Visiting a professional to get your jewelry cleaned might not be possible every time. The next best thing to do is to clean the jewelry at home, by yourself! Though it may not bring out the professional result, it surely prolongs the life cycle of your jewelry. The most important thing to remember while cleaning your jewelry is that it’s safest to go for the simplest methods with the least amount of ingredients. Read on to know about how to clean your precious gold jewelry the right way.
Properties of Gold Jewelry
Pure gold is always 24 karats. Any piece less than this indicates that it’s mixed with other materials known as alloys. Alloys are not exactly bad for the jewelry as they increase the durability and hardness of the gold. But overuse of these while mixing can tarnish the purity of gold. Also gold is a soft metal that is prone to scratching. So, a minimum of 10 parts alloy is needed to be mixed to increase the sturdiness and longevity of the gold jewelry
Cleaning Gold Jewelry
A homemade jewelry cleaning solution specifically created for gold is an effective and safe way to bring back the lost shine of your gold jewelry. Just follow the simple steps below!
- Take some warm water (not hot at all) and mix a bit of Dawn dish detergent or any basic mild soap.
- Add a few drops of ammonia.
- Take a new soft toothbrush (preferably a baby brush) and carefully brush the gold jewelry using soap water.
- Take clear lukewarm water in another bowl.
- Place the brushed jewelry into the water and rinse. Don’t go heavy-handed with rinsing.
- Air dry or carefully towel-dry with a piece of regular cloth or paper towel.
- It’s always better to steer clear of any hard chemicals like chlorine and hard soaps. While pure gold doesn’t tarnish, gold mixed with alloys does, especially when treated with hard chemicals.