Cleaning Badges ...

[Mike H]

Gentlemen,

Let me first mention, I do not clean badges - so not to worry about that. I love that patina!

But I recently bought an Imperial Observer's badge and just above the shield on the observe is a spot of verdigris. It is slightly worse on the reverse as you can see in the attached photos. I do not like corrosion and I want to remove this stuff without harming the patina of the badge or the enamel on the shield. Do you have any suggestions?

Mike Heuer

[Ed_Haynes]

Pretty one, leave it alone? Warm water, mild soap, and super soft child's first toothbursh only?

Thank you for being a non-cleaner!

Ed Haynes

[Richard]

sometimes soaking a badge in oil for a period of time will soften the verdegris and it can then be gently removed with a toothpick.
Richard V

[sshort]

Try This

Mike, Buy you a brush made to clean dentures. They are stiffer but have a beveled edge on the end that can get into the smallest crevases. I would never use any soap and water or oil but just carefully clean the badge with the dry brush. Steve Short

[Ken Jasper]

I have had luck using a very soft tooth brush only.

[Lorenzo Brown]

Whatever you decide..."SOFT and GENTLE" is the way to go.

IMO...there is GOOD dirt and there is BAD dirt.

GOOD dirt is that which was imparted on the badge during the war. This is HISTORICAL dirt that is provenance to the history of the badge and is very desirable.

Then again...there is BAD dirt. BAD dirt is that which has been imparted on the badge AFTER the war by the unkempt hands of collectors and dealers. BAD dirt includes (among other things): greasy fingerprints, mustard, chocolate and anything else that ends up on the badge from years of being handled by collectors and dealers at SOS shows and the like.

I, personally, see no value in preserving the remnants of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich that was left on the badge by the grubby paws of an SOS dealer in 1986. Nor do I wish to preserve the "provenance" of the gummy remains of a stik-um price tag that was thoughtlessly put on the badge by a certain UK militaria dealer in 1995. Nor do I wish to preserve the nicotine stains from a chain-smoking Parisian Luftwaffe militaria collector (whose name I shall not mention.)

The problem is: HOW DO YOU SAVE THE GOOD DIRT and REMOVE THE BAD DIRT???

A little logic applied here can help answer the question:

FACT IS: Just like A patina develops over a long period of time due to chemical processes and exposure to the elements....likewise....dirt will also be affected by the elements over a long period of time. The same chemical processes that cause a patina to develop will cause dirt to solidify, petrify and chemically bond to the metal. ie: 60-year-old dirt WILL NOT wash away with a light mixture oF sudsy water and gentle dabbing. To the contrary...60-year old HISTORICAL dirt will be chemically bonded to the medal so that the only way you can remove it is by
polishing or abrasive treatment.

On the other hand...BAD dirt (or NEW dirt)...WILL wash away ( MOST OF IT) with a light soaking and gentle dabbing.


Sooooo....if you soak your medals and badges in a soapy solution and gently pat it away, the ONLY thing that will be removed is the new, BAD dirt. The GOOD, historical dirt and patina will remain on the badge.

[Tiger 1]

Acetone will disolve the remaining vertigris after removing what you can with a wood toothpick. Cut the end of the toothpick to a chisel shape and gently use it to scrape and lift off the bulk of the vertigris. Then use a Q Tip to gently swab with staight acetone. This technique should not harm the metal or glass enamel surfaces or the patina which is important. This technique is one used in the coin trade to remove vertigris from coins that have been stored in old style plastic cases that caused a reaction to the copper in the coin alloy. After that wash the medal with a neutral Ph soap and thoroughly dry it afterwards. A soft used tooth brush used gently shouldn't cause any problems. Think your plan of action thru, go slow, watch your progress and stop when finished.

Just some thoughts.