How to Clean Tarnished Gold

Co-authored by Nicole Wegman and Eric McClure

Last Updated: July 28, 2022 References

Dish Soap

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Baking Soda

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Ammonia

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Video

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Expert Q&A

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Tips

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Things You'll Need

ARTICLE

VIDEO

Pure gold won’t tarnish, but most gold materials aren’t entirely pure. This means that many gold pieces have the capacity to tarnish over time. For instance, rose gold is often yellow gold mixed with copper, and copper can tarnish.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Nicole Wegman
Jewelry Professional & Founder of Ring Concierge
Expert Interview. 23 April 2020.}The good news is that gold can be cleaned to shine like new by using basic household cleaning supplies. On the rare instance that you can’t remove tarnish with your standard cleaning materials, you can always step up to using ammonia to remove difficult stains.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Dish Soap

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Add a few drops of mild dish soap to a bowl of warm water. If your gold is tarnished, you can usually clean it with dish soap and water. Grab a small bowl and fill it with 1–2 cups (240–470 ml) of warm tap water. Then, squirt a few drops of dish soap into your warm water and mix it for 10-15 seconds with a spoon.^{[2]
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- Read the soap’s label before you use it to make sure that it’s free of phosphates, which tend to be too abrasive for gold.
2
Soak your gold in the soap and warm water for 15 minutes. Delicately drop your object into the bowl and let it rest for at least 15 minutes. This will loosen the dirt and grime that is tarnishing it and make it easy to wipe off.
- If you happen to be cleaning jewelry with stones that are glued into it, you may run the risk of dissolving the glue if you leave your jewelry submerged for more than a few minutes.
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3
Remove your gold and scrub it with a soft toothbrush. Pick your item up by hand and hold it firmly in your nondominant hand. Use your other hand to scrub the surface of the gold with a soft toothbrush. Use a gentle back-and-forth motion to brush along the surface. Refrain from brushing aggressively, or you’ll risk damaging it.
- A toothbrush is excellent for reaching small crevices or openings in your gold, but you can also use a standard soft-bristle brush.
- Do not clean your gold jewelry with anything abrasive, including paper towels. Gold can scratch very easily. Instead, use a soft cloth like a T-shirt or a dish cloth.^{[3]
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  Expert Source
  
  Nicole Wegman
  Jewelry Professional & Founder of Ring Concierge
  Expert Interview. 23 April 2020.}
4
Rinse the gold in warm tap water to remove soap residue. Put a colander or spaghetti strainer at the bottom of your sink. This will ensure that smaller pieces won’t fall down the drain if you drop it. Then, run your gold under some warm water and rub each section between your thumb and forefinger. Do this twice to ensure that each section comes in contact with the water.
- The residue left by soap will make gold look dirty if you don’t remove it.
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Dry your gold by hand with a soft cloth to prevent water stains. Hold a soft cloth in your nondominant hand and place the gold object in the center of the cloth. Pick up an edge of the same cloth with your dominant hand and use your thumb and forefinger to carefully buff each piece of the gold by keeping the cloth between your fingers and the gold.
- Water spots will stick around if you don’t wipe them by hand.
- Store gold jewelry in a jewelry container after you’re done.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Baking Soda

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Boil 2 cups (470 ml) of tap water in a tea kettle or small pot. Fill a tea kettle or pot with your tap water and place it on the stove. Turn the stovetop to the highest setting and wait for the water to boil.
- This method will not work with jewelry that has gemstones embedded in it, since baking soda can damage the quality of the stone.^{[4]
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Line a glass baking dish with a sheet of aluminum foil. Place a sheet of aluminum foil over the top of your baking dish. Press down against the opposite interior sides of the dish to flatten your aluminum foil against the bottom of your container. Use the open palms of your hand to pat the aluminum foil down against the edges and bottom of the pan.^{[5]
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- The aluminum foil should be flush against the bottom and sides of your glass dish, with the shiny side of the foil facing up.
- You’ll want to use a glass baking dish since it can easily handle the heat from the boiling water.
3
Place your gold in the baking dish and cover it with baking soda. If you’re cleaning a tarnished chain, spread it out in the dish so that the gold links aren’t laying on top of one another. Sprinkle 1-1.5 tablespoons (14-21 grams) of baking soda so that each piece of your material is covered.^{[6]
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Pour your boiling water into the pan and let it steep for 5 minutes. Slowly pour 2 cups (470 ml) of boiling water into the dish. Pour it on top of the baking soda so that the gold is fully submerged. Let it rest at the bottom of the dish for 5 minutes.
- You don’t need to mix anything. The aluminum foil will help the baking soda and water react, and will mix them automatically.
5
Remove your gold with a fork or tongs and rinse it in cold water. You can either fill a bowl with cold water or run your tap over a colander or strainer. Remove the gold by picking it up with tongs or a fork, and either submerge it in the bowl or hold it under the cold, running tap water for 30-45 seconds.
- If you’re using a fork to lift jewelry, scoop the teeth underneath any chains to avoid scratching or knotting it.
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Dry your gold with a soft cloth to remove any baking soda residue. Wrap your item in a soft cloth, and gently rub each section of the gold between your thumb and forefinger. Keep the cloth between your fingers and the gold while you buff it. Inspect it when you’re done to ensure that you didn’t miss any baking soda residue.
- You should let your gold continue to air dry for 5-10 minutes before storing it in a container.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Ammonia

