How To Clean Gold Plated Jewellery? The Ultimate Guide

If you own any gold-plated jewellery, you know how hard it can be to maintain its lustre and shine over time. Gold plated pieces requires different care compared to solid gold pieces. Knowing the do's and don'ts of cleaning are essential for keeping pieces looking new.

In this blog, we cover how to clean gold-plated jewellery and go through best practices and how to maintain your gold-plated pieces.

How to clean gold-plated jewellery

There are many different methods of cleaning your gold-plated jewellery. For daily maintenance, it is much more of quicker process than deep cleaning or cleaning tarnished pieces. Below are some methods for cleaning your gold-plated jewellery.

 

For Daily Maintenance

For a quicker clean, just use a jewellery polishing cloth specifically designed for cleaning gold. When wiping the surface, you’ll want to do it lightly to avoid removing any gold plating.

 

For gold-plated jewellery with gemstones

For gold-plated jewellery that features gemstones, you will want to be more careful when cleaning. Avoid using any hot water, as this will soften the glue used to adhere the gemstones on to the jewellery. For regular cleaning, just use a soft cloth and wipe the pieces regularly. For a deeper clean dampen a cotton swab in a solution of lukewarm water and mild soap.

For tarnished gold-plated jewellery

For tarnished gold-plated pieces, you can rub them gently with a soft cloth and a small amount of mild soap and water to clean them. Then dry them with a microfibre cloth. Additionally, you can leave the gold-plated jewellery to soak in warm water and mild soap temporarily. Do this for around 10 minutes to remove any hard-to-remove dirt.

To remove any dirt embedded in the crevices, use a cotton swab or soft-bristled toothbrush to remove it.

If the base metal of your gold-plated jewellery is exposed, you will need to get it replaced and no amount of cleaning will help in that scenario.

 

How often to clean gold-plated jewellery?

To increase longevity and maintain appearance, it is advised to wipe down your pieces with a soft cloth after each wear. This helps to remove residue from lotions, smudges, sweat or dirt.

 

When should you get a jeweller to help?

If you are still not confident in cleaning your gold-plated jewellery, you’ll want to bring it to a professional cleaner. A jeweller will be able to clean your gold-plated jewellery and fix any loose gemstones.

If your gold-plated jewellery is fading, it is also possible to get it replaced.

 

Tips to take care of gold-plated jewellery and maintain it for longer

1. Apply perfumes and moisturisers before wearing any jewellery

This is important to prevent your gold-plated pieces from tarnishing. It also prevents the build-up for residue, giving your jewellery a shinier appearance.

 

2. Remove jewellery before bed

Removing your gold-plated jewellery before bed is important for a variety fo reasons. Accidental damage during movement in night can happen. At the same time, it reduces wear and tear. It also prevents to build of body sweat and oils, which are known to accelerate tarnishing.

 

3. Avoid wearing it whilst showering, swimming or exercising

Although you can wear gold-plated jewellery in the shower, it is not advised if you want to maximise longevity. Exposure to hot water and soaps can cause your gold-plated jewellery to tarnish quicker.

You’ll also want to avoid wearing gold-plated jewellery when swimming in a pool or in the sea. Chlorine in pool water can cause the layer of gold to weaken and tarnish. While salt water can corrode the metal.

 

4. Avoid using harsh chemicals for cleaning

Harsh chemical cleaners are advised against when cleaning gold plated jewellery. Harsh chemicals can cause gold plating to wear off. At the same time, it can damage gemstones, pearls and enamel jewellery. In general avoid toothpaste, chemical cleaners and abrasive scrub cleaners.

 

5. Store your jewellery appropriately in a cool dry place

It is advised to store your jewellery in a cool dry place within a protective jewellery box. It is also advised to wrap it in a soft cloth.

You should avoid storing gold-plated jewellery together. Having them stored together increases the risk of tangling. This can cause the gold plating to wear off when two pieces rub against each other.

 

Conclusion

After reading our blog post, you should have a better understanding of how to clean gold-plated jewellery effectively.

Remember the main point to take is that gentle care is key. Avoid using harsh chemicals, rough handling and abrasive cleaners. Use a mild soap and water solution for deeper cleaning, but always dry your jewellery afterwards.

By following the advice outlined in our blog, you’ll be able to keep your gold-plated jewellery looking brand new forever!

 

FAQ’s Can you clean gold-plated jewellery with toothpaste? You should avoid cleaning gold-plated jewellery with toothpaste. Harsh chemicals and brasive substances in toothpaste will damage gold plating. What should you not use to clean gold jewellery? You should avoid certain chemicals to avoid any damage to the delicate gold layer. Here are some things to avoid: Harsh chemicals - bleach & chlorine Abrasive cleaners - baking soda, toothpaste, cleaning agents Ammonia-based products - ammonia will deteriorate gold-plated jewelry Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaners - these devices are too intense for gold-plated items Rough brushes - avoid using hard-bristled brushes High heat - extreme temperatures can damage the plating. Avoid using any hot solutions like hot water. Does Coke clean gold-plated jewellery? No, coke is a bad way to clean gold-plated jewellery. The acidic nature of coke will damage and tarnish gold plating.