What Can You Clean Gold With?

You can clean gold jewelry at home with everyday materials, including a toothbrush, dish detergent, and water. The overall process is simple and only takes 15 minutes.

After pouring a small amount of dish soap into a container holding two cups of water, soak the gold jewelry in the container for about 15 minutes.

Next, remove the jewelry from the solution and use the toothbrush to gently clean the grime off the surface of each item.

It's important to use a limited amount of pressure, so a toothbrush with soft bristles is ideal. Finally, rinse off the jewelry in warm water and gently dry it with a cloth. A successful cleaning leads to brighter, shinier gold.

How To Clean Gold

Clean gold that is lightly soiled or tarnished with dish soap and a toothbrush. Use a brush with soft bristles to avoid scratching the gold. 

1. Make a soap solution
Add a few drops of dishwashing liquid to a bowl of warm water. Place the gold piece in the bowl, and let it soak for 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Scrub the gold
Gently scrub the gold with a toothbrush to get rid of any dirt or stains. Make sure to clean any nooks or holes in the piece.

3. Rinse and dry the jewelry
Place the jewelry piece in another bowl of clean, warm water to rinse it. Remove it from the water and pat it dry with a soft cloth.

How To Clean Tarnished Gold

Clean tarnish from your pure gold jewelry by immersing the jewelry in warm water with a couple of drops of dish soap and rubbing gently with your fingers or a washcloth. Do not use this method for gold jewelry that incorporates crystals, gems or pearls. Cleaning your jewelry will take a few minutes, but allow the pieces to air dry overnight for best results

1. Immerse gold jewelry in soapy water
Add a couple of drops of gentle, non-phosphate dish soap to warm water. Immerse your pure gold jewelry into the soapy water.

2. Rub off the tarnish
Use your fingers or a cotton cloth to gently rub the tarnish off of your gold jewelry. Clean difficult-to-remove tarnish with a soft-bristled toothbrush.

3. Rinse off the soap
Rinse the soap from your gold jewelry using clean, warm water. Do not leave any soap residue on the jewelry.

4. Dry the jewelry
Dry your gold jewelry with a clean cotton cloth. To avoid rapid tarnishing, let your jewelry air dry overnight before putting it away.

5. Polish to a shine
After it is dry, polish your gold jewelry with a clean cotton cloth to bring back its shine. Wipe the jewelry in straight lines of varying lengths, not circles, to give it a pristine finish.

How To Clean Gold Jewelry

Clean gold jewelry by soaking it in a mixture of mild dish soap and club soda for five minutes. Use a soft-bristle toothbrush to clean the crevices and settings. Rinse the jewelry with water, and dry it with a soft cloth.

If no club soda is available, soak gold jewelry in a mixture of dish detergent and warm water for around 15 minutes. Use an ammonia cleaning mixture to remove stubborn dirt from the jewelry. To make the solution, mix 1 part of ammonia and 6 parts of water. Soak the jewelry in the solution for one minute, and rinse it with water. Use this method of cleaning sparingly to avoid damaging the jewelry. Soak jewelry in boiling water to remove built up grease and grime. Then, hold the jewelry upside down to drain excess water. Allow it to dry in the same position.

Ensure that jewelry with gemstones or settings are not submerged in soapy water as this makes the gemstones come loose. Instead, use a damp cloth with soapy water to clean it. Follow this by wiping it with a soft cloth dipped in water. Continue to wipe the jewelry with the cloth until the soapy solution is completely removed.