Gold jewelry is a popular and traditional accessory, but different factors can affect its shine and appearance. A build-up of dirt or oil from the neck or even irritants from the environment can leave your gold chain looking less than brand new. There is always the option of sending your precious gold to a jewelry cleaner, but if you would rather cut the cost and be in charge of your own cleaning, there is a simple way to keep your gold looking as good as new.

Prepare a cleaning solution. Fill a bowl or tray full of warm water. Include a few drops of cleaning solution, such as dishwashing liquid (i.e. Dove, Ivory, Palmolive) to the water and stir.

Place the gold into the warm, sudsy water. You can let the gold chain soak for a few minutes or can gently dunk it in and out of the water until it has been evenly submerged.

Remove the gold chain from the sudsy water and rinse in warm water. Dry gently with a damp cloth. Lay the jewelry out on a flat surface and allow it to completely dry--overnight if needed.

Polish your gold. Once your gold chain has been washed and had time to dry you can add extra shine by polishing it. To do this use a fabric cloth and buff the gold chain in small circle patterns with the cloth.