characteristics, you need to ask your jeweler about the right cleaning techniques for the specific gemstone. Refrain from using harsh cleaning products like bleach. If unsure of the cleaning product, you can do a test patch, but make sure you do it in an inconspicuous area. You may want to consider using light soaps and chemical-free household detergents to clean your gold chain. Also, don’t use a tough-bristled toothbrush or a large brush. Use a new, baby-sized toothbrush that has soft bristles. Also, don’t use soap that has unknown ingredients, so read the label first. When showering, remove your gold chain to avoid the accumulation of a film from body washes.

Using these tips will ensure that you clean your 14K gold rope chains safely and keep them shinning and free of dirt films. Make sure that before you clean your chain, you know its composition, whether it has colored gemstones or not, and whether it contains other materials that could be eroded.