How to Clean Gold Chain Jewelry?

How to Clean Gold Chain Jewelry: Cleaning Methods That Won’t Damage Your Favorite Gold Chains

Gold chains are one of the most classic and versatile pieces of jewelry. If you don’t already have a few in your jewelry collection, consider adding one (or a few!). You can layer them, pair them with a pendant, or wear them alone — whatever your style, gold chains work. They’re not limited to just necklaces, either; you can find gold chain bracelets, ankle bracelets, watches, and more, all in different chain styles and shapes.

However, if you take advantage of this versatile type of jewelry and wear your gold jewelry often, you may find that, sooner or later, it’s in need of a good cleaning. Do you need to go to a professional jeweler, or can you figure out how to clean a gold chain at home?

While professional jewelers have their magic ways (or, more like an ultrasonic cleaner) of turning your dirty, lackluster jeweler good-as-new, it is entirely possible to clean gold chains at home, safely and affordably.

How to Clean Gold Chain Jewelry (How to Wash Gold Chain Jewelry at Home)

Cleaning jewelry at home is simple, but should be approached carefully, to avoid inadvertently damaging your favorite pieces.

Cleaning gold jewelry only requires a few, simple household ingredients. Forget the high-priced jewelry cleaner that contains a bunch of chemicals you can’t pronounce, and don’t clean your gold with online “hacks” that use harsh ingredients like rubbing alcohol. If you’re dealing with pure gold, or even if you’re just trying to clean 14k gold chain jewelry, you don’t even want to use a cleaning solution made up of just baking soda and dish soap.

Instead, go the safest and gentlest route possible.

Here’s What You’ll Need

•  Warm water
•  A few drops of dish soap
•  A soft bristled toothbrush
•  A polishing cloth

Mix the warm water with the mild dish soap to form a soapy solution. Then, drop your gold chain into the mixture and allow it to sit, undisturbed, for just a few minutes. Then, remove the chain and use the soft bristle toothbrush to gently scrub between all the chain links.

If your chain isn’t even necessarily all that dirty, and if you’ve been cleaning it regularly, you might not need the soft toothbrush. The soft brush is only crucial if your chain has been exposed to a lot of daily wear, any beauty or cosmetic products, or environmental factors that may cause the chain to lose its shine.

Once the jewelry piece is clean, rinse it with cool water (be careful of the sink drain!) and then use your clean cloth to thoroughly dry it. As an extra precaution, spread the jewelry on another clean, soft cloth to air dry.

How Do You Clean a Gold Chain with Gold Plating?

Gold plated jewelry is jewelry featuring a thin layer of yellow gold (or whatever your gold of choice) on the piece’s exterior, while the piece’s interior is made up of other metals. This gives the appearance of a real gold piece, but lowers the overall cost.

If you’re dealing with gold plated chains rather than fully gold chains (regardless of whether or not they contain more or less pure gold), your experience, as far as maintenance and cleaning, may differ.

For one, you can easily identify pure gold jewelry versus gold plated jewelry by examining whether or not the jewelry has begun to tarnish. Pure gold jewelry does not tarnish. Gold plated jewelry may. This tarnishing can make the gold appear discolored and dirty, and may even discolor your skin if you wear it.

Additionally, you may need to clean the gold plated jewelry more often, wiping the jewelry with a lint-free cloth after every wear, to remove oils or debris. Doing so can extend the piece’s lifetime, and prevent the need for more thorough, regular cleanings.

However, if you’re wondering how to clean gold chains that feature gold plating, rest assured that the actual cleaning process is identical to the one used when you clean a gold chain made from pure gold.

You’ll need that soft cloth, mild dish soap, a soft brush, and warm water. You’ll similarly let the chain soak, clean it further with your soft brush, and then rinse and dry the piece.

Suggested Read: How long does gold plated jewelry last?

Wondering How to Clean White Gold Necklace Pieces?

Like plated gold, but unlike pure gold, white gold does tend to oxidize or discolor, due to the other metals used in its creation. In some cases, you may need a professional jeweler to replace a white gold piece’s outer rhodium plating, but in many cases, you can simply clean your white gold jewelry at home.

Use the same methods described above, utilizing a soft cloth, mild dish soap, a soft brush, and warm water. Let the piece soak in the soap and water mixture, and then rinse and dry each piece thoroughly.

How to Keep Your Gold Chains Cleaner, Longer: DIY Tips

There are a few things you can do to keep your gold chains cleaner, longer, because, while cleaning gold chain jewelry is easy, it’s still a chore.

Don’t Wear Your Gold Jewelry in the Shower

While you might be tempted to wear your gold chain everywhere, all the time, resist. Take your jewelry off when you shower, or when you’re doing anything that might expose it to water.

While, yes, when you clean gold jewelry, you do wash and rinse it in water, when you shower, you’re using far more than just water to get clean. Your shampoo, body washes, and the like can damage your jewelry, as can pool chemicals or ocean water.

Put Your Gold Chains on Last

When getting ready to go out, put your gold chains on last. This will prevent you from accidentally spritzing the chain with perfume or cologne, hairspray and other products that can cause discoloration and buildup.

Keep Your Favorite Gold Jewelry Safe, with Specialized Jewelry Insurance

Beyond keeping your gold chains clean, there’s another aspect to jewelry care and maintenance that you won’t want to forget: insurance.

Specialized jewelry insurance protects your jewelry in the event of damage, theft, or loss — and BriteCo makes the process of buying this insurance easy. With just a few minutes, you can get your free and easy online quote, and then pay for a year’s worth of coverage in seconds.

Learn more about BriteCo’s comprehensive coverage options.

Gold Chain Cleaning FAQs

Is it Possible to Learn How to Clean Gold Chain at Home?

Yes! You don’t need to take your gold chain to a professional jeweler for cleaning. You can clean your gold chain at home with minimal items and tools, all of which you likely already own.

If You Know How to Clean 14k Gold Chain Jewelry, Can You Clean Any Gold Jewelry?

Yes! If you know how to clean 14k gold chain jewelry at home, with the gentle and careful method of using dish soap, warm water, a soft brush, and a jewelry cleaning cloth, then you can use the exact same method for all your gold jewelry.

Related Articles:

Types of Chains
How to Clean Copper Jewelry?
Your Ultimate Guide on How to Clean Fine Jewelry
How to Clean Stainless Steel Jewelry?
What is the Largest Gold Nugget Ever Found?
What Is Recycled Gold?
Why Does Gold Fluctuate in Price?

Appraisal Tool:

The Easiest Way to Get a Professional Jewelry Appraisal Valuation!

GET AN APPRAISAL NOW →