How to clean gold is one of the challenges that may come to each of us. Because the blackening of gold is not pleasant for anyone. Everyone who encounters this problem wants to get rid of the discoloration and dullness of gold at home very quickly, and the gold ornaments that it has become shiny again like the first day.
The importance of cleaning gold
Over time, gold loses its luster along with products such as perfumes, health products, and body sweat. Continued use of gold pieces also causes them to become dull and worn. Therefore, it must be cleaned every once in a while to regain its shine.
The fact that some gold turns black is due to the presence of other metals. With the exception of pure gold in jewelry, other alloys are chemically reacted with oxygen, air, sulfur, and moisture, causing your gold to turn black and dull over time. 24-carat gold, which is pure gold, is very soft and can not be easily made into artifacts. For this reason, 24-carat gold is combined with other precious metals such as copper and silver to achieve the desired hardness to be used to make jewelry or any artificial gold.
In fact, the blackening and turbidity of gold products is not because their gold is not the original, but because of the large amount of metals other than gold in them. The higher the gold standard you buy, the less likely it is to turn black. If the copper metal used to make gold is of poor quality or has a higher percentage of copper than silver, gold is more likely to turn black. This is more common in the warmer seasons of the year. Because the human body sweats and the salt in it reacts with the copper in gold, leaving a black or green mark.
Gold cleaning methods
Gold and jewelry can be cleaned in several different ways. Of course, the method of shining jewelry with gold is a little different. Because precious and semi-precious stones have a sensitive texture and may be damaged by acidic or alkaline materials. Therefore, except for the method of cleaning gold with dishwashing liquid, do not use the rest of what I have taught below for jewelry and precious stones.
Cleaning gold with dishwashing liquid
1-To remove any black from gold, you can pour a few drops of mild dishwashing liquid that does not contain phosphate in lukewarm water. Stir. Fill a small bowl with 1 to 2 cups of lukewarm water (240 to 470 ml). Add a few drops of dishwashing liquid and stir for about 10 to 15 seconds until well combined. Be sure that the dishwashing liquid should not contain "phosphate" or it will eat the surface of the gold.
2- Put the gold in the bowl for 15 minutes to soak. This will remove any dirt or black from the gold surface. After 15 minutes, clean it with a towel.
3- Brush the gold surface with a very soft toothbrush. If the blackheads are not wiped off with a towel, soak the soft toothbrush in a solution of water and dishwashing liquid. Drag it to the blackened areas. Just be careful not to put too much pressure on the gold surface.
4- Rinse the gold under tap water so that the dishwashing liquid is completely washed and cleaned from its surface. To ensure that the gold does not fall into the sink well, we recommend that you place a strainer or basket with very small holes in the sink and then wash the gold under the tap.
5. After washing the gold, dry it with a soft, lint-free cloth (such as glasses or suede napkins for jewelry). Then expose the gold to air and leave it overnight until morning to dry completely.
Finally, you can wipe the surface of the jewelry with a special glitter to restore the shine of the gold.
Cleaning gold with baking soda
1- Boil two cups (470 ml) of water in a large pot of boiling milk. Place a layer of aluminum foil in a Pyrex pan or glass container. Press the foil until it is completely fixed on the Pyrex surface. Fold the edges of the foil towards the outside of the edges of the dish.
2- Be aware that the glossy side of the aluminum foil should be facing up. Also be careful that the glass container must be Pyrex because you are going to put it on heat and if it is not heat resistant, it will break.
3- To clean gold with gold baking soda, put the blackened and turbid gold in Pyrex on foil. Sprinkle baking soda on it. You should pour about 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of baking soda (about 14 to 21 grams) on each piece of blackened gold.
4- Pour about 2 cups (470 ml) of boiling water into Pyrex, on aluminum and leave it for 5 minutes. The gold must be immersed in a solution of boiling water and baking soda. You do not need to add any other ingredients. Aluminum foil causes soda and hot water to enter into a chemical reaction together.
5- Take the gold with a fork or cooking tongs and put it under a cold tap. Or you can fill a bowl with cold water and put the gold in it and let it soak for at least 45 seconds or 1 minute to make sure no baking soda is left on the surface.
