Cleaning gold-plated items at home: proven methods and useful tips

How is gilded silver produced? Why does gold plating turn black?

The coating has a minimum thickness of no more than 2 microns. This opportunity became possible thanks to the development of a technology called electroplating. In this case, the product is immersed in the solution along with a fragment of gold. When an electric current is passed, yellow metal ions are electrodeposited onto the silver. This is facilitated by the correct choice of electrolyte. Previously, a cyanide solution was used. However, it causes great harm and contains a dangerous substance. Later the method was improved and a non-cyanide electrolyte was used.

The standard of silver with gilding does not change. For example, if you need to coat a 925 alloy, then even after electrodeposition of yellow metal ions, the main characteristics remain the same. The standard of gold-plated silver is 925. But the coating protects the jewelry from tarnishing only for a limited period. Causes of blackness:

• contact with sweat due to illness, taking medications, excessive physical activity;
• exposure to cosmetics and detergents;
• violation of storage rules - in a room with high humidity;
• damage: where there are scratches, patina appears on the silver faster.

Wine alcohol

This substance helps to quickly and effortlessly remove stains from a gold-plated item without spoiling it. How to proceed?

1. Soak a sponge in alcohol.
2. Rub the product until completely clean.

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Finally, you can also use a piece of suede, then the products will shine like new.

Which silver to choose to clean less often

Ag is a soft metal that quickly loses its original shape and color. It needs to be carefully looked after, often polished and cleaned of dirt. To reduce costs (time, physical), different methods are used. One of them is gilding, but even in this case, the silver can darken in areas where the coating has become thinner.

It is recommended to choose a precious metal with the least amount of ligature. For this, alloys 925 and 960 are considered.

The absence of identifying marks on gold-plated silver most often indicates that the product is of poor quality. Most likely it's costume jewelry. It will quickly lose its shape. This kind of thing won't last long. But sometimes the absence of a sample indicates that the product has been repaired. You can determine whether a piece of jewelry is worthy of attention by contacting a jeweler.

Cleaning cutlery made from different metals

The ideal housewife strives to make everything around her perfect: order and cleanliness, snow-white curtains and ironed bed linen, polished pots and cutlery.

And while putting things in order and ironing is easy, not every experienced housewife knows how to clean spoons and forks.

It is impossible to act at random in such a delicate matter, because this is fraught with spoiled spoons and frustration.

Methods for dealing with dirt and deposits on cutlery made of various materials are presented in the following recommendations.

Stainless steel cutlery is most often found in the kitchens of modern housewives: combining an attractive appearance, reasonable cost and ease of use, they enjoy deserved popularity.

But over time, they inevitably lose their usual and pleasing shine to the eye, become cloudy and no longer look so elegant.

Housewives are clutching their heads and looking for the most effective methods on how to clean stainless steel spoons.

Shoes made of nubuck are simple and easy to care for. Find out how to clean nubuck shoes and what you need to do it.

Do you like to wear warm fur clothes? Read this article on how to clean chinchilla fur at home.

You can return them to their previous appearance in several ways:

• It is necessary to boil spoons and forks in a soda-salt solution (2 tablespoons each) for 20-30 minutes. When rinsed under running water and thoroughly dried, the spoons look like new.
• Use hot water with the addition of soda and mustard to wash stainless steel dishes. In this case, use a brush to clean small parts.
• To return cutlery to its former shine, it is recommended to use raw potatoes or onions: wipe the contaminated surface with half the fruit, then rinse in warm water. Coffee grounds are often used for such purposes as a natural abrasive.
• The simplest, but not the most environmentally friendly method is to use professional pastes for stainless steel. This product will perfectly remove plaque and dirt, restoring the shine and cleanliness of stainless steel spoons.

How to clean gilding on silver so that it does not peel off. Preparing your jewelry for cleaning

Products with complex configurations (watches, bracelets, chains) are best disassembled if possible. It is advisable to perform such actions if there are pendants. They are removed because in the areas where the links are attached, the coating is darker first (subject to mechanical stress). Then they continue preparing for cleaning, because you need to remove greasy stains and dust:

• processing with lint-free rags, using microfiber, flannel: the dry method is welcome, but most often surface dirt cannot be removed, so it is permissible to slightly moisten the rag;
• applying alcohol or turpentine - this method is used if there are difficult stains on the gilded silver.

