Military medals are symbols of honor, recognition, and appreciation. They commemorate your most illustrious achievements during your time of service. It’s only fitting to keep and preserve them as well as you can so that you can proudly look back at your accomplishments. Ideally, you want them looking as good as the day they were awarded to you but this is easier said than done.
Military medals are made out of different types of metals. Most are made from silver, red brass, copper, gilded metals, or are gold-plated. Over time, these metals can rust and become discolored. With the right solvents and cleaning techniques, you can preserve your medals and have them looking as good as new for the years to come. If you would like to present your medals in an exhibition you can set up a lovely display with the use of authentic military prop rental services for an authentic look.
Here’s how to properly clean your military medals.
1. Remove The Ribbons
The ribbon accompanying the medal is made of fabric and materials that don’t do well when combined with metal-cleaning solvents and detergents. Before you start cleaning your medal, you need to remove the ribbon that’s attached to it. Keep the ribbon away from harsh chemicals that could destroy its texture completely.
Some metal-cleaning chemicals contain bleach which can completely discolor the ribbon. Since medals and ribbons go together, you don’t want to cause any damage to either one. Carefully detach the ribbon. If you cannot separate the ribbon, protect it with bubble wrap or a plastic sheet. Even polythene or cling wrap will help.
2. Use Appropriate Cloth Materials
When left untouched over long periods of time, medals attract dust, grime, and begin to rust. Before cleaning the debris off the metal parts, identify the kind of metal you’re dealing with. Most often, medals are made of silver, gold, or are gold-plated. Use a soft cotton cloth to wipe your medal clean.
Try not to rub the rusted metal too hard or scrub it vigorously. This can unnecessarily scratch it and can cause additional damage to the aging metal. Avoid wiping your medal with tissue paper. Tissue napkins can get soggy and clumps of it could get stuck to the crevices on the surface of your medal.
If your medal is made out of bronze or a copper alloy, you need metal polish wipes to clean it. For intricate crevices, avoid wipes and use cotton buds or cotton swabs. Cotton buds are easy to use and effective when it comes to cleaning tiny, narrow corners on the surface.
3. Soak Before Cleaning
When it comes to cleaning medals, there are a bunch of home remedies that do the job well and easily. Before you actually wipe and clean your medals, soak them in a bowl of lemon-lime soda. Leave the medals in the mixture for at least an hour. Once you see that the tarnish has considerably detached itself from the metal, rinse the medals with running water.
In addition, dab a couple of drops of hand sanitizer on a soft cloth and wipe the surface of the metal with a slow and light motion. Avoid putting too much pressure and wipe it gently. Here are a few household ingredients that you could use to properly clean your military medals:
- Cornflour and water
- Toothpaste (non-gel and non-abrasive)
- White vinegar and baking soda
- Ketchup
- Aluminum foil and laundry detergent
Storage Is Important
Keeping your medals clean and free from corrosion has a lot to do with how you store them. If you simply leave them lying around, sulfur mixes with the metal and produces tarnish, rust, and other substances that lead to degradation. Once you’ve cleaned your medals, make sure you store them in a cool and dry place.
Metal can deteriorate under extreme temperatures and weather conditions. Avoid keeping your medals in damp and moist environments. Excessive humidity and sunlight can speed up the formation of rust and tarnish, causing the metals to become discolored and corrode faster.
To maintain regular temperatures, store your medals in a cardboard box. Lace the box with a soft cotton cloth and wrap the medals in soft linen for additional protection.
What About the Ribbons?
Ribbons complement medals so you can’t clean medals without cleaning the ribbons too. While it isn’t wise to submerge the ribbons in water and chemicals, there is a simple way to clean them. Use a vacuum cleaner to dust off your military ribbons. The smallest nozzle of your vacuum cleaner should do the trick. If you’ve removed the ribbons before cleaning the medals, reattach them. Ribbons are made from fabric that doesn’t do well with too much heat and dry conditions. Wrap them with a soft cloth and store them away from sunlight.