Weaving a gold chain can be very different - from the simplest to the complex Arabic or Bismarck. It is not always the more complex the weaving, the more beautiful it is. The choice of a gold chain depends on tastes, preferences and financial capabilities. But the more complex such bindings are, the more dirt gets clogged up in them.
If you want to restore the shine and original appearance of the product again, then you just need to clean the gold chain. To understand exactly how and what to clean gold chains with, let’s figure out what kind of gold is used in the jewelry.
Do I need to clean gold chains?
Before you start cleaning a gold chain using one of the folk remedies, you should familiarize yourself with the safety precautions. The following measures should be followed when caring for such products in order not to cause irreparable harm to them:
- Jewelry made from gold, which is a soft metal, should not be cleaned with products that contain abrasive particles. When such particles impact the surface of a gold product, scratches and abrasions may appear on it, which are not so easy to get rid of.
- To clean items additionally decorated with precious stones, do not use aggressive chemicals. Such jewelry should be cleaned using gentle products: soap solution, special compositions for caring for items with stones, etc.
- When cleaning items made from such soft metal, do not use sharp metal objects, contact with which may negatively affect the condition of the surface of the jewelry.
- Elegant thin chains must be cleaned of contaminants with minimal physical impact on the product, which can lead to its deformation or even breakage.
Gold is an inactive metal that does not enter into oxidation reactions, which allows it not to darken. But pure metal can only be found in the form of ingots or nuggets. Alloys of gold with other metals are used in jewelry. The purity of gold and, accordingly, the price, as well as the tendency of the chain to become contaminated, depend on the proportion and type of impurity in the alloy.
Hair in chain links is a common problem that can be difficult to deal with. The weaves of many chains do not allow the hairs to be untangled and the links removed. In this case, fire will help you. Gently burn the chain in a candle flame until all hair is completely removed. Then rinse the product in running water.
This method is imperfect, since you can “overdo it” and get stains of burning and soot on the gold. In this case, do not despair: wipe the decoration with lemon juice or citric acid solution, and then rinse and dry.
How can you rub gold until it shines if you are not impressed with the results?
First of all, it is worth remembering that gold must be cleaned very carefully, without leaving scratches or denting it when cleaning.
Gold chains can be hollow. These products look the same as the full ones, only they weigh half as much. It is machine woven and is very easy to tear and wrinkle. To give it shine, you will need:
- soft flannel or other fabric with fine but very dense pile. You should not use coarse fabrics such as linen for this;
- chalk powder if you didn't use it for cleaning. If you cleaned gold with chalk, then it will still shine;
- Goya paste or special jewelry paste.
We wipe the gold jewelry with flannel, trying not to leave threads in the links of the chain and not to crush it. The decoration will shine. In addition, using chalk, which is rubbed between your fingers, you can remove minor scratches from the product.
Available means
In order not to think about how to clean a gold chain from serious contamination, it is necessary to provide such jewelry with regular care, periodically cleaning its surface from dust deposits that form on it, traces of sweat, dead skin cells, and residues of cosmetics and perfumes.
Soap solution
You can clean a gold chain at home from dust and other minor contaminants accumulated on its surface using a washing solution prepared by adding solid or liquid soap or dishwashing detergent to water. Cleaning jewelry in this traditional way is carried out in the following sequence:
- prepare the detergent and beat it until a thick foam forms on its surface;
- the product to be cleaned is placed in a detergent composition and kept in it for some time so that the contaminants on the surface of the chain soften and move away from it;
- contaminants that have not moved away from the surface of the product on their own are removed from it using a toothbrush with soft bristles;
- The completely cleaned product is removed from the washing solution, rinsed with clean water, wiped dry and rubbed until shiny with a velvet cloth.
Boiling with soda
A simple way to clean a gold chain from blackness and other contaminants is as follows:
- an enamel cup is filled with water and placed on the stove to warm up;
- add 1-2 tbsp to water. spoons of baking soda and place a gold chain in the resulting solution;
- after the water boils, turn off the stove and wait a few minutes until the solution in it has a cleansing effect on the chain placed in it;
- The chain is removed from the solution, its surface is thoroughly washed with clean water, wiped dry and polished with a soft cloth.
