Under the chemical symbol “Au” and with a name derived from the Latin “aurum” meaning “bright dawn,” the gold is a metal used in a large amount of jewelry, garments, coins and accessories that we use every day and that necessarily require proper maintenance and care cleaning to protect and safeguard its spectacular brightness and thus to enjoy aesthetics according to the function (decorative or other) for which they were created, in addition to maintaining or enhancing their value commercial thanks to an optimal and high quality external condition.
The effectiveness of the various methods will vary depending on the type of gold (white, pink, yellow). In addition, the rate and speed of deterioration are not the same in all cases due to different alloys. That is why I want to give you a detailed analysis and summary of the various cleaning methods for each of the types of gold that you can get in the market, an extremely valuable knowledge that you can complement by learning how to clean your objects without damaging them cleaning bronze to clean your things without damaging them.
A cleaning based on the type of gold
Yellow gold
It represents the most common type of gold and the most sought after by buyers due to the nature of being the most commercial of all and the one that maintains a color by which it is possible to associate both its value and its external beauty. This type of gold can have different grades(10, 18, or 24 carats) and its degree of hardness is inversely proportional to the number of carats. In other words, 10-karat gold is much harder and more resistant than 24-karat gold.
This type of gold can be cleaned using a special gold cleaning cloth or a cloth dampened with a mixture of water and ammonia. It is important to mention that all these cleaning processes are effective against corrosion and accumulated dirt, but if there is abrasion (physical damage to its structure), it is impossible to remove it with home methods. You will have to take it to a jewelry store for specialized repair.
White gold
It is composed of an alloy between yellow gold and other soft metals (predominantly platinum, nickel or silver) and it is very common to add an extra layer of rhodium to give a mirror finish to the jewel. White gold is more prone or susceptible to deterioration over time (lose its luster), so a thorough and regular cleaning will extend the life of this beautiful material.
Rose gold
Made with a careful alloy of 24 carat yellow gold, copper and silver. It is the least popular version of gold; when we want to clean this variant, we will have the same situation as with yellow gold.
How to clean gold with effective home methods
Although you can move your gold garments or tools to your favorite jewelry store, it is important to know that you can perform an optimal cleaning with methods and ingredients that you probably have at home. These techniques can restore the beauty and luster to your gold and maintain a striking external appearance and valuation. Let us now see what these methods are available.
Cleaning with soap and water
- A technique that will work for yellow, white and rose gold is to fill a container with water (lukewarm) and soap (dishwashing).
- When the soap is completely dissolved , immerse the jewelry and let it rest for 20 minutes. If the dirt is very large, you can use a soft bristle toothbrush and make circular movements.
- Rinse with warm water and dry with a clean, dry cloth; a widely used technique is to dry with circular movements and achieve an excellent gloss rate.
Use baking soda
The mixture of baking soda with water is widely used for cleaning gold due to its effectiveness in achieving shine and removing dirt. In addition, it works on all types of gold and requires the following steps:
- Choose a glass container and cover it with aluminum fo il (the gold in contact with this material will achieve optimum cleanliness).
- Place the jewelry inside the container and add the baking soda until the piece is completely covered.
- Add boiling water over the jewel and let it soak for 5 minutes, then brush with a soft bristle toothbrush and finally rinse with plenty of water and dry with a soft cloth.
Vinegar for gold cleaning
Vinegar is an integral part of the allied ingredients to remove dirt (blackened gold), and you can maximize the effect of this method by adding baking soda to the vinegar.
- You will use two tablespoons of water for every three tablespoons of baking soda, stir and mix until you get a very thick mass with a consistency similar to toothpaste.
- With a cotton pad you will apply this paste until the jewel is completely covered.
- Place the jewel in a plastic container and add the vinegar (white) until it is completely covered, let it rest for 5 minutes.
- You can now remove it and rinse it with plenty of warm water and dry it very well.
Toothpaste for shiny, dirt-free gold
- With the help of a soft brush (toothbrush) , you will rub your jewelry with the toothpaste; remember to make soft and circular movements to obtain the best results and avoid damaging the structure of the gold.
- Then rinse with warm water until you achieve the desired result; remember that you can repeat this process if you do not get 100% satisfaction.
- When finished, dry the garment with a dry cloth and allow it to rest for half an hour before storing it to make sure that no traces of moisture remain.
Lean on ammonia
Although very simple, a process requires the necessary attention, given that this substance has the following qualities corrosiveIt is therefore recommended to take the utmost care when handling them. You must also be 100% sure that your jewelry has no lacquer and is made of pure gold. It would help if you also took the precaution of using gloves (silicone) to avoid contact of the ammonia with the skin.
- You mix six parts of water for each part of ammonia, this with the firm intention of reducing the corrosion power of ammonia, then you immerse the jewelry in this mixture, and immediately the impurities will begin to come off. You should not submerge the garments for more than 1 minute because they could deteriorate.
- Then rinse with plenty of warm water and dry with a soft cloth.
Gold jewelry allows countless cleaning methods, so they are perfect for showing them off in superb condition and maintaining the natural luster of this precious metal You can also maximize their care by keeping them stored in separate cloth bags and avoiding as much contact as possible between the gold and cleaning products, colognes, hairsprays, and body creams that could be harmful to the skin structure physics of this metal.