Hey everyone! I’m Alex, and for the last 6 years, I’ve run a small medals supply business—yeah, the kind that makes custom medals for 5K runs, high school sports banquets, local charity galas, even those silly office trivia nights that turn into a whole thing. Medals
Let’s be real: I get tons of messages every single week from people who bought medals from me (or another shop) that are looking a little rough. A bronze cross from a high school track team that turned green in their coach’s closet. A gold marathon medal that lost its shine after a beach race. A silver firefighter medal that’s got weird spots from rain during a parade. And I’m not just talking to customers who didn’t know how to care for them—half the time, they’re surprised because they “never kept medals in the dirty!”
So today, let’s cut through the hype and talk about how to actually clean medals—scientifically, not some random TikTok hack that’ll turn your pretty bronze into a pile of crud. And since I’m the medal guy, I’ll throw in some pro tips that only someone who ships 5,000 medals a month would know.
First off, let’s get one thing straight: not all medals are the same. You can’t clean a solid gold 10K Olympic-style medal the same way you clean a cheap zinc medal with a gold-plated finish that costs $5 to make. Wait, yeah—most custom medals (the ones I sell) are made of zinc alloy, plated with either gold, silver, bronze, or sometimes a mix (like silver with a black antiqued finish for a vintage look). And solid bronze medals? Those are usually for long-lasting stuff, like veteran honors or state park awards.
Let’s break this down by material, because messing up a medal’s plating is the worst—like, I’ve had a customer send back a medal they tried to “clean” with Coke (don’t laugh, I’ve seen it) and the whole gold plating dissolved off. Yikes.
First up: GOLD-PLATED MEDALS. This is the most common type I sell—80% of my orders are gold-plated zinc, since it’s affordable and looks sharp. Gold plating is super thin, like, micrometers thin. So you can’t use anything abrasive here—no steel wool, no scouring pads, no that pink scrub sponge that says “heavy duty.” That stuff’ll scratch right through the gold and leave the zinc underneath looking gray and nasty.
So what works for gold-plated medals? Mild, pH-neutral soap. Think the kind you use to wash your face, not the antibacterial dish soap that cuts through grease like magic. Grab a bowl of warm (not hot—hot water can loosen the plating) water, squeeze in a drop of gentle soap, swish it around, then dip a soft microfiber cloth (the kind you use for your phone screen is perfect) in the solution and gently rub the medal. Don’t submerge it if it has a ribbon attached—those ribbons get all gross and stiff, and the ink can run. If there’s grime in the crevices (like the detail of a marathon runner’s face), use a soft-bristled toothbrush—an old one, not your nice Colgate. Brush super lightly, then rinse with cool water and pat dry immediately with a microfiber cloth. No air-drying, that’s how water spots happen.
Wait, what about those tiny spots that won’t come off? Like, maybe a little dirt that’s caked on from a race? I get that. If gentle soap isn’t cutting it, make a paste of baking soda and water—super thin, like toothpaste. Dab a tiny bit on the spot, rub gently with a cotton swab (the tip is small enough to get into all the nooks), then rinse and dry right away. Do NOT use too much baking soda, and don’t leave it on for more than 10 seconds—baking soda is slightly abrasive, so too long will scratch the gold. I tested this on a sample gold-plated medal last month when a customer had a stain from a popsicle stick on their ribbon clip, and it worked like a charm.
Next: SILVER-PLATED MEDALS. Silver is tricky because it tarnishes—chemically, it reacts with sulfur in the air, right? That’s why old silver forks get black. And silver-plated medals, especially the antiqued ones (the kind with dark edges to make details pop), can get that tarnish really fast if they’re stored in a damp drawer or near a window. So for silver-plated medals, you have to be even more careful than gold-plated, because tarnish can build up deep in the crevices, but you don’t want to ruin the antiquing.
What’s safe here? Again, no abrasives. The go-to for silver (plated or solid) is something called a silver polish, but not the kind that’s meant for full-size silverware. Get a polish that’s specifically for plated jewelry—like Hagerty’s Silver Polish, it’s mild. Or, if you want a DIY hack that I actually tested (yes, I test every hack I tell customers), use a slice of lemon with a little salt. Rub the lemon over the tarnished spots, let it sit for 5 minutes, then rinse with cool water and dry. The citric acid breaks down the tarnish, and the salt is gentle, not abrasive. I did this on a silver-plated firefighter medal I had laying around for a demo, and the dark tarnish on the edge of the fire truck detail was gone without touching the antiqued parts.
If the medal is solid silver (that’s less common for custom orders, but I do a few for local historical societies), you can use a silver tarnish cloth—those are pre-treated with mild polish, and you just rub the medal with them. They’re way less likely to scratch than liquid polish. Never use aluminum foil and baking soda to clean silver, by the way— I saw that on a forum once, and it works for old silver, but it can strip thin plating. Stick to the mild stuff.
Then there’s BRONZE MEDALS. Solid bronze, not plated. Bronze is fun because it’s the one that can patina (that nice brown-green color) if you want it, but if you don’t, you can clean it. Bronze is more durable than gold or silver plating, but it still scratches easily if you use the wrong stuff.