Toothpaste
The easiest and most affordable way to clean a gold chain at home involves using toothpaste or tooth powder. To use this method, proceed as follows:
- Apply a small amount of toothpaste or powder to a soft-bristled toothbrush;
- With light movements, so as not to scratch the surface of the product being cleaned, all existing dirt is wiped off it;
- the cleaned product is washed with water, dried and rubbed until shiny with a soft cloth.
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In addition to those listed above, you can use other folk remedies to clean gold chains, including:
- Mustard powder. To clean a chain with this product, rub the surface of the product with it, then rinse it with water, dry it and polish it.
- Potato. The contaminated chain is placed in a creamy mass prepared from finely grated potatoes and a small amount of water for several hours, after which it is washed, dried and polished.
- Lemon juice or citric acid, in an aqueous solution of which the product to be cleaned is kept for half an hour, after which it is washed and dried.
- Such products as bread crumb, lipstick, a mixture of chalk and Vaseline, turpentine, ethyl alcohol and chicken egg white can also help restore the shine of the surface of a gold chain.
- Sprite mixed with fine sea salt in the proportion of 300 ml of drink and 50 g. salt. The product to be cleaned is kept in this solution for 24 hours, after which it is washed with clean water and dried naturally.
Homemade Cleaning Products
There are several ways to clean a gold chain, which should be chosen depending on the degree and type of contamination.
One of the simplest and most gentle ways to clean jewelry is with soapy water. You can prepare it by grating a little bar soap or stirring a few drops of liquid soap in water. The chain is soaked in the solution for 7-10 minutes, and then rinsed with clean water. Before rinsing, the jewelry can be gently rubbed with a soft brush or brush to clean the most problematic areas.
Salt has excellent cleansing abilities. You can use this tool in two ways.
Sometimes it happens that after cleaning a gold chain still remains dull and looks unattractive. Some available remedies will help you regain your former glow.
Mechanical polishing with soft felt is a good option if you need to quickly polish a small chain. If you have a little more time, mustard powder will help. You need to pour it into a small piece of soft cloth, rub the dry chain, and then remove the excess using running water.
Professional products
Today, many special chemicals are offered for public sale, with the help of which gold chains can be cleaned even from persistent and old contaminants. These products, before using which you should definitely read the instructions for their use, include:
- Solutions intended for professional cleaning of jewelry.
- Special cleaning pastes. Such pastes, with the help of which the surface of the chain can be cleaned not only of contaminants present on it, but also of blackness, are applied with a cotton pad, after which the product is washed with alcohol and dried.
- Wipes that can be wet or dry. The latter, before using them, are simply moistened with a small amount of water, after which they can be used to clean the product and return its surface to its original shine and shine.
Some tips on how to keep gold clean and shiny without cleaning
A gold chain is a piece of jewelry that we wear all the time. Therefore, its contaminants can become:
- Chlorine in water.
Don't forget to take off the chain when you go into the pool. Chlorine, which is used to treat pool water, and other disinfectant solutions, is unlikely to have a good effect on the appearance of gold. - Summer, heat, dust, sweat.
It is these four components that merge together that create the very dirt that you will then have to clean. Based on this, if you are going to jog, it is better to remove the chain. - Winter clothes.
Crew neck sweaters, items made of down or fabric with long pile - all this can get stuck among the links and not only stain the chain, but also break it. - Long hair
has the ability to get caught in knots. It is better to tie them up, thereby revealing the neck line, decorated with a gold chain.
When should you wear a gold chain if it gets dirty in the summer and breaks in the winter? In any season. Just try to take care of your jewelry without allowing it to become dark or dirty. Rinse it in the evening in summer, and in winter check it for integrity and remove excess threads.
Jewelry cosmetics and special devices
If you are afraid of ruining your jewelry with improvised means, special cosmetics used by professional jewelers will come to your aid. You can purchase such products in jewelry stores and online.
There are three main types of caring cosmetics:
- Solutions that remove traces of oxidation in minutes.
- Wipes, dry or wet, polish, remove dirt, and do not clog chain links.
- A paste that removes significant darkening and preserves the shine of jewelry for a long time.
