Does your gold jewelry need to be cleaned? Many people realize the need to occasionally wash their jewelry but are reluctant to do so.
They fear that washing it the wrong way at home could lead to permanent damage. But they don’t want to spend money to get it professionally cleaned every few months.
Luckily, there are several steps you can take to thoroughly wash your precious gold jewelry and leave it sparkling clean.
Better yet, this DIY remedy can be done from practically anywhere! Here is how to clean gold jewelry, as well as several vital pieces of information on the subject.
What to Avoid Using
As previously mentioned, fear is a huge reason people don’t clean their gold jewelry as often as they should.
They’re afraid that one false move with the wrong substance can permanently damage their prized jewelry.
However, there are only a few substances that pose a legitimate threat to your gold rings. As long as you refrain from using hand soaps and chlorine to clean the gold, you should be okay.
Many soaps should be avoided because of the extensive list of substances found within them. Dawn dish soap is effective because it has basic ingredients. So much so, that they use it to clean wild animals as well.
Chlorine is a bit more obvious than a chemical to avoid. Chlorine can discolor your jewelry, giving it a faded color that you can’t get back.
That’s why many people recommend taking your ring off whenever you’re in a swimming pool or cleaning around the house with a bleach solution.
Invest in a Jewelry Cleaner Kit
Just to be clear, this isn’t the first step in your DIY gold jewelry cleaning routine. It’s more of an alternative jewelry cleaning option for those that don’t want to hand wash each piece of gold jewelry that they own.
This is a great option to use for those of you that have several pieces of jewelry that you’d like to clean at one time.
You can also use it to wash several other items around the house. Things like eyeglasses, mouth guards, coins, toothbrushes, and waterproof watches can also be taken for a cycle.
It’s a cost-efficient option, running at only $54.99, which allows you to repeatedly clean your items around the house with zero hassle.
If you’re going to be cleaning a lot of jewelry, then be sure to consider this as a personal assistant to keep your rings, necklaces, and bracelets shining beautifully!
How to Clean Gold Jewelry Yourself
For those of you out there with only a piece or two of jewelry, you might want to do the gold jewelry cleaning yourself.
It’s also helpful to know in case you’re out of town and need to perform an emergency cleaning of your ring or necklace.
Here are the concrete steps towards how to clean gold jewelry and give it a timeless shine.
1. Mix Dish Soap and Warm Water
First things first, get a bowl that’s comparable in size to the amount of jewelry that you’ll be putting in it. You might as well clean all of your jewelry while you’re at it, right?
Start by filling the bowl up with warm (not too hot) water about halfway up the height of the bowl.
Next, be sure to pour dish soap into it and mix everything together. If you feel like your jewelry needs an extra-deep clean, then feel free to throw in club soda as well.
It’s very important that you do not use hot water. The high temperature can cause diamonds to crack.
2. Soak the Gold Jewelry
Now that you’ve stirred up the water and dish soap together, it’s time to place your jewelry inside.
If you’re adding more than one piece, be sure that a) all the jewelry is gold and b) all the pieces are spread apart from each other, not piled on top of one another.
Once you’ve placed it inside the water, let it soak for 25 to 30 minutes for it to thoroughly clean the different crevices of your jewelry.
3. Scrub the Jewelry
After the 30 minutes is up, take each piece out one by one and gently scrub at it with a soft-bristled toothbrush.
Scrub it along any crevices or nooks that you see, such as the spacing between pairs of diamonds or different indents in your rings.
Be careful not to scrub for too long. Scrubbing each piece of jewelry should take no longer than one minute each.
4. Rinse and Dry
Directly after you scrub each piece, you’re going to rinse them under the sink. But, before you do that, be sure to cover the drain so you don’t accidentally drop it. Place the jewelry pieces in a strainer and rinse them under running water.
Once again, make sure that the water isn’t too hot or too cold. The significant change in temperature can cause your diamonds to crack.
After you’ve rinsed the pieces of jewelry under the water for a minute or so, take a dry towel to them, dapping at them to dry them off.
Let them air dry for 4 or 5 more minutes, then your jewelry is ready to be put back on and shown off to the world!
Clean Your Gold Jewelry with These Steps
As you can see, the process of how to clean gold jewelry isn’t difficult or even time-consuming.
Just be careful and diligent while following each step and you’ll have your gold jewelry looking as good as new!
Be sure to browse our website for more articles on jewelry care, as well as many other helpful topics!