How to clean gold?

Gold jewellery is a treasure in any jewellery box, timeless pieces that accompany special occasions or everyday life, providing an elegant and sophisticated touch. It is precisely this continued use, together with certain external factors, which means that the jewels can get dirty and appear duller. For this reason, it is necessary to apply specific care to them and learn how to clean gold so that they always look perfect.

Following some basic guidelines for cleaning gold, it is very easy to keep them as bright as brand new. Give them back the appearance of the first day and show off your jewellery!

How to clean gold

Although there are a wide variety of homemade tricks to know how to clean gold, it is best to apply a basic cleaning with which it is known, with a guarantee, that the piece will not be damaged. This will serve as routine maintenance for the jewel, which will ensure that it remains intact and shiny for longer.

For a basic cleaning it is not necessary to have many products. You will only need water, a neutral pH soap, a soft bristle brush and a cotton cloth. These are the steps to follow:

1. In a container add warm water and soap, mixing well. Subsequently, the jewellery to be cleaned is immersed for approximately 10-15 minutes.
2. After this time, the jewellery is thoroughly cleaned with the brush to remove any trace of dirt. You can use a toothbrush, for example, but always rubbing carefully and without applying excessive force. Be very careful if the jewel has some type of inlay, as it could come off.
3. Then, the jewels are rinsed by submerging them in warm water for a couple of minutes and gently dried with a chamois or soft cloth, which does not leave adhered fibers. Finally, they are left to dry freely on a cloth with the same characteristics.

It must be taken into account that stones and other encrustations run the risk of becoming dislodged and that the hooks could also break if the cleaning is applied too roughly. The best thing to do would be to test a small area of ​​the piece first to check the result.

This type of cleaning will effectively remove the dirt and impurities accumulated by daily use, but if the needs of the jewel are greater, it is recommended to go to a professional jeweler to clean it properly. In addition, this specialist will be able to polish the pieces that are scratched and get them to recover the luster of the first day.

How to clean gold jewellery according to the type?

Something that must be taken into account before proceeding to clean gold jewellery is the type of gold they are made of, since they have different characteristics and, therefore, the care to be applied is different.

• Yellow gold is the most common gold in jewellery made with this material. In jewellery, 18-carat gold is used, which is very resistant and hardly needs care, since it does not darken.
• White gold is an alloy of gold with other metals (silver, palladium, platinum...) that is usually covered with a layer of rhodium to generate that shiny mirror effect. It is the most difficult to clean, since with use it can become matt and it is more difficult to recover the original shine.
• Rose gold is an alloy of gold and copper that gives it that reddish appearance and, like yellow gold, it does not need as much care to keep it perfect.

Take care of gold jewellery

Although knowing how to clean gold jewellery is essential so that it does not lose its shine over the years, there are also a series of actions that can be carried out to keep its shine intact.

First of all, how to preserve these jewels is important. The ideal would be to keep them inside their boxes or inside cloth bags that separate them from other jewellery and, in this way, avoid scratches or scratches.

It is important not to directly rub gold jewellery with cleaning or cosmetic products, such as perfumes or creams, due to their chemical components. Perspiration on the skin can also tarnish gold, so it's best to remove your jewellery when playing sports or doing other types of physical activity.

On the other hand, you should avoid wearing gold jewellery when you go to the pool or the beach, so that the chlorine and sand cannot affect it. And better not leave them exposed to the sun!

With these guidelines on how to clean gold jewellery, your jewellery will always shine. Do not forget to consult our article on how to clean silver if you also want to learn how to take care of your jewellery made of this material. Always show off perfect jewellery!

*This translation has been done automatically.