10 Essential Tips for Caring for Your Chain: Cleaning and Maintenance Guide

As we all know, there are various kinds of gold jewellery available all around us, amongst which gold chains are an integral part, as they can be styled in various ways. All of this is perfectly fine, but what about these chains losing their shine due to daily wear and causing damage over time?

Thankfully, there are proper techniques you can use to maintain and restore the shine of your gold chains for years. This guide further has comprehensive details and tips for gold chain cleaning at home alongside the insights into how to make gold shine at home and maintain precious pieces. So, without any further ado, let’s get to it!

Reason why Gold Loses its Shine

Gold is one of the precious metals that is also sustainable and durable. Even though gold has great potential, it tends to lose its lustre due to dirt, oils, chemicals, and various other things when used daily. Other factors include being exposed to sweat, perfume, lotions, and environmental pollutants.

It has also been observed that pure gold doesn’t tarnish, but the jewellery that is made by mixing different alloys like copper and silver can react, which affects the overall experience. However, regular cleaning and maintenance are important for preserving its beauty.

How to Clean Gold Chain at Home: Guide

Now that we are aware of why it is necessary to clean gold ornaments, let’s have a look at the step-by-step guide.

Gather your supplies

The first step is to gather all the essential things required to clean a gold ornament. The supplies include mild washing liquid, warm water, a soft toothbrush or preferably a jewellery brush, a soft cloth, and lastly a small bowl.

Prepare the solution

The second step is to mix a few drops of the mild washing soap within the warm water in the bowl. It is advised to avoid any harsh chemicals and abrasive cleaners as they would react badly with the ornament. Any harsh chemical also has the ability to adversely affect the gemstones embedded in the jewellery along with the gold content.

Soak the chain

After mixing all the necessary ingredients, soak your gold chain in the mixture for approximately 10-15 mins. This is an important step because soaking helps loosen the dirt on the chain, making the rest of the processes easier.

Gently brush the chain

After the chains are soaked for 10-15 minutes, use a soft toothbrush or a jewellery brush to remove any extra dirt that is left. Pay special attention to details and intricacies of the ornament where the majority of dirt gets accumulated. Additionally, keep in mind not to brush harshly, as it might scratch the gold and do the opposite of what is supposed to happen.

Rinse properly

Right after cleaning is done, make sure to rinse your chain properly under lukewarm water to remove any soap residues. Also make sure to be cautious while rinsing your chain so that you do not drop it in the drain.

Dry it

After rinsing the chain, dry it with a soft cloth and then buff it gently; this will restore its shine. In addition to this, make sure that your chain is entirely dry before you store it or wear it.

Hacks to clean Gold Chain at Home

As discussed above, there is a standard process that can be used to clean chains, but then there are certain do-it-yourself methods as well that can be done at home. Let’s have a look at them.

Baking Soda and Water Paste

Baking soda is a great agent for cleaning purposes, and it also includes gold in it. Take a bowl, add a small amount of baking soda and water to make a paste of it. Apply the paste gently and carefully on the chain with a soft cloth or fingers. After a few minutes, rinse the paste gently; this would help you get rid of the excess dirt easily and at home without causing any harm to your chain or gold ornament.

Vinegar Rinse

Vinegar rinsing is another method that is commonly used, as white vinegar is a natural cleanser. You simply need to submerge your gold chain in a bowl full of white vinegar for approximately 10 to 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, rinse the ornament properly under running water and dry it. This is an effective method for bringing the shine back to its original place and getting rid of the grime.

Toothpaste Trick

You can also use a non-gel and non-abrasive toothpaste to clean your gold chain. All you have to do is take a small amount on a small brush and gently scrub the chain. After that, rinse the toothpaste and clean the object or ornament with a soft cloth. This is one of the most convenient methods to bring the shine back to your gold jewellery or objects.

Precaution while cleaning Gold Ornaments at Home

After understanding the techniques of how to clean a gold chain, let’s look at the precautions that have to be taken while cleaning them at home.

• Do not use any harsh chemicals or substances that can scratch the gold.
• Do not expose your gold items to chemicals like bleach or ammonia.
• Be cautious while cleaning your jewellery; keep in mind if the piece has any gemstones. This is because certain gemstones have criteria for them to be cleaned, or else they would get destroyed.
• Always test before applying the method to the entire jewellery.

How to Maintain Shine of Gold Chain

Apart from cleaning, there are certain steps through which you can maintain the shine of your gold as well; those are:

Store separately

You should always store your gold items in a fabric-lined jewellery box or pouch; it will prevent them from getting scratches. Simultaneously, do not store your gold jewellery in a metal box; it increases the chances of discolouration.

Remove before activities

Always remove your gold chain before swimming, exercising, or doing any household chores. All this contributes to losing the item’s shine and durability.

Clean regularly

It is always advised to clean the buildup of dirt and grime on a regular basis and make it a habit to clean every few weeks. This would help in keeping the shine for years.

Avoid chemicals

Avoid exposure to chemicals like lotion, perfume, hairsprays, etc., which can leave a residue on your gold jewellery.

Professional polishing

In case you cannot clean your gold jewellery at home due to ingrained dirt and scratches, there is always the option of consulting a professional for polishing. Professionals have specialised tools, and they are well aware of the techniques that can restore the original shine of the product without causing any harm.

Myths about Cleaning Gold at Home

There are certain myths about cleaning gold at home; some of them are as follows:

• The first myth is that a toothbrush scratches gold, which is not true. If the toothbrush is soft-bristled and you are using it gently, then nothing will happen to the gold.
• The second myth is that gold can’t be harmed because of chemicals. Again, this is partially false, as gold itself is resistant, but the alloys mixed in them for durability react with these chemicals, making the jewellery lose its shine.
• The third myth is that boiling water in itself can clean the gold chain. This is not true because delicate gold chains can get damaged, and if the jewellery has a gemstone, it may loosen its setting. This method is effective for gold pieces with no establishment.

Taking care of gold chains is not as difficult as it might seem. With the help of these simple steps and tricks to do it yourself at home, you have the liberty of keeping your chains dazzling and clean for years at a stretch. Irrespective of whether you are exploring how to clean a gold chain or you are looking for hacks on how to make gold shine at home, all these methods are safe yet effective.

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