How to clean a gold chain at home comes down to four gentle steps: soak it for 10 to 15 minutes in warm water with a few drops of mild dish soap, brush gently between the links with a soft toothbrush, rinse it in clean warm water with the sink plugged, then pat it dry with a soft lint-free cloth and let it air-dry fully before you put it away. About once a month is enough for a chain you wear often. It is the method we give for every chain in our gold chains collection, from a fine box chain to a wide Miami Cuban, and the same four steps apply to yellow, white and rose gold, with one extra caution for white gold. What you leave out matters as much as what you do, and so does knowing when a chain should come back to us instead of going in the sink.
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1. Soak | 10 to 15 minutes in warm water with a few drops of mild dish soap |
| 2. Brush | Gently, between the links, with a soft toothbrush |
| 3. Rinse | In clean warm water, with the sink plugged |
| 4. Dry | Pat dry with a soft lint-free cloth, then let it air-dry fully before storing |
| How often | About once a month |
| Avoid | Chlorine and bleach (pools and hot tubs included), toothpaste, baking soda or anything gritty, home ultrasonic machines, hard rubbing on white gold |
How to Clean a Gold Chain at Home, Step by Step
Everything the method calls for is in the table above: warm water, mild dish soap, a soft toothbrush and a soft lint-free cloth. Each step is set out below with the reason it is done that way.
1. Soak in warm, soapy water
Add a few drops of mild dish soap to warm water, lay the chain in it and leave it to soak for 10 to 15 minutes. The soak does the heavy lifting, so the brushing that follows can stay gentle.
2. Brush gently between the links
Lift the chain out and brush it gently with a soft toothbrush, working between the links along the length of the chain. Soft is the point: the bristles should reach into the gaps between links without scrubbing the surface. On a white gold chain keep the pressure especially light, for the reason set out further down.
3. Rinse in clean warm water, with the sink plugged
Rinse the chain in clean warm water to carry away the soap and whatever the brush has lifted. Put the plug in before you start. A wet chain slips through the fingers easily, and a plugged sink means a dropped chain lands in the basin rather than down the drain.
4. Pat dry, then let it air-dry fully
Pat the chain dry with a soft lint-free cloth, pressing rather than rubbing, then leave it out to air-dry fully before it goes back in its box or pouch. The cloth takes care of the outside of the links; the air-dry takes care of the rest, so the chain is completely dry when it is stored.
Mentioned in this piece
Solid Miami Cuban Chain Necklace in 14K Yellow Gold | 4.0mm
$5,480.00
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How Often to Clean a Gold Chain
How often should you clean a gold chain?
About once a month is enough for a gold chain you wear often. Clean it at home with warm water, a few drops of mild dish soap and a soft toothbrush between the links, rinse it with the sink plugged, then pat it dry and let it air-dry fully before storing it. For a deeper clean, a DEEVE chain can be sent back to us, where cleaning is complimentary for the life of the piece.
A monthly rhythm keeps the method light. The aim is a chain that never needs more than a soak and a soft brush, which is why the next section matters as much as this one.
What Not to Use on a Gold Chain
The method is short on purpose. Four things stay away from a gold chain: chlorine and bleach, including pools and hot tubs; toothpaste, baking soda or anything gritty; home ultrasonic machines; and hard rubbing on white gold. The questions below are the ones asked most often.
Can I use toothpaste to clean gold?
No. Toothpaste is gritty, and anything gritty stays off a gold chain, along with baking soda. Clean the chain with warm water and a few drops of mild dish soap instead, brush gently between the links with a soft toothbrush, rinse it with the sink plugged and let it dry fully. The toothbrush is for the links, used with soapy water, never with toothpaste on it.
Can you clean a gold chain with baking soda?
No. Baking soda is gritty, and anything gritty belongs on the avoid list for a gold chain, together with toothpaste. Soak the chain for 10 to 15 minutes in warm water with a few drops of mild dish soap, brush gently between the links with a soft toothbrush, rinse it in clean warm water with the sink plugged, then pat it dry and let it air-dry fully.
Can I use dish soap to clean a gold chain?
Yes. A few drops of mild dish soap in warm water is the only homemade cleaner a gold chain needs, and it is the solution DEEVE gives for its own chains. Soak the chain for 10 to 15 minutes, brush gently between the links with a soft toothbrush, rinse it in clean warm water with the sink plugged, then pat it dry with a soft lint-free cloth and let it air-dry fully.
Can you wear a gold chain in a pool or hot tub?
Take it off first. Chlorine and bleach are on the short list of things to keep away from a gold chain, and pools and hot tubs are where a chain meets chlorine most often. Take the chain off before you swim or sit in a hot tub, and keep it away from bleach as well. The rest of its care is the gentle monthly clean in warm, soapy water.
Can you use an ultrasonic cleaner on a gold chain?
Not a home ultrasonic machine. Water can get trapped inside semi-solid links, and stones can loosen, so a home ultrasonic cleaner stays off the list for gold chains. Clean the chain by hand instead: a 10 to 15 minute soak in warm water with a few drops of mild dish soap, a gentle brush between the links, a rinse with the sink plugged and a full dry.
Semi-Solid and White Gold Chains
Two kinds of chain ask for a little more thought when they are cleaned, and both are common. The method does not change for either; what changes is which item on the avoid list matters most.
A semi-solid chain, such as our Semi-Solid Miami Cuban Chain in 14K yellow gold, 7.00 mm, is made of 14K yellow gold. Semi-solid describes how the links are built, not what they are made of, and it is the construction that makes the difference here: water can get trapped inside semi-solid links, which is the first reason a home ultrasonic machine stays off the list. Clean it by hand exactly as you would a fully solid chain such as the Solid Miami Cuban Chain in 14K yellow gold, 4.0 mm.
A 14K white gold chain is solid white gold with a rhodium finish on its surface, and that finish is the reason for the one extra caution: hard rubbing wears it. Clean a chain like our Solid Diamond-Cut Rope Chain in 14K white gold, 3.00 mm or the Classic Box Chain in 14K white gold, 1.4 mm with the same four steps, keep the brush light, and pat it dry rather than rubbing it.
When the finish does wear over the years, renewing it is not a cost to you. Rhodium re-plating on a DEEVE piece is covered by the lifetime warranty at no charge, in the same way as cleaning and polishing.
When to Send Your Chain to DEEVE
How do you deep clean a gold chain?
For a deep clean, a DEEVE chain comes back to us. Cleaning, inspection and prong tightening are complimentary for the life of a DEEVE piece, and the chain is sent to us by UPS. Between visits, the monthly home method keeps it clean: warm water with a few drops of mild dish soap, a soft toothbrush between the links, a rinse with the sink plugged, and a full dry.
Repairs and length adjustments on our chains are handled by our in-house Ontario workshop, so a chain that comes in for cleaning is inspected at the same time. For how care fits alongside type, width and length when you choose a chain, see the care section of our guide to the types of gold chains.
Choose your next chain from our gold chains collection, or start with the Solid Figaro Chain in 14K gold, 4.50 mm, which comes in yellow or white gold.
Warranty. Every DEEVE chain carries a lifetime manufacturer's warranty for the original purchaser, serviced in-house, with complimentary cleaning, inspection and prong tightening for the life of the piece and rhodium re-plating on white gold at no charge. Read the warranty.
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