6- Dry the golden piece that you have cleaned with baking soda with the help of a soft, lint-free cloth. Put the gold in a napkin and dry all parts with your fingers and a napkin to make sure there is no material left on the surface. After drying the gold with a napkin, it is better to expose it to the open air for 5 to 10 minutes to make sure there is no moisture left.
Note that this method is not suitable for jewelry on which gemstones are worked. Soda can cause serious damage to the texture, strength and shine of gemstones. So only clean and shine gold that does not have stones and jewels with baking soda.
Clean blackened gold with ammonia
Note that ammonia can cause skin sensitization and itching and burning. Therefore, be sure to have gloves on when performing the following steps.
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1- Pour lukewarm water into a glass jar (240 ml) and add a teaspoon (4.9 ml) of dishwashing liquid / dish soap.
2- Add half a teaspoon (2.5 ml) of ammonia to the soap and water solution and stir it with a sponge. Be aware that ammonia has a very nasty odor and is best done outdoors; For example, on the balcony or by the window when the air is flowing. If you cannot open the window, at least wear a mask to prevent ammonia gas from entering your lungs.
3- Put the gold piece that has turned black and you want to make it shiny in the bowl and let it stay for 10 seconds. To soak the gold in ammonia solution, we recommend that you place it a few inches above the bowl and then gently toss it into the solution. Be careful not to spill the ammonia solution. After 10 seconds with a pair of pliers, take out the gold. Make sure that all the gold pieces are completely immersed in the ammonia solution.
4- With the help of a toothbrush, brush the areas that are black and dull. Be sure to do this on top of the bowl so that the ammonia solution does not drip on other places. Be sure to wear gloves during this work. Otherwise your skin will be damaged.
5- After brushing, soak the gold piece in cold water for about 30 to 45 seconds to remove all materials from its surface. Then dry it with a towel or soft cloth.
Rinse the ammonia-washed gold again with a sponge and dishwashing liquid to make sure there is no ammonia left on the gold surface.
Cleaning gold with vinegar
We do not recommend cleaning gold with vinegar at all. Because vinegar is acidic and causes corrosion of gold. But there is a general instruction to get rid of black gold with vinegar that we have written below:
1- Pour two teaspoons of salt into half a glass of white vinegar and stir.
2- Put gold in this solution to stay for a few minutes. Then take it out of the vinegar and check if the blackheads are gone.
3- If it was lost, rinse the gold under lukewarm water. Then leave it in the room to dry on its own.
The difference between cleaning gold and jewelry
Above we have written all the methods of cleaning gold for you. But most of these methods are not suitable for cleaning jewelry that contains precious stones. What is the best way to clean jewelry? Do the following in order:
To clean the gold on which the jewel and the precious stone are mounted, do the following:
1- Make a small amount of lukewarm water solution and soap powder.
2- Wet a lint-free cotton cloth in the solution. Take extra water. Then use it to clean the surface of gold and jewels. Do this gently so as not to damage the stone.
3- After washing the jewelry with the soap solution, take another handkerchief and moisten it a little, then rub it on the surface of the ring and the jewel to wash the soap.
4- Finally, leave the ring aside to dry in the open air. Be sure to dry the jewelry. Because water and moisture stay on it, it causes the gem to crack.
Tip: Be careful not to wet or brush your teeth if precious stones such as opal, emerald and tanzanite are used in your jewelry.
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Tips to know about cleaning jewelry
- Gold jewelry easily absorbs dust. For this reason, if you do not use your jewelry regularly, it is best to keep it in a sealed box so that it does not get dirty.
- Chlorine in swimming pool water is one of the main enemies of your jewelry. So to maintain the shine of gold, it is better to take off your gold while swimming.
- Using a toothpaste and toothbrush, you can easily shine your jewelry and enjoy its radiance. Pour a little toothpaste on the gold. Brush it with a very soft toothbrush. Then wash the gold under water and dry it with a lint-free cloth.
- After using your gold, put them in a soft and anti-stain bag or jewelry bag and keep it in a dry place without moisture.
- It is good to know that you can buy a solution for washing expensive jewelry from jewelry stores.