All jewelry requires care, including gold jewelry. Even though gold does not oxidize in air, it can still become stained from time to time, as well as grease, dust and dirt. There are many ways to clean gold at home, and one of them is cleaning with ammonia. There are several recipes for cleaning gold with ammonia.
Naturally, you can always turn to professionals. But to do this, first of all, you will need to spend time finding a craftsman, bringing him the jewelry, and then picking it up. Not to mention that this will have to be done regularly and will require money. But there are ways to do it yourself.
Ammonia solution
First of all, you need to figure out what exactly the dirt that has formed on your jewelry consists of. Is it dust or are there metal oxides and other chemicals present? It depends on what method is needed to remove it; perhaps washing in a solution of water and soap will be enough, or it will be necessary to use more radical methods.
Oxides arise because other metals are usually added to gold: zinc, copper, silver, nickel and others. This is done in order to increase its characteristics such as hardness and wear resistance. Some of them can oxidize and interact with other substances, such as water, which leads to the formation of black and green spots on the surface of the jewelry.
The most effective cleaning will be one that occurs in three stages:
- pre-cleaning;
- chemical cleaning;
- mechanical cleaning.
Types and causes of gold contamination
Precious metals become tarnished through constant wear. The main problems include:
- external dirt, loss of shine;
- dark spots;
- scratches, deformation.
One of the advantages of gold is its resistance to oxidation. However, the softness of the metal does not allow it to be used in its pure form to create jewelry. To create a stable alloy, silver, copper, nickel, palladium and zinc are added to it. The fineness of the metal indicates the ratio of pure gold and auxiliary material.
Impurities give the alloy the necessary strength, but cause darkening.
Another reason for contamination of gold objects is prolonged contact with skin. Sweat, fat, cosmetics remain on the surface. And in the process of wear and aggressive cleaning, scratches may appear.
Purchased professional products
Modern manufacturers offer a wide variety of professional products designed for cleaning gold jewelry. Among them are the following:
- Microfiber cloths. They have a special impregnation that helps remove black spots and dirt. The use of wipes is for cleaning, polishing and adding shine.
- Gold care products in the form of paste or gel. Their use protects the surface from staining for a long time.
- Balms. Cleaning gold jewelry using products of this type helps remove small scratches from their surface, as well as add shine.
- Solutions. One of them is Aladdin solution. The kit includes a container with solution, a soft brush, tweezers and a napkin. The amount of solution is enough to perform 5–8 cleanings.
Is it possible to clean gold with ammonia?
Liquid ammonia, or ammonia, dissolves substances of organic and inorganic origin. Due to its reducing chemical properties, it is used to remove signs of oxidation on the surface of metals.
Ammonia does not react with aurum and effectively cleans the surface of the alloy from stains and dirt. However, it will spoil the appearance of semi-precious stones whose hardness coefficient is below 5 (more on this below).
Advantages and disadvantages of this method
The main advantages of using ammonia include:
- Availability of the product. Ammonia is freely sold in pharmacies; the price for a 40 ml bottle starts from 8 rubles.
- Efficiency. Most contaminants can be removed.
- Safety. If you follow proven recipes, then using the product will not cause harm to your health.
- Return to original appearance.
Ammonia is not a universal means of cleaning gold; its use has disadvantages:
- Not suitable for processing semi-precious stones.
- Strong smell.
- Precautionary measures are required because... the substance is considered toxic.
- Not suitable for items with a matte finish.
- Small parts and hard-to-reach areas will require manual cleaning.
What samples will withstand this treatment?
Ammonia, as a powerful solvent, removes substances from the surface being cleaned. Moreover, the reagent does not react with gold, silver, platinum and other metals that are used to create jewelry alloys.
If low-quality materials were used to create the alloy, or it has a low standard, for example, 375 or 500, the surface may be damaged during cleaning. It is not recommended to use ammonia to treat matte finishes.
The test will allow you to select the degree of concentration of the active element:
- 585 – up to 30%;
- 750 – up to 50%.
Do not chemically wash objects made of colored gold and gilded silver.
How to clean gold with ammonia at home?
Precautionary measures
When using ammonia at home, remember that this substance is poisonous. Its use requires compliance with safety regulations:
- Chemicals should be kept out of the reach of children.
- When handling, it is better to use rubber gloves.
- Processing should be carried out in a well-ventilated area.
Cleaning Solution Recipes
Here are a few recipes for cleaning liquids that will easily help give your gold its original appearance:
- For a glass of warm water, one teaspoon of shampoo and ammonia.
- To 200 ml of water add one tablespoon of liquid soap and hydrogen peroxide, a dessert spoon of ammonia and soda.
- Add a dessert spoon of ammonia to a glass of hot water and dissolved washing powder.
- A mixture of ammonia with chalk flour will clean jewelry with complex, ornate patterns. To do this, crushed chalk is diluted with ammonia to form a paste.
Preparation of the solution
To prepare cleaning liquids containing ammonia, use glass, ceramic or plastic containers, avoiding metal ones. Otherwise, an unwanted chemical reaction with the material of the bowl is possible, which may affect the appearance of the gold.
