{"id":3575,"date":"2026-10-14T15:05:21","date_gmt":"2026-10-14T07:05:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.imhotepluz.com\/blog\/?p=3575"},"modified":"2026-10-14T15:05:21","modified_gmt":"2026-10-14T07:05:21","slug":"how-do-you-clean-medals-49b1-1afc9a","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.imhotepluz.com\/blog\/2026\/10\/14\/how-do-you-clean-medals-49b1-1afc9a\/","title":{"rendered":"How do you clean medals?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hey everyone! I\u2019m Alex, and for the last 6 years, I\u2019ve run a small medals supply business\u2014yeah, 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<\/a><\/p>\n

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Let\u2019s 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\u2019s closet. A gold marathon medal that lost its shine after a beach race. A silver firefighter medal that\u2019s got weird spots from rain during a parade. And I\u2019m not just talking to customers who didn\u2019t know how to care for them\u2014half the time, they\u2019re surprised because they \u201cnever kept medals in the dirty!\u201d<\/p>\n

So today, let\u2019s cut through the hype and talk about how to actually clean medals\u2014scientifically, not some random TikTok hack that\u2019ll turn your pretty bronze into a pile of crud. And since I\u2019m the medal guy, I\u2019ll throw in some pro tips that only someone who ships 5,000 medals a month would know.<\/p>\n

First off, let\u2019s get one thing straight: not all medals are the same. You can\u2019t 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\u2014most 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.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s break this down by material, because messing up a medal\u2019s plating is the worst\u2014like, I\u2019ve had a customer send back a medal they tried to \u201cclean\u201d with Coke (don\u2019t laugh, I\u2019ve seen it) and the whole gold plating dissolved off. Yikes.<\/p>\n

First up: GOLD-PLATED MEDALS. This is the most common type I sell\u201480% of my orders are gold-plated zinc, since it\u2019s affordable and looks sharp. Gold plating is super thin, like, micrometers thin. So you can\u2019t use anything abrasive here\u2014no steel wool, no scouring pads, no that pink scrub sponge that says \u201cheavy duty.\u201d That stuff\u2019ll scratch right through the gold and leave the zinc underneath looking gray and nasty.<\/p>\n

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\u2014hot 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\u2019t submerge it if it has a ribbon attached\u2014those ribbons get all gross and stiff, and the ink can run. If there\u2019s grime in the crevices (like the detail of a marathon runner\u2019s face), use a soft-bristled toothbrush\u2014an 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\u2019s how water spots happen.<\/p>\n

Wait, what about those tiny spots that won\u2019t come off? Like, maybe a little dirt that\u2019s caked on from a race? I get that. If gentle soap isn\u2019t cutting it, make a paste of baking soda and water\u2014super 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\u2019t leave it on for more than 10 seconds\u2014baking 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.<\/p>\n

Next: SILVER-PLATED MEDALS. Silver is tricky because it tarnishes\u2014chemically, it reacts with sulfur in the air, right? That\u2019s 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\u2019re 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\u2019t want to ruin the antiquing.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s safe here? Again, no abrasives. The go-to for silver (plated or solid) is something called a silver polish, but not the kind that\u2019s meant for full-size silverware. Get a polish that\u2019s specifically for plated jewelry\u2014like Hagerty\u2019s Silver Polish, it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

If the medal is solid silver (that\u2019s less common for custom orders, but I do a few for local historical societies), you can use a silver tarnish cloth\u2014those are pre-treated with mild polish, and you just rub the medal with them. They\u2019re way less likely to scratch than liquid polish. Never use aluminum foil and baking soda to clean silver, by the way\u2014 I saw that on a forum once, and it works for old silver, but it can strip thin plating. Stick to the mild stuff.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s BRONZE MEDALS. Solid bronze, not plated. Bronze is fun because it\u2019s the one that can patina (that nice brown-green color) if you want it, but if you don\u2019t, you can clean it. Bronze is more durable than gold or silver plating, but it still scratches easily if you use the wrong stuff.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s that green gunk (that\u2019s copper carbonate, by the way\u2014science class!) that\u2019s built up, that\u2019s 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\u2019t soak it in vinegar, though\u2014too 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\u2014just a drop, and buff it off, so it doesn\u2019t get sticky. That\u2019ll keep the bronze looking nice, not dull.<\/p>\n

Now, what should you NEVER do? Let\u2019s list these, because I\u2019ve 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\u2019ve had a customer send me a medal that their kid put in the laundry\u2014total loss. Number three: Never use abrasive scrubbers, steel wool, or baking soda paste that\u2019s 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\u2014those can rust if they get wet and stay wet, so make sure you dry the whole medal, not just the front).<\/p>\n

Okay, so cleaning is half the battle, right? The other half is keeping medals from getting dirty in the first place. Since I\u2019m in the medal business, I swear by this storage tip, I give it to every customer. Don\u2019t just throw medals in a junk drawer with keys and rubber bands. That\u2019s how they scratch and get tarnished. If it\u2019s a medal you display, keep it in a glass case or on a hook where it\u2019s not near a window (sunlight fades plating, by the way). If it\u2019s a medal you keep in a box, wrap each one individually in acid-free tissue paper (you can get this at craft stores, it\u2019s 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\u2014don\u2019t crumple it, that makes the ink fade faster.<\/p>\n

Wait, let\u2019s talk about a common question I get: Can I polish medals to make them look new? Yeah, but only the right way. If you\u2019re selling a medal and want to make it look good for an event, stick to the mild soap method. If it\u2019s your own medal from a race, use the baking soda trick for gold, lemon for silver, vinegar for bronze\u2014no overdoing it. And one thing I always tell people: If a medal has sentimental value, don\u2019t mess with it too much. If you\u2019re nervous about cleaning it, take it to a professional jewelry cleaner, it\u2019s like $10-$15, and they\u2019ll do it right without ruining the detail.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s 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\u2014his 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\u2019s the stuff that makes this job worth it.<\/p>\n

Now, if you\u2019re reading this and you\u2019re someone who needs medals for your next event\u2014whether it\u2019s a 5K, a school sports day, a corporate team building thing, whatever\u2014let\u2019s chat. I\u2019ve 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\u2019t 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\u2019ll 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\u2019s. Just solid, durable medals that people will actually want to keep, and know how to clean if they need to.<\/p>\n

And before I wrap up, let\u2019s recap the quick cheat sheet for cleaning, so you can save this post somewhere:<\/p>\n