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Fill a glass container 1 cup (240 ml) of warm water and mix in 1 teaspoon (4.9 ml) of soap. Any glass container that can hold at least 2 cups (470 ml) of liquid will work. Start by measuring and pouring your warm water and add it into your container. Mix it with your dishwashing soap by stirring it with a spoon.
- Ammonia can irritate skin, so you’ll need to wear rubber gloves to complete this cleaning process.^{[7]
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Mix ¹⁄₂ teaspoon (2.5 ml) of ammonia into your water and dish soap. Carefully pour your ammonia into the glass container and stir with a spoon. Ammonia has a strong odor, so work in a well-ventilated area. Open a window if you’re doing this at home.^{[8]
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- If you can’t open a window or do this in a well-ventilated space, consider wearing a dust mask to keep dangerous fumes out of your lungs.
3
Drop your gold into the glass container for 10 seconds. Delicately drop it by holding it a few inches or centimeters above the surface of your solution. Release the gold carefully so as to avoid any splashing. Wait 10 seconds before removing the gold with a pair of tongs.^{[9]
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- Be sure to fully submerge the gold item in the ammonia mixture.
4
Brush the gold with a soft-bristle toothbrush to remove tarnish. Hold your gold over the bowl and scrub each section of the tarnished gold with a soft-bristle toothbrush by using gentle back-and-forth strokes. Keep your arms pointed down towards the bowl while doing this to avoid any ammonia dripping down your gloves and on to your skin.^{[10]
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- Make sure that you keep your rubber gloves on while handling the gold.
5
Rinse the object under cold water and let it air dry. Place a colander or strainer at the bottom of your sink in order to avoid losing your gold. Hold it under a stream of cold water for 30-45 seconds while rotating it to ensure that every section is exposed to water. Let the gold air dry on a dry towel.
- You can also stuff your sink drain with a thick towel if you don’t have a colander or strainer.
6
Wash your materials thoroughly with dish soap to remove the ammonia. Scrub any materials that came in contact with ammonia with dish soap and a clean sponge. Ammonia is dangerous, so you’ll want to ensure that you’ve removed all of it from any materials that you plan to use in the future.^{[11]
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- Wash materials even if you plan on throwing them in the dishwasher. It’s better to be safe than sorry!

Expert Q&A
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Question

Why is my gold jewelry tarnishing?

Nicole Wegman
Jewelry Professional & Founder of Ring Concierge
Nicole Wegman is the Founder and CEO of Ring Concierge, a New York City-based fine jewelry brand. Specializing in engagement ring and wedding band trends, Ring Concierge creates a luxury experience catered towards millennials. Ring Concierge offers engagement rings along with earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and anklets. Nicole's work and Ring Concierge have been featured in Vogue, Glamour, Who What Wear, Martha Stewart Weddings, Brides, and Cosmopolitan. Nicole is a GIA (Gemological Institute of America) Accredited Jewelry Professional and holds a BS in Fiber Science and Apparel Design from Cornell University.

Nicole Wegman

Jewelry Professional & Founder of Ring Concierge

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

Gold won't actually tarnish. However, if your gold jewelry is mixed with another metal—like rose gold, which is often made to look pink by adding copper to gold—then that other jewelry might tarnish.