British campaign medals are a source of history and pride in the family, making their careful storage and cleaning an important part of preserving them for the future generations. As a maker and supplier of replacement UK military medals and accessories, we often supply medals where they have been broken or suffered significant damage. Read on and discover how to take care of a medal.

Storing Your British Campaign Medals

Always store your medals away from direct sunlight, damp, moisture, and heat. A medal display case, box or specialised wallet are all good options for storing a medal where it is unlikely to be damaged or made dirty.

Can You Clean Military Medals?

Yes you can, most military medals will only need to be rubbed gently with a clean microfibre cloth. This will take care of any surface dirt on the medal and the ribbon. That said, it is important to distinguish between removing dirt (cleaning) and removing tarnish (polishing)

Medals made of bronze alloys will tarnish naturally over time. You do not need to polish these medals. In fact, polishing can remove protective and decorative coatings on certain medals and potentially cause scratches.

Polishing Silver Medals

Many British campaign medal owners make an exception for polishing silver medals. In this case, you are safe to polish them using appropriate materials like Silvo Tarnish Guard with a silver polish cloth. With these, gently polish the medal in a circular motion before putting the medal back in its case.

Cleaning the Medal Ribbon

It is best to clean with a dry and clean microfibre cloth. Try not to soak the medal ribbon, or use harsh cleaning chemicals on it, as this may affect the dye. A medal ribbon with stubborn dirt will need to be detached from the medal and clasp, then dry-cleaned with a solvent that will not cause the dye to leak.

Can You Restore Military Medals?

We would highly recommend consulting with us as we are expert medal restorer of military campaign medals. Most common metal cleaning and polishing methods may cause further damage to the medal if you are inexperienced or use the wrong materials. Should the medal be damaged beyond repair or restoration, you can also order a replacement UK military medal from our online shop.