Cleaning gold-plated silver

Cleaning the internal mechanism

This process consists of several stages and is the most difficult. Therefore, be very careful and careful in your work:

1. Find a small container and pour alcohol or refined gasoline into it.
2. Carefully remove the cover from the mechanism. To do this, you will need the smallest screwdriver with a magnetized tip.
3. Remove all parts one by one. Place them in the order in which you will later assemble them.
4. Start cleaning with the balance: grab it by the rim with tweezers, lower it into a container with a cleaning agent and rinse. Shake the part in the air a little to dry it, then put it on a napkin to dry. Sawdust works well for this purpose. They quickly absorb liquid.
5. All parts are cleaned in the same way, large ones are dried on a napkin or in sawdust, small ones are dried on a sheet of paper.
6. After all the parts are cleaned, they should be left for a few minutes to dry thoroughly. If large stains remain, clean them with a brush or toothbrush soaked in a cleaning product.
7. Then you need to assemble the mechanism. Do not wait too long so that dust does not settle on the parts again.
8. When the mechanism is completely assembled, it needs to be lubricated with oil. It is better to use a pipette and carefully drop the oil onto the parts.
9. All that remains is to insert the mechanism into the body of the product and complete the assembly of the watch.

Important! If you are not confident in your abilities, it is better to use the services of specialists, because the internal parts need to be cleaned only once every 3-4 years, and if you assemble the parts incorrectly, the watch will not work, and you will still have to contact a workshop.

Table: semi-professional cleaning products. Price

There are a fairly large number of products that have been developed to preserve the appearance of jewelry. You need to consider not only ways to clean gold plate at home, but also choose products from the range of products for cleaning jewelry:

These preparations can be used to clean jewelry purchased on the Sokolov website or any other, as well as those made tens and hundreds of years ago (during the times of the USSR or Tsarist Russia).

Jewelry cleaning products

A little history

Cupronickel as such does not exist in nature: in fact, it is a group of compositions made of copper with the addition of nickel, iron, zinc, manganese and some other metals. Most often it is an alloy of copper and nickel, which has its own specific features and properties. According to historical sources, it was invented in China in the 8th century BC and given the sonorous name “pakfong”. All attempts to unravel the composition of “Chinese silver” by European alchemists were unsuccessful: only by the beginning of the 19th century did mass production of nickel silver begin in Germany. At first, the European nobility considered such dishes to be “the dishes of the poor,” and therefore still preferred dishes made of other metals - gold and silver. Only by the 20th century did production increase its speed everywhere. The attractive appearance of cupronickel was used to make cutlery, candlesticks, jewelry and other decorative elements. Wear-resistant, easy to maintain and not too expensive, the alloy is appreciated and actively used in household use.

Interestingly, psychologists consider cupronickel tableware to be beneficial for the psyche. The unobtrusive, calm, noble shine of the alloy calms the nervous system, relieves tension and sets you to a calm rhythm.

Why methods for silver and gold are not suitable

Silver, gold and precious metal plating are materials with different properties. Even gold plating can behave differently than gold, which is due to the small thickness of the surface layer, a combination with Ag. When products designed for one type of metal are used for other purposes, they often damage the jewelry.

You should choose universal semi-professional products; the label should indicate that the product is suitable for cleaning gold and silver.

Lemon acid

It’s easy to prepare a composition that helps clean homemade gold-plated silver items.

• Pour ½ liter of water into an enamel pan.
• Add a packet of citric acid (15 g) to it.
• Place the container on the fire and bring to a boil.
• Place decorations in boiling liquid.
• Boil them for 15-20 minutes.

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Next, the products must be cooled and rinsed. This method is suitable for cleaning tarnished jewelry and gold-plated cutlery.

How to clean gold-plated silver at home quickly and effectively with stones

Most available products are usually recommended for cleaning certain products. If there is a stone on the jewelry (pearl, emerald, cubic zirconia, etc.), so that it does not become cloudy, but shines, such items should not be soaked or cleaned with soda. Toothpaste, boiling water, as well as acids and alkalis are other options that can harm inserts on jewelry. If you are choosing a method for cleaning gold-plated silver, you should consider the most suitable options:

• soap solution: detergent is dissolved in warm liquid, a silver item with gold plated is rubbed with the product, then rinsed with water;
• semi-professional special preparations: when choosing, you should read the composition; in the case when you need to clean jewelry with stones from darkening, you need to consider not only products for silver and gold (universal), first of all, purchase those of them whose label says that it is acceptable care for stones on jewelry.

Methods for removing stains from gold plated

To clean gold plating at home, you need to select the product carefully so as not to harm the capricious surface. If the dark spots are in a small area and are not very ingrained, then at home it is enough to polish with a cloth. If the item is heavily soiled or has been stored for a long time without care, an effective cleaning method will be required.

Wine spirit

Gold-plated items can be easily cleaned from tarnish and dirt at home using wine alcohol. Saturate a soft sponge with the product and treat the surface of the product. You can replace alcohol with wine vinegar, which can be found in the kitchen. At the final stage, treat the surface with suede to rub the surface to the desired shine.