There are also specialized devices that clean jewelry with ultrasound. Working at a certain frequency, such a device removes the most difficult to reach contaminants. This method is quite convenient, since such an ultrasonic bath will only take 15 minutes.
Useful tips
When removing the decoration at night, you can place it between two pieces of potato. And in the morning you can simply rinse and dry the sparkling decoration.
To add additional shine, you can place the jewelry in a highly concentrated sugar solution for 5-6 hours, then polish it.
To make gold shine and continue to please the eye, you can polish it with a composition based on chalk and Vaseline. Take 1 tablespoon of laundry or tar soap shavings, a tablespoon of powdered chalk and a tablespoon of water. You can also add Vaseline to this composition. Apply the resulting mixture with a cotton pad to the product.
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For example, you can wrap the chain in baking paper and put it in a container filled with salt for a day. Do not forget to repeat that “salt cleanses this object of negativity.” After a day, the used paper and salt are thrown away, and the decoration is considered cleansed of bad energy.
To learn how to clean a gold chain at home, watch the following video.
There are a few more simple rules that must be followed when cleaning chains made of gold:
- If when cleaning a product it is necessary to exert mechanical force on it, then for these purposes it is necessary to use a soft cloth, a cotton swab or disk, or a toothbrush with soft bristles.
- The bottom of any container in which the product is cleaned is first covered with metal foil. If cleaning requires boiling the chain in a cleaning solution, then the bottom of the pan in which this procedure is performed is covered with a cotton cloth.
- It is best to dry items naturally after cleaning them by laying them out on a soft cloth towel. It is especially important to comply with this requirement when cleaning jewelry with precious stones, the mechanical or thermal impact of which can lead to their peeling off or deterioration of their decorative characteristics.
Metal Features
Gold in jewelry is an alloy. After all, the metal itself is quite soft, and 99% gold can only be seen in the form of ingots (most often). What additional metal impurities are included in the alloy determine the cost of the product, its color, as well as the degree of interaction with the environment.
If the chain is made of white gold, then it may contain impurities such as silver, nickel, or copper, but on top it will be covered with a thin layer of rhodium, which is prone to abrasion. For such products, aggressive cleaning methods should be avoided. Red gold contains copper, so, as a rule, it is not of such a high standard.
This means that it is more exposed to dirt, and the metals included in the alloy may react ambiguously to washing in one solution or another. And if rare and expensive alloys of blue, purple or green gold have become contaminated, then it is better not to risk it and use special professional cleaning products.
Gold is a frequent “neighbor” of many precious and semi-precious stones and materials. Of course, a chain with stone inlays is very attractive in appearance, but cleaning such jewelry should be approached with extreme caution. After all, pebbles can fly off during mechanical cleaning (if they were glued) or even change their color, become smaller, or dissolve in an aggressive composition. For example, pearls interact very actively with vinegar and dissolve.
Cleaning Rules
Gold jewelry is not only luxurious and beautiful. It's also very impressive. Gold accessories will never go out of style, which is why many people pass them on from generation to generation. Knowing simple but effective methods for cleaning such a product at home, you can keep it looking perfect for many years.
Cleaning your favorite item, especially a chain, is not so easy. Some products have overly complex, twisted links, small parts, stones and other similar components.
However, if you know some rules, then this can be done at home, and your favorite jewelry will once again shine with a golden shine:
- Small chain links need to be cleaned in a special way. For example, wrap a thin layer of cotton wool around a thin needle or toothpick;
- if you plan to clean the product in water, for example, by boiling, then be sure to place a flannel cloth on the bottom of the vessel, otherwise you risk ruining the appearance of the decoration;
- Often chains or rings are cleaned with a small brush, such as a toothbrush. Remember that it should be soft;
- Do not clean gold jewelry with various powders or other products, particles of which can damage their surface. First of all, this applies to those products that have stone inserts;
- You can clean jewelry using cotton pads, which are usually used to remove makeup;
- after any cleaning method, the jewelry must be rinsed in clean water;
- Gold accessories should not be dried with a towel, napkins or hairdryer.
Caring for gold products
If you are ready for the constant care of your jewelry, then here is the fastest and most ideal way to clean it:
- wrap the product in gauze soaked in nine percent vinegar and forget about it for a couple of hours;
- After the time has passed, the product must be thoroughly rinsed and dried.
