How to clean the gilding

Gold-plated cutlery and jewelry always look rich and attractive. But over time, they often fade and a faint sheen is no longer so pleasing to the eye. Such cases can be minimized if one knows how to properly clean the gilding and how to care for such items. In this article we will tell you all the possible ways to clean jewelry and cutlery from precious metals using improvised means.

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How to clean the gilding?

Most often silver and bronze items are covered with gold. In these cases, you will need such tools for cleaning gilding:

• soap;
• dishwashing detergent;
• ammonia;
• turpentine;
• wine vinegar;
• beer;
• egg yolk;
• petroleum jelly;
• finely crushed chalk;
• any alcohol;
• Nitric acid;
• alum.

In addition to the cleaning product, prepare additional inventory:

• pure suede flaps;
• a deep bowl or pan;
• clean soft cotton rags;
• sponges;
• soft bristled toothbrush.

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What can not be cleaned with gilding?

In order not to remove a thin layer of precious metal and not provoke the appearance of ugly scratches on the surface, do not use such items to clean:

• powders in dry, undissolved form;
• hard washcloths and brushes;
• unsuitable aggressive acids.

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How to clean gilding at home?

If you are a lover of jewelry and you have special jewelry paste for cleaning precious metals, use it in the usual way. If one is missing and you are not going to buy it, use simple tools at hand. In this case, start by preparing your jewelry or cutlery for a thorough cleaning. To do this, remove deposits of grease and dust in one of the ways convenient for you:

1. Wipe with cotton soaked in alcohol or turpentine.
2. Hold the subject for 15 minutes in a solution of 2 tbsp. vinegar and 1 liter of water.

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How to clean gilding - popular ways

So that the procedure does not take you a lot of time, choose the option that uses the tools available to you. Each of the proposed methods is effective in cleaning gilding and will give the desired result.

Method 1

1. Pour hot water into a small bowl.
2. Add dishwashing detergent concentrate and foam.
3. Put all gilded silver cleaning items in the liquid.
4. Leave for 1-2 hours.
5. On a soft-brushed toothbrush, trim the bristles.
6. Use this brush to wet objects in solution.
7. Rinse under running cool water.
8. Dry and polish with a suede fabric.

Method 2

1. Pour beer into a bowl.
2. Place decorations or cutlery in the beer for 30 minutes.
3. Remove and rinse with running water.
4. Polish suede.

Method 3

1. Dampen a cotton pad in wine vinegar.
2. Wipe off any darkened items with gilding.
3. Wipe dry and polish.

Method 4

If your items are very dark or a green coating appears on them, proceed as follows:

1. Prepare the solution in the following proportion: 1 tsp. soap shavings, 1 liter of warm water, 5-6 drops of ammonia.
2. Put all the jewelry in it for 30 minutes.
3. Rinse with running water and dry.
4. Polish suede.

Method 5

1. Prepare a mixture of 1 tbsp. Javelin water (concentrated detergent with basic chlorine) and 1 egg yolk.
2. Put a small amount on a soft cloth and wipe the items with gilding.
3. Rinse with water, dry and polish.

Important! Performing this method of cleaning, be sure to work with gloves so as not to damage the skin of the hands.

Method 6

1. Mix equal amounts of petroleum jelly, soap shavings, water, and finely ground chalk.
2. Take a small amount and rub this mixture of jewelry or cutlery with a soft cloth.
3. Rinse with water as soon as all objects begin to shine again and dirt deposits leave them.
4. Polish.

Important! This method is very effective and allows you to return all products from precious metals to their original form. But do not rub very intensively and crush the chalk well so as not to scratch the surface.

Method 7

This option is exclusively suitable for gilded bronze. Proceed as follows:

1. Prepare a solution of 50 g of nitric acid, 40 g of alum and half a glass of water.
2. Brush on gilding.
3. Leave on for 10-15 minutes.
4. Polish.

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Useful Tips

To avoid the problem of darkening of gilding as little as possible, follow the simple rules for caring for items with this metal:

1. Store each item in a separate box.
2. Wrap each item in velor or suede.
3. After each use of jewelry with gilding, wipe them to remove sebum.
4. Rinse cutlery well, dry and polish.

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Follow these simple tips and your gilded items will always have an attractive look, and cleaning them will not take you much time and effort!