Cleaning with beer

You can clean a gold-plated chain, earrings, ring and other items dusted with gold at home using beer. Oddly enough, the mild action of this alcoholic drink effectively copes with darkening of the coating and any dirt, eliminating damage to the material.

Pour beer into a glass, dip the gold-plated item into it and leave for 30 minutes, then rinse thoroughly and wipe dry.

Soap solution

Take any hard soap and grate it on a coarse grater. Take 1 tsp. shavings and dilute in 1 liter. warm water. For best results, use a couple of drops of ammonia added to soapy water. Immerse the gold in the container for 30 minutes, rinse with cool running water, and wipe dry with a clean cloth. The product effectively fights stains that have a green tint.

Alcohol and turpentine

The products help fight grease stains, darkening and dirt on the surface of gold-plated products. Ethyl, medical, denatured alcohol is suitable for cleaning. Take one of the products available in the house, saturate a soft sponge with it, treat the gilding, rinse off any remaining dirt and product under running water, and polish with a cloth.

Table vinegar

The diluted product is used to wipe or soak the product.

1. Stir 2 tbsp. acids in 1 tbsp. water, moisten the sponge and treat the surface with the composition.
2. Stir 2 tbsp. acids in 1 l. water and place the item in the composition for 15 minutes.

After all procedures, it is important to rinse the gold plating from any remaining product and dry it thoroughly. Acid residue can destroy the gold plating and permanently damage your favorite jewelry or cutlery.

Egg white against darkening

Break the egg and separate the yolk from the white. In this recipe we need protein. Dip a cotton pad into the white and apply it to the gilding. Cleaning will restore the shine and brightness of the coating. The effectiveness of the product will be higher if you add a tablespoon of white to the protein. When working with chemicals, you will need to protect your hands with gloves.

Egg yolk and javel water

Take the yolk and beat it well, add 1 tbsp. sorrel water. Soak a cotton pad in the solution and wipe the surface thoroughly. Rinse the product in running water, dry and polish.

How to clean a gold plated watch

Gentle methods:

• dry cleaning - done with a lint-free cloth;
• wet processing - you need to soak a cotton pad in water, remove excess water, rinse the watch case;
• toothpaste - apply only to a flat surface, as it can get between the links of the bracelet, from where the product will be difficult to remove.

When none of the methods help, polish the watch using WD40 lubricant.

Gold plated watch

What can't you do to clean gold plate?

Any products used should not contain abrasive particles. Even the smallest particles can severely damage the spray. For example, you should not clean gold plate with chalk, toothpaste, soda or powder.

Any abrasive product will cause scratches.

Some products are coated with a very thin layer of coating; abrasives easily erase it. Do not use rough scourers or brushes, or aggressive acids for cleaning.

Question-answer section

Is gold-plated silver jewelry?

Expert opinion

Pribrezhny Gennady Valentinovich

Jeweler 6th category

If the product is made of noble metal, it cannot be considered costume jewelry. Such jewelry is considered precious because it is most often made from 925 sterling jewelry alloy.

What to do if the gold plating peels off after cleaning?

Expert opinion

Grishanov Mikhail Petrovich

Jeweler, director of the Grishanov and Co. workshop

Gradually, the yellow coating wears off, and silver appears in some places. This is a reason to contact a jeweler to restore the surface layer. If such a result is a consequence of improper cleaning, it is still possible to save the item. The jeweler will remove the remaining coating and apply a new layer.

How expensive does a jeweler's cleaning service cost?

Expert opinion

Pribrezhny Gennady Valentinovich

Jeweler 6th category

Much depends on the region and the prices of the master himself. The type of product and type of metal are also taken into account. Taking into account the initial data, the jeweler chooses a method for cleaning the item. But most often the cost of such a service is 200-300 rubles.

How to clean gold-plated spoons from blackness at home?

Expert opinion

Andrey Seleznev

Chemist-technologist, Volgograd

Items with a smooth surface (like cutlery) are easiest to clean using toothpaste, but this will take time. When deciding how to care for gold-plated silver, choose a soap solution and turpentine. Even ammonia, saline and soda solutions will do. The latter options are even preferable, since all contaminated items can be soaked in a liquid solution.

Gold-plated silver cutlery

How to clean a gold plated chain, a gift from my husband?

Expert opinion

Pribrezhny Gennady Valentinovich

Jeweler 6th category

It is recommended to use solutions. Paste-like substances may remain in areas of complex configuration, since the gold-plated chain has many links. It is permissible to use a product based on ammonia, soda, salt, beer. Protein and toothpaste are not the best choice in this case.