To keep gold items looking like new, they need to be cleaned regularly. Optimally once every two months.
Our people are so inventive that they have already come up with everything a long time ago. There are many ways to clean gold jewelry at home. Simply put, what is available at hand. We have chosen for you the best means that do not require virtually any financial or energy costs. Cheap and cheerful is our motto.
TOP 20 best cleaning products for home use.
- Baking soda + hydrogen peroxide + ammonia + liquid soap.
- Toothbrush + toothpaste.
- Chalk.
- Salt + lemon juice.
- Lemon acid.
- Potato.
- Mustard powder.
- Bulb.
- Salt + soda.
- Baking soda + detergent + salt.
- Beer + egg white.
- Hygienic lipstick.
- Ammonia + washing powder.
- Dishwashing liquid.
- Soda.
- Sugar syrup.
- Hydrogen peroxide.
- Glycerin + magnesia + ammonia.
- Coca Cola.
- Paste GOI.
Pollution prevention
In order to avoid further contamination of your favorite gold jewelry, you need to follow some simple rules:
- Try to avoid unnecessary contact of jewelry with water, aggressive substances, and cosmetics.
- When visiting a swimming pool or sauna, you must remove chains and other gold items. It’s a good idea to remove decorations while cooking and cleaning.
- Jewelry should be stored in boxes, special bags or boxes. Jewelry storage areas should not be made of cardboard, as it contains sulfur, which has a bad effect on impurities in the gold alloy.
It happens that the contamination on a chain or bracelet is too strong. To do this, we need more effective methods that help restore the shine and shine of the jewelry in one go:
- In a glass of water, mix 2 teaspoons of ammonia and 2 teaspoons of hydrogen peroxide. You can also add a little liquid washing powder or gel. Mix everything thoroughly. The product should be kept in this solution for no more than an hour, then rinsed with cool water, and if necessary, repeat the procedure;
- Of course, boiling is the best way to get rid of heavy stains. Add 4 teaspoons of baking soda and 2 tablespoons of regular vinegar per liter of water. Place the chain on the bottom of the pan. Don't forget to cover the bottom with cloth. As soon as the liquid boils, let it boil for 10 minutes over low heat, then remove the product and rinse in running water;
- Line the inside of the glass with foil. The foil should cover the bottom and sides of the glass. Fill it with hot water and add 2 tablespoons of baking soda. Lower the product to the bottom and leave it there overnight. In the morning, take it out and rinse thoroughly with clean water. This method is very effective and is a kind of alternative to boiling.
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Heavy stains are removed using the most chemically active substances: ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, soda. The proportions of the mixtures are indicated above. In particularly difficult cases, it is worth boiling the jewelry, but please note that these methods are the most severe, which means they are not suitable for all types of jewelry.
Simple rules for caring for gold will help you maintain the shine of your new jewelry for a long time:
- Avoid any contact of the chain with detergents and household cleaning products. To do this, remove the gold when you clean.
- Take off the chain when you go to the shower or bathhouse. It’s worth highlighting a visit to the pool: if you’re lucky, you won’t lose your decoration, but the chlorine that disinfects the water will still quickly ruin its appearance.
- Avoid contact of precious metals with skincare products. Peels, creams and masks contain many active substances that can react with impurities in the alloy.
- Remove jewelry when exercising. This is required not only by safety precautions: sweat and sebum gradually clog the links, leading to premature oxidation.
- Pay special attention to the rules for storing jewelry. Gold should be stored away from sunlight and dust. To do this, it is better to put each decoration in a tightly closed box.
The process of cleaning gold products.
Here we will reveal all the secrets of cleaning gold jewelry at home. Minimum costs and maximum benefits.
Baking soda + hydrogen peroxide + ammonia + liquid soap.
We make a solution from a glass of warm water with three percent hydrogen peroxide (30 mg), one teaspoon of liquid soap and one teaspoon of ammonia. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly and place the product in the solution for 3-5 hours, depending on the degree of contamination. Then rinse under running water and dry with a napkin. The product is like new.
Toothbrush + toothpaste.
