My flute is a gold beginners flute (Brand: Mendini by Cecilio), which was not very expensive. After about half a year of using the flute, I began to see some rust on the head joint, to the point where the gold color was slightly coming off and revealing the silver underneath.
I have read about using toothpaste and a soft cloth, but, since the silver underneath the gold top is already slightly showing, I wondered if that would make the situation worse. How should I clean my flute before the situation becomes even worse?