It is necessary to prepare chemical compositions in a well-ventilated area. The presence of children should be avoided; caustic ammonia vapors can cause burns to the respiratory tract.
Preparing Jewelry for Cleaning
Before chemical cleaning of solar metal, easily washable contaminants are removed from its surface. To do this, just wash it in soapy water, rinse and dry.
Cleaning process
There are different ways to clean gold chemically. You can restore shine and remove minor stains by wiping the jewelry until it shines with a cotton pad or swab dipped in ammonia. You can improve the result if:
- Place the product in a glass with a cleaning agent and stir vigorously for several minutes with a wooden stick or spoon.
- Leave the jewelry in the cleaning liquid for several hours.
Heavily contaminated, darkened alloy of the highest standard can be left in pure ammonia overnight, then rinsed in running water and dried.
Hard-to-reach places are cleaned with a toothpick or cotton swab. After chemical treatment, the jewelry must be dried and wiped with a napkin.
Reviews
When I was getting ready to clean gold, I learned that jewelry with stones on it can be ruined. I began to look for a method that suits them. It turned out that “Fairy”, salt and ammonia can solve the problem. The components are taken in a 1:1 ratio. But just don't leave the gold in the mixture. It is applied to a ring or bracelet, and then cleaned with a soft brush, perhaps a toothbrush, for example. Moreover, salt is needed with small particles.
Angela Gusina, Krasnodar
Maria Ivanova, Moscow
I don’t bring my jewelry to such a state that it requires using “heavy artillery” means. From time to time I use peroxide and ammonia and add hot water. The result is good, most importantly, the reaction is fast.
I found an old ring, long lost at home. It had darkened and it was impossible to wear it. To clean, I took ammonia and shampoo - everything I found at home. The remedy works, but not quickly enough. I decided to also try a peroxide-based solution. This option removed the darkening in a shorter period of time.
Nadezhda Rimskaya, Leningrad
Other cleaning methods
There are ways to purify gold without using ammonia:
- Soapy water. You can not only wash it in it, but also leave it overnight.
- Concentrated salt brine. Dissolve 2-3 tablespoons of salt in a glass of boiling water, add gold and leave overnight. Sugar can be used in the same proportions.
- Brushing with toothpaste.
- A mixture of baking soda and detergent. Sometimes they put foil on the bottom of the dish and leave the processed decorations overnight.
In addition to the above folk remedies, there are professional cleaning pastes. The substance is applied to the surface using a soft brush, left for a few minutes and rinsed off.
The most effective way to remove significant contaminants is the use of ultrasound. The procedure is available in some jewelry stores.
Stage three: mechanical cleaning
If the second stage does not help, then you will have to move on to the third and clean the dirt using mechanical action. The fact is that an ammonia solution will not be able to remove black deposits from gold, since it is formed by sulfide formations. In order to carry out mechanical cleaning, you will need abrasive materials.
Conventional products such as baking soda, scouring powder or tooth powder should not be used as they can damage the surface and leave scratches. Too aggressive means can even reduce the weight of gold by removing the top layer from the surface: despite the fact that alloys are used for production, they are still very soft.
Paste for processing gold jewelry can be purchased at a specialty store. It is made from petroleum jelly, vegetable oil and soapy water. Various powders are also used as abrasive additives.
A small amount of paste should be applied to a soft, lint-free cloth or brush with soft bristles. Next, carefully, with slight pressure, remove all contaminants from the surface of the gold, then rinse with vodka or ethyl alcohol to remove any remaining paste. You can prepare this paste yourself; its consistency should be like liquid gruel.
Ammonia is suitable for removing most contaminants from the surface of gold. It should always be at hand, and every housewife knows that it is irreplaceable at home. By using it, you do not risk damaging the jewelry or leaving a mark on it.
How to clean jewelry with stones?
Gemstones have different degrees of hardness. Jewelry containing diamonds, topaz, agates and other highly durable minerals can be cleaned using traditional cleaning products.
Turquoise, pearls, malachite, amber, serpentine and other semi-precious stones require special treatment. They should not be exposed to chemical acids; it is enough to wipe them with special cleaning wipes for optics and glasses or wash them in warm soapy water using a soft cloth. You should avoid soaking in solutions, because... water has a detrimental effect on the condition of soft stones.
Case No. 5: The jewelry is made of green or white gold
Green and white gold are very sensitive to ammonia. Under its influence it can deteriorate. Ammonia is only suitable for cleaning items made from yellow and red gold.
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Rules for wearing, care and storage of gold items
You can preserve the original beauty of jewelry by following simple rules for storing and wearing jewelry.
It is better to place jewelry in boxes with fabric upholstery so that the items do not come into contact with each other. You can use fabric bags for this. Prolonged exposure to sunlight and water should be avoided.
Basic wearing rules:
- Jewelry should be removed at night, when swimming, playing sports, cleaning, washing dishes, and using cosmetics.
- It is important to clean regularly.
