How to Clean Gold Plated Watches

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Most fine jewelry is quite fragile, so there's always a risk of damaging it while trying to clean or repair it. This is particularly true with gold-plated watches, which are made of a base metal coated in a layer of precious metal a few microns thick. However, cleaning is necessary; it can help to preserve your watch to keep it functional and looking good for as long as possible. Keep your gold-plated watch dry, clean it delicately with minimal water, and keep a good stock of cotton balls, and you’ll have a beautiful watch for years to come.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Keeping Your Watch Clean

1
Don’t get your watch wet. The best way to keep your gold-plated watch both attractive and functional is by protecting it from moisture. Gold is inert and won’t react with water, but the base metal beneath the plating might. Furthermore, watch movements are complex, and water can damage their delicate workings. This means that you should avoid wearing your watch while doing these things:
- Showering or bathing.
- Washing dishes.
- Swimming.
- Walking in the rain.
- Exercising.
- Gardening.
2
Don your watch after applying cosmetics. Lotion, makeup, and hairspray can all gunk up the band and movement of a gold-plated watch even more efficiently than water. To keep your watch safe and clean, wait to put it on until a couple of minutes after your grooming is finished. Avoid applying perfume on your wrists when you’re wearing a watch, as well.^{[1]
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3
Add a coating to your watch. Some jewelry stores sell a clear coating that you can use to protect your skin from your jewelry (or vice-versa). It’s usually a thin, clear liquid that you can brush on like nail polish. Apply it to the side of your watch that faces your wrist, and it should shield the metal from sweat or water, and you from any adverse reactions to the base metal beneath the gold plating.^{[2]
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4
Clean with a damp cotton ball. After you wear your watch, give it a very gentle cleaning with a barely moistened cotton ball or soft cotton cloth (like a t-shirt). Wet the cotton and rub it carefully over the band. Afterward, buff it with another cotton ball or cloth. Doing this every time you wear the watch should let you reduce the frequency of deeper cleanings.^{[3]
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- Be very careful not to wet the inside of the watch, as this could badly damage or even destroy it.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Doing a Deep Clean

1
Spot clean with toothpaste. If it’s gentle enough for your teeth, toothpaste is gentle enough for metal, too. Any toothpaste with a traditional opaque (non-gel) formulation will work for this trick. This is best if there are noticeable dirty patches or smears on the watch.^{[4]
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- Place a dab of toothpaste onto a cotton ball or cleaning cloth, or even directly onto the dirty areas of the watch. Carefully rub the toothpaste over the spots, gently but firmly cleaning them.
- Start with the inside of the wristband. Then move to the outside of the band and finally, being especially careful not to reach the fragile inside, the gold-plated area of the watch itself.
- Finally, remove the toothpaste. Moisten a clean cloth or cotton ball and go over the watch, making sure to remove all the toothpaste. Any toothpaste left on the watch can cause corrosion, so make sure the watch is completely rinsed clean.
2
Clean grooves with a cotton bud. Watches contain many small parts and, consequently, crannies that are tricky to clean. Make use of a cotton bud (or Q-tip) for these. The tip will reach inside grooves or other places that are hard to reach with a cloth or cotton ball.^{[5]
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- For this tactic, you can use just water, or toothpaste and then water.
- The bud may start to turn gray. This is the dirt and grime coming off the watch, and means you're cleaning effectively.
3
Purchase a jewelry cleaner. If you’re struggling to use toothpaste, it might be time to level up to an official jewelry cleaner. A good jeweler or watch store can recommend a safe and potent one available in your area. Choose a cleaner marked as safe for gold plate, and use it according to the package directions. These directions are pretty similar to the toothpaste method, usually—buff in, then remove with something soft.^{[6]
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4
Use ammonia for difficult cases. If your watch’s band is very dirty all over and you’re in a pinch, you can soak it in an ammonia solution. Mix one part ammonia to six parts water, and place only the band of the watch in it for no more than sixty seconds. After a minute, remove the watch, and immediately dry it off.^{[7]
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5
Dry and shine the watch. Using a soft, fine cloth intended for jewelry, rub over the watch, paying special attention to spots where the gold is dull. After you’ve dried it once, you can rub another clean cloth over it to lend it a radiant shine. Now put your beautiful watch on, and wear it with pride!^{[8]
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wikiHow Video: How to Clean Gold Plated Watches

Warnings

Getting water inside the watch can severely damage or destroy it. Always be careful when working with water near the watch itself.

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Aggressive cleaning can damage your watch, particularly if the gold plating is thin.

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Do not use tissue to wipe down the watch. Some brands contain wood particles that can scratch the delicate plating.

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