How to Clean Gold Plating

Gold plating helps give a classy sheen to all sorts of things--from trumpets to faucets to lockets. Part of the reason gold is so precious is because it`s rather malleable, which means that cleaning it can require a gentle hand to prevent damage. Luckily, common sense and patience will see you through.

Things You'll Need

• Chamois cloth
• Microfiber cloth
• Dishwashing detergent
• Tarn-X or other specialty cleaner

Instructions

Cleaning Gold Plating

1. Maintain your plating: gold plating can be damaged by sulfides in human sweat or by chlorine and harsh cleaning solutions. Gold-plated instruments, of course, should be cleaned after each use. Wrap jewelry in a chamois cloth when not in use, and keep instruments in their proper case.

2. Give a good, initial wipe-down of your gold plating with a clean, dry microfiber cloth. Rinse your plating in hot water and gentle dishwashing detergent, and let air dry.

3. Buff with a microfiber cloth, or a specialty gold polishing cloth. Scrub lightly: gold plating can be quite thin, and potentially removed or scratched with too much friction.

4. Remove persistent tarnish with a specialty cleaner like Tarn-X (available at most hardware stores).