CLEANING MILITARIA
This is a common question in the militaria world, with a plethora of different answers. It is commonly debated within the militaria collecting community whether you should clean items or just leave them as they were found or bought. Some heavily insist that the most you should do is air it out if it has an order, and others will recommend that you clean items as you see fit and do it carefully. Personally, I believe it all depends on the specific item, its age, condition, material, and how dirty it may be. This post will be a small guide, providing some techniques for cleaning certain militaria items.
Field Gear / Web gear
In terms of cleaning web gear items, you have a bit of flexibility due to their roughness and durability, but of course, it all depends on their overall condition. You don't want to damage, stain, or further the wear of the item.
For knocking off loose dust on articles of gear you can use a dry soft nylon bristle brush or gently use a more stiff bristle brush.
A handheld brush attachment on a vacuum will be suitable, but make sure the vacuums power isn't too harsh as well as the bristles.
Small air compressors will do a good job of knocking off loose dust and grime.
Be cautious wiping/brushing around dates, stamps, tearing/loose stitches in the fabric .
Avoid using abrasive cleaning materials and harsh chemical cleaners.
If need be, you can use a soft sponge with warm water to give a light wipe down to remove stains and grime marks.
Air dry all items away from direct sunlight. Do not put any items through a washer or dryer
Uniforms
Uniforms are a bit of a blurry area due to the fact that this is the area where the majority of people have opposing opinions on how these items should be cleaned, if at all. There are many factors to be considered when thinking about whether you should clean an old uniform or let it be and preserve it to the best of your ability. Some of the main factors to consider are age, condition, and material.
Having a uniform dry cleaned by professionals that know and have experience/knowledge on handling aging military uniforms is your best bet if you want to go ahead and clean your uniform.
Before taking a uniform into the dry cleaners, make sure to remove any ribbons, pins, and shoulder boards if they are removable, if they are sewn on do not mess with them.
Look over the entire uniform and check for loose stitching, rotting stitches, areas of heavy wear that are delicate and indicate them to the dry cleaners so they can avoid it completely so as not to ruin the uniforms integrity.
You can very gently go over a uniform with a hand vacuum cleaner ONLY with the attachment filter used for cleaning drapes/fabrics.
Do not machine wash or put any uniforms in the dryer whatsoever.
Periodically inspect all clothing items for insect damage, use mothballs or the freezing method if needed.
Rust & Verdigris
A very common type of corrosion to see on militaria items such as field gear and items with leather and metal mixed together. Dealing with rust and verdigris is a constant battle for every collector and enthusiast.
If the piece of metal that you're cleaning is attached to a piece of fabric, leather, or canvas, you can slide (if possible) two index cards between the metal and fabric so as not to get any chemicals you use to clean it onto the other parts of the item.
Before applying any type of cleaning chemical, brush off the loose corrosion and grime with a medium stiffness brush (rifle cleaning brushes, if not too stiff will work well).
For cleaning agents, you can use light preservers like Ballistol. Do not apply any chemical agent directly onto the metal but apply it onto a patch or Q tip then proceed to wipe down the area.
Warm water and a tad bit of soap will also work decently.
Always be careful as to not get any chemicals you use onto any other parts of the item.
I hope some of these techniques suit you well with your collection. By no means are any of these techniques a “must do” for any of your items, they are simply some suggestions that you can use on your own discretion. Thank you for visiting The Garrison Militaria and happy hunting.
