Key Steps
Soak gold in white vinegar for 10-15 minutes.
Soak gold in warm water and washing-up liquid for 15-30 minutes.
Soak gold in coke until you see the tarnish lift.
Rub gold with a small amount of toothpaste.
Always rinse your gold well.
Blot dry with a soft cloth.
From washing-up liquid to toothpaste and even white vinegar, it’s possible to use a variety of household products to clean and polish gold. This guide will give tips on how to clean gold jewellery at home to get it as bright as new again.
Make sure that you always fully rinse off any product that you’ve used to clean your gold. This will prevent the products from eroding or causing damage to your jewellery.
How to clean gold jewellery: 4 easy methods to bring the sparkle back to your gold
With these easy steps, we’ll show you how to clean white gold, yellow gold and gold with gemstones. Once you know how to clean gold, why not check out our guide for how to clean silver, to help with the rest of your jewellery collection?
If you’re wondering, “can you use vinegar to clean gold jewellery?” the answer is yes. Here’s how to clean gold jewellery with vinegar in 5 easy steps:
Place your gold jewellery into a small bowl with white vinegar.
Allow the jewellery to sit for 10-15 minutes, occasionally swilling the jewellery around the bowl.
Remove the jewellery and scrub it with a soft-bristled toothbrush.
Rinse under warm, fresh, clean water to remove all traces of vinegar.
Blot the jewellery dry with a clean, soft cloth.
This method uses another household item, so read on to discover how to clean gold jewellery using washing-up liquid:
Add a drop or two of washing-up liquid to a bowl of warm water.
Avoid boiling water, especially if your gold contains gems and precious stones.
Similarly, avoid cold water as it can cause dirt to contract and become more stubborn to remove.
Place your gold into the bowl.
Soak it for between 15-30 minutes.
Remove the jewellery and scrub it with a soft-bristled toothbrush.
Pay attention to all the nooks and crannies that could hold dirt.
Avoid stiff bristles, especially if your jewellery is gold plated as this could remove a layer of gold.
Rinse the jewellery under warm, fresh, running water.
Blot dry with a clean, soft cloth.
Another frequently asked question is, “does coke clean gold?” Did you know that gold jewellery that has become tarnished can be cleaned with a simple can of coke? Here’s how:
Place the gold jewellery into a bowl of coke.
Leave it to soak until you start to see the tarnish lift from the metal.
Immediately remove it from the bowl.
Rinse thoroughly.
Ensure you remove all traces of coke from your jewellery as it could strip the gold and cause it to become brittle if left soaking for too long.
Blot dry with a clean, soft cloth.
The final household product in this guide that you can use to clean gold is toothpaste. Read on for 3 simple steps for doing so:
Add a small amount of toothpaste to a soft-bristled toothbrush.
Rub the toothpaste over the surface of your gold jewellery.
Rinse the jewellery under warm, fresh water until all traces of toothpaste are removed.
Blot dry with a clean, soft cloth.
In these 4 simple methods, we’ve shown you just how easy it is to clean gold as well as answering some top FAQs like, “does vinegar hurt gold?” With our top tips, you have everything you need to know to bring the sparkle back to your gold jewellery in no time.