Medal Cleaning 101
Medal Cleaning is very personal. Some believe that they should be left as is to show the passage of time, where others want to ensure they look their best every time they are on display. There is no correct answer, only some do's and dont's which you should be aware of before you decide what is right for your medals.
We offer two methods of cleaning - deep clean or checmical clean. All methods of cleaning will generally require the medals to be removed from the ribbons as we utilise 'wet' cleaning methods. This is best carried out when having your medals mounted or refurbished.
Tips
Read on to learn some general tips to correctly care for your awards.
Do use a dry, lint-free cloth for maintenance between wear.
If your medals do not have corrosion and just need a clean after being worn and before going away, then a dry soft lint free cloth should be fine to remove any acid from finger prints and any other grease or dirt.You can store your medals in a cotton bag or non-coloured tissue paper and place them in a protective case (see our range). If you choose a timber medal box try and avoid timber with a high oil or resin content (like Huon Pine) as the oils and vapours from these can damage your medals.
For a light clean - book the ultrasonic option.
For a light clean that will remove oils and debris (like dirt and residue from polishing agents), we recommend ultrasonic cleaning.This is a wet method, so the medals need to be removed from the ribbons before carrying out the clean. This method of cleaning is the least invasive and will leave the medals patina in place, only removing oils and dirt. All medals remounted by Foxhole have an ultrasonic clean carried out as part of the mounting process at no charge.
DIY cleaning - can I do it myself?
If you are planning to tackle the cleaning yourself,just remember you'll also need to know how to re-mount the medals too! Foxhole are experts in both, so if you aren't sure you can complete the task simply enlist us to help.
Avoid harsh abrasive cleaners.
Share details about your shipping policiesNever use abrasive compounds like Brasso™️ to clean medals.Any cleaning compound that uses grit or similar to get the oxide layer moving will also be removing the fine details of the medal design, and although it may not be evident the first time you use it over time the details of the medal will be smoothed over which cannot be recovered., item returns, or customer service.