Is 925 gold plated silver erasable or not?

Expert opinion

Andrey Seleznev

Chemist-technologist, Volgograd

Any coating tends to become thinner and disappear over time. This also applies to gilding. Its thickness is 1-2 microns. This is a small value, so it is not recommended to frequently subject the product to mechanical stress.

Gilded silver earrings with diamonds, how to wash them?

Expert opinion

Grishanov Mikhail Petrovich

Jeweler, director of the Grishanov and Co. workshop

Stones in jewelry are almost always cleaned with mild detergents (soap solution). However, a diamond is hard, and therefore it is permissible to remove contaminants using fine powders. But they can accidentally damage the gilding, so you should still choose pastes or solutions.

How to add shine and remove blackness

Sometimes cupronickel knives and forks lose their former shine and begin to turn black. This is a common drawback of cupronickel alloy. The cause of color loss is most often high humidity. The following methods will help:

• Cleaning with soda. Baking soda is turned into a paste and rubbed onto cutlery. Then they are washed and dried, and if necessary, the procedure is repeated again.
• Using ammonia. The devices are wiped with ammonia and rubbed until shiny with a dry cloth.
• Cleaning with chalk. Chalk and laundry soap shavings are mixed with a liter of water so that a saturated composition is obtained. Cupronickel is placed there and cleaned. After the procedure, everything is rinsed and dried.
• Eggshells will help remove old stains. The shells of two eggs are mixed with a liter of water and boiled. The devices are immersed in the hot solution for 20 minutes, and upon removal, they are rinsed and dried.
• Potato decoction is good for getting rid of blackness. The products are dipped into boiling potato broth for at least a quarter of an hour and then taken out. Rinse everything with clean water and rub until shiny.
• Garlic peel. It is added to boiling water and boiled. Cupronickel silver spoons and forks are placed there, which, when removed after a quarter of an hour, begin to shine.
• Cleaning with food foil. An original and effective method. A sheet of foil is placed at the bottom of the aluminum container, and the cutlery is laid out on it. Pour a baking soda solution over everything and boil. During this time, a reaction occurs, as a result of which the foil picks up contaminants. Upon removal, everything is washed under the tap and rubbed. The products will shine. Such cleaning with foil cannot be carried out with gold and silver plating, as the reaction will inevitably damage it.

Cleaning cupronickel is a simple task that requires a minimum of effort and money. The above cleaning methods are effective and safe. They guarantee high-quality care and long service life of cupronickel cutlery.

Recommendations for the care and storage of gold-plated silver jewelry

Tips to help increase the service life of gold-plated jewelry:

• they should not be stored in a room with high humidity;
• you need to keep gold-plated items away from heat sources;
• you cannot wear such things while jogging or playing sports in the gym;
• if you plan to cook food, you should also remove gold-plated items;
• It is recommended to keep jewelry of this type separately from the rest in a closed case or box;
• Jewelry is cared for using the dry or wet cleaning method.

CARE OF GOLD-PLATED PRODUCTS

To decorate dishes and stainless steel souvenirs, they are often coated with pure gold (24 carats), in the form of stripes and patterns, which naturally significantly increases the cost of the dishes. Abroad, 100% gold is classified as 24 carat fineness, which in Russia is designated as 1000 fineness. Gold is applied using the galvanic method and it is technically impossible to cover the product with gold of a lower fineness.

Cleaning of gold-plated products is carried out in various ways:

• To remove dirt from a gold-plated surface, you need to wipe it with a cotton swab dipped in turpentine.
• The tarnished surface of a gold-plated item can be refreshed by gently wiping it with a flannel cloth moistened with a mixture consisting of 1 tablespoon of liquid “Whiteness” and 1 egg white.

Old tips for cleaning gilding:

• It is necessary to clean gilding (especially on wood) very carefully. First, remove all dust from the gilding, then wipe the gilding carefully with a soft sponge or cotton wool slightly moistened with alcohol of wine or turpentine.
• To clean gilding, you can also use strong beer or a mixture of ammonia (10 parts) and soap solution (40 parts).
• A good remedy: egg whites, which you use to carefully wipe the product with a flannel napkin.
• Cover the gold with pure wine vinegar, after 5 minutes, rinse carefully with water and let dry (without wiping with anything).

Preliminary stage

First, rinse the product under the tap and wipe it with a soft cloth or cotton pad. Then do one of the following:

1. Prepare a solution of 1 liter of water and 2 tbsp. l. table vinegar. Place the item in a container with this liquid for 15–20 minutes.
2. Soak a cotton pad in rubbing alcohol and wipe the surface several times.

Note! If the product has just begun to fade, you can do without preliminary actions.