Using these accessories you can remove dark spots on the product. The brush should be soft so as not to scratch the chain. Apply the paste to the brush and, without being too zealous, begin to clean the product over the entire surface. Then, using the same brush, gently rinse the jewelry under running water. All you have to do is blot it with a napkin and enjoy the result.
Chalk.
Crush the chalk as finely as possible and rub the decoration on all sides with it. Do not press too hard to avoid mechanical damage. Rinse and dry - the product will shine like new.
Salt + lemon juice.
Mix one tablespoon of salt and two tablespoons of lemon juice (if you don’t have lemon, take any citrus juice - orange, lime, etc.) and rub it on your product. Being careful during the cleaning process will help avoid damaging your jewelry.
Lemon acid.
Prepare a solution of citric acid according to the instructions on the back of the pack. Stir. Immerse the product in this solution for at least five minutes, maximum thirty. Then rinse and dry. Do not overdo it with time so as not to damage the product.
Potato.
Grate one medium root vegetable. Treat the product with the resulting slurry. Rub thoroughly, without missing a single millimeter. After the procedure, rinse off the remaining slurry and dry the jewelry - it will sparkle before your eyes.
Mustard powder.
Mix mustard powder and water into a slurry and rub it on the gold item. This mixture refreshes jewelry well and returns it to its former shine.
Bulb.
Grind the onion in any way (grater, blender, etc.), add two tablespoons of water, stir. Rub the resulting paste onto the gold items and leave for ten minutes. This mixture does an excellent job of removing stubborn dirt.
Salt + soda.
Take a saucepan, pour 200 ml of water into it, add one tablespoon of salt and soda, mix. We also put our jewelry there that we want to clean. Boil for 5-10 minutes. Then rinse and wipe with a dry cloth.
The most budget-friendly product, costing literally pennies.
Baking soda + detergent + salt.
We put foil in the container, then prepare a mixture of equal proportions of soda, detergent and salt. Pour boiling water over the mixture and stir. We lower the product inside for a maximum of 30 minutes. Next, rinse, dry and continue to use to your satisfaction.
Beer + egg white.
Lightly whisk equal parts beer and egg white. Place the product in this mixture for a maximum of thirty minutes. This product is effective and gentle on cleaning gold jewelry.
Hygienic lipstick.
We rub the bristles of the toothbrush with a small amount of hygienic lipstick and go over the entire product, gently moving from link to link. After applying the product evenly, leave the product for 10 minutes. Next, rinse and dry. Your jewelry will shine with its former shine again.
Ammonia + washing powder.
Take one tablespoon of washing powder and mix it with one teaspoon of ten percent ammonia. Dilute the mixture with 150 ml of warm water and place the item that needs cleaning in it for three hours. Then we wash, dry, and polish if necessary.
To avoid the pungent smell of ammonia, perform all manipulations with it in the air (on the balcony, street, or with open windows).
Dishwashing liquid.
Place a cloth napkin on the bottom of the saucepan. Pour 150 ml of water, add half a teaspoon of dishwashing detergent (Fairy, AOS, Sorti and others), mix and place the product in a saucepan. Heat the mixture over low heat for no more than thirty minutes. This way you gently and carefully care for your jewelry.
Soda.
Pour a glass of water into a saucepan and add two tablespoons of soda. Stir. Place the product in the mixture and bring it to a boil. Turn off the heat and leave the chain in the hot solution for a few more minutes. Afterwards we wash off all excess and wipe dry. This is a very simple and cost-effective way to clean gold jewelry.
Sugar syrup.
Dissolve two tablespoons of sugar in 200 ml of water and stir. Place the decorations in the syrup for at least three hours. After the allotted time, thoroughly rinse off the sugar and wipe the product dry.
Hydrogen peroxide.
Moisten a cotton pad with peroxide and wipe the product. The method is good for its simplicity and accessibility for refreshing gold jewelry.
Glycerin + magnesia + ammonia.
If you have all three of the proposed components in your first aid kit, then they too will come into use. You need to mix the preparations in equal proportions, thoroughly walk over the product with the prepared composition, then rinse and dry. The effect will not be long in coming.
Coca Cola.
This “vigorous” drink cleanses any impurities well. And gold is no exception. Pour cola into a glass and soak your jewelry in the liquid for 12 hours. After time, wash and dry the chain - it will again become as before.