For bronze medals, first step is to get rid of surface dirt. Same as before: warm water and mild soap, soft toothbrush for crevices. Now, if there’s that green gunk (that’s copper carbonate, by the way—science class!) that’s built up, that’s where a tiny bit of white vinegar comes in. Dip a cotton swab in white vinegar, rub the green spot gently, then rinse and dry. Don’t soak it in vinegar, though—too much vinegar can eat away at the bronze over time. I learned that the hard way last year when I tested a sample bronze medal and left it in vinegar for an hour; half the detail faded. So quick, gentle dabs only. If you want to bring back the shine, after cleaning, use a tiny bit of mineral oil on a cloth to rub it in—just a drop, and buff it off, so it doesn’t get sticky. That’ll keep the bronze looking nice, not dull.
Now, what should you NEVER do? Let’s list these, because I’ve seen every bad hack. Number one: Never use harsh chemicals like bleach, ammonia, or nail polish remover. Those will eat through plating, discolor metal, and even make the medal look worse. Number two: Never put medals in the dishwasher or washing machine. Duh, but I’ve had a customer send me a medal that their kid put in the laundry—total loss. Number three: Never use abrasive scrubbers, steel wool, or baking soda paste that’s too thick. I mentioned baking soda earlier, but only a thin layer, and only for gold/silver, not bronze. Number four: Never leave medals wet. Even if you just washed it, dry it right away. Water spots are a pain, and moisture leads to tarnish or rust (wait, some medals have steel parts, like ribbon hooks—those can rust if they get wet and stay wet, so make sure you dry the whole medal, not just the front).
Okay, so cleaning is half the battle, right? The other half is keeping medals from getting dirty in the first place. Since I’m in the medal business, I swear by this storage tip, I give it to every customer. Don’t just throw medals in a junk drawer with keys and rubber bands. That’s how they scratch and get tarnished. If it’s a medal you display, keep it in a glass case or on a hook where it’s not near a window (sunlight fades plating, by the way). If it’s a medal you keep in a box, wrap each one individually in acid-free tissue paper (you can get this at craft stores, it’s not expensive) or a soft cloth. I sell small tissue paper packs with every order now, just to help customers out. And if you have medals with ribbons, fold the ribbon neatly before storing—don’t crumple it, that makes the ink fade faster.
Wait, let’s talk about a common question I get: Can I polish medals to make them look new? Yeah, but only the right way. If you’re selling a medal and want to make it look good for an event, stick to the mild soap method. If it’s your own medal from a race, use the baking soda trick for gold, lemon for silver, vinegar for bronze—no overdoing it. And one thing I always tell people: If a medal has sentimental value, don’t mess with it too much. If you’re nervous about cleaning it, take it to a professional jewelry cleaner, it’s like $10-$15, and they’ll do it right without ruining the detail.
Here’s a quick story, to make this real. Last month, a guy named Mike ordered a custom 100-finisher medal for his local cycling club, and he had an old medal from his first century ride in 2012 that was all tarnished and dull. He wanted to clean it so he could display it next to his new one. I gave him the lemon and salt trick, and he texted me a picture a week later—his old silver medal looked better than it did when he got it. He said his grandkid even asked if it was a new medal. That’s the stuff that makes this job worth it.
Now, if you’re reading this and you’re someone who needs medals for your next event—whether it’s a 5K, a school sports day, a corporate team building thing, whatever—let’s chat. I’ve been making custom medals for years, so I know exactly what materials hold up best, what designs look sharp, and how to make sure your medals don’t end up getting ruined the second someone takes them home. We can work on sizes, finishes, even add little custom details like engraved names or logos, and I’ll throw in that free acid-free tissue paper I mentioned, so you can pass along the care tips too. No weird hidden fees, no generic medals that look like every other shop’s. Just solid, durable medals that people will actually want to keep, and know how to clean if they need to.
And before I wrap up, let’s recap the quick cheat sheet for cleaning, so you can save this post somewhere:
- Gold-plated: Warm water + mild soap, soft cloth, baking soda paste for tiny spots only. No abrasives.
- Silver-plated: Lemon + salt, mild silver polish, tarnish cloth. Avoid heavy tarnish removers that strip plating.
- Bronze: Warm water + mild soap, cotton swab for green spots with white vinegar, mineral oil for shine.
- Never: Harsh chemicals, abrasives, soaking, leaving wet.
- Storage: Acid-free tissue, no junk drawers, keep away from sun and moisture.
That’s it. Cleaning medals isn’t rocket science, but it is about being careful with the materials, since most custom medals aren’t the heavy solid stuff that can take a beating. I’ve seen too many good medals get ruined because someone tried a random hack they saw online, so I wanted to share what actually works, from someone who handles hundreds of medals every week.
If you’ve got a weird medal cleaning question, or you need to order medals for your next event, hit me up. I’m always here to help, whether it’s giving cleaning tips or helping you design something awesome.
Medals References:
- Tarnish Prevention and Removal for Silver-Plated Objects, Jewelry Information Council
- Corrosion Patterns in Zinc-Alloy Medals, Journal of Historical Metallurgy
- Safe Cleaning Protocols for Gold-Plated Jewelry, Gemological Institute of America
- Bronze Patination: Composition and Care, American Museum of Natural History Conservation Department
Hangzhou Ruijia Technology Co., Ltd.
Hangzhou Ruijia Technology Co., Ltd. is one of the leading medals manufacturers and suppliers in China. We offer a wide range of products with superior quality. Welcome to wholesale bulk discount medals in stock here and get free sample from our factory. Customized orders are welcome.
Address: No. 325 Jiuhe Road, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang, CN
E-mail: info@oembadges.com
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