How to clean a gilded chain at home?

Gilded tableware and jewelry always looked very elegant, despite the fact that they are not made of pure gold. That's just the main problem always remains the gradual tarnishing of things. Of course, such cases can be minimized, but what if the product has already lost its attractiveness? You will learn about how to clean a gilded chain at home, to prevent its darkening in the future, from this article.

to contents ↑

Basic Rules

Most often, items made of silver are covered with gilding, however, the methods for cleaning them differ from each other. To make a competent cleaning of gilding at home, you must consider the following points:

1. Use a dry suede cloth during cleaning.
2. Before proceeding with the procedure, it is necessary to degrease the product. To do this, you need to moisten a cotton pad in turpentine or alcohol and wipe the item with it.
3. If desired, you can wash the gilded product, using a small amount ammonia and soapy solution. In such a container with a solution, you need to put the accessory for 15-20 minutes.

Important! Such a bath will help to avoid a greenish tint, which the product may acquire after restoration of gilding.

to contents ↑

How to clean gilded chains and spoons?

There are many ways that help clean the gilded spoons at home. However, in order to proceed with them, it is necessary to arm yourself with the following means:

• Soap.
• Dishwashing liquid.
• Ammonia.
• Turpentine.
• Egg yolk.
• Wine vinegar.
• Vaseline.
• Beer.
• Chalk, which will need to be finely chopped beforehand.
• Ethanol.
• Alum.
• Nitric acid.

Of these things, you should choose those that are suitable for a particular method. In addition to basic cleaning products, minor items are also useful:

• Suede shreds of fabric, sponges.
• Deep bowls or pans.
• Soft and clean cotton fabrics.
• Waste toothbrush with soft bristles.

Important! It should be noted that gilded spoons and jewelry cannot be cleaned with the following materials:

• Dry powders.
• Hard washcloths and brushes.
• Acids that aggressively act on the material.

to contents ↑

Basic methods for cleaning gilding

Gold-plated materials can be restored using many proven methods - the best option is your choice. Below are some of the most effective and popular options.

The use of wine alcohol

A material such as wine alcohol not only perfectly restores gilding, but also gives the processed item the luster that it still had on the store counter.

To process an object in this way, you need to follow only two steps:

1. Moisten a soft sponge in the composition.
2. Wipe her accessory surface.

Important! Such alcohol can be used not only to restore gilding, but also for weekly cleaning of gilded spoons or decorative ornaments to give additional shine.

Use beer

This drink is able to remove even the most neglected spots on a gilt product. You can use any kind of beer, but many say that it is dark varieties that help the best.

The gilding recovery process is extremely simple:

1. Soak the item in the drink for about an hour (it all depends on the state of gilding). Even with regular use, beer does no harm to the gilded item.
2. After time, flush the accessory under running water.
3. Dry the item.
4. Wipe it suede for extra shine.

How can egg white help?

No matter how exotic this method may seem, it is possible to return the seasoned shine to gilded silver using egg white. To do this, just dip a cotton pad into it and clean the product with it.

Important! If there is a desire, egg white can be mixed with “Whiteness”, however, you need to work with such a product carefully. It is recommended to wear protective gloves before work.

Classic soap solution

Gold-plated earrings or other material can be cleaned using ordinary soapy water. To do this, observe the following algorithm:

1. Displace in a pre-selected container 1 teaspoon of crushed soap or dishwashing liquid with water at a temperature of 30-40 degrees.
2. Place the product in this solution.
3. After the time you choose yourself, you need to walk on the surface of the product with a soft toothbrush.

Nitric acid and alum

This method is only suitable for gilded copper:

1. Dissolve 40 grams of alum and 50 grams of nitric acid in half a glass of water.
2. Apply the resulting solution to the item.
3. Leave it in this position for 20 minutes.
4. Carefully polish the product.

to contents ↑

What to do so that the gilding does not fade?

To no longer raise the question of how to clean gilded spoons at home, you need to be careful about such items. To do this, remember the following rules:

• It is unacceptable to store gold-plated products in rooms where moisture and temperature often “jump”, for example, in the bathroom or in the kitchen. The impact of these factors unpleasant for gilding will significantly reduce the service life of the item, and at the same time its attractiveness.
• Any gilded jewelry is best kept away from other metals. It will be ideal if they are wrapped in suede fabric and put away in a separate box. If we are talking about gilded cutlery, then it is also better to store them in a special case away from other appliances.
• After this or that item will be used, it is necessary to wipe it with a suede cloth to remove a thin fat layer and excess dirt. It is better to conduct such mini-cleaning regularly than to restore an already blackened coating.
• Protect the gilding from direct sunlight - ultraviolet also affects the brightness and brilliance of the subject.
• Keep these items away from sharp objects to avoid scratching the surface.

to contents ↑

Stock footage

Following the advice that was given in this article, you will forget what blackened gilding is, because it is very easy to protect yourself from it, and if necessary, get rid of it.