How to Gently Clean Gold Jewelry

You can use a variety of household products to clean and polish gold. But, PLEASE BE CAREFUL – the wrong cleaning technique can damage your valuable delicate items. If possible, test any cleaning technique before using, or gradually increase the concentration of the solutions and the cleaning time.

• A gentle way to clean gold involves a few simple ingredients – gentle liquid detergent like Woolite or Palmolive, warm water, and a soft toothbrush or an eyebrow brush. Using a firm toothbrush or another brush with hard bristles can damage your piece.
• Fill a bowl with three teaspoons of warm water and a teaspoon of gentle liquid detergent.
• Let your piece of gold jewelry soak for a few minutes.
• Then, use the soft brush to gently remove any dirt and grime.

• When you have finished, then rinse the item in clean water and dry with a soft towel or cloth.
• Never clean gold with tissue. It contains small wood fibers that will scratch it.
• Never use a firm toothbrush, baking soda, or other abrasives on gold.  They will scratch.
• If the above method does not improve the shine and luster of your gold jewelry, it will likely need to be cleaned professionally.
• If it is gold plated, and the plating was removed, it may need to be reapplied. This also needs to be completed by a professional jeweler.

Now that you know how to clean gold, you can apply this method to jewelry, ornaments, and fastenings – everything will be gleaming in no time!