Cleaning medals

Hi,
I've seen a few other posts but as I've only recently come into possession of these two medals, I know very little about them or the material which I am presuming are Silver and Bronze?

As you can see, the medals aren't in the best condition and I am hoping to clean them up and looking the best that they could. The France and Germany Star also has green on it and I can't seem to clear that either.

I've tried cleaning them with a rubber but that only seems to bring up the smaller marks but I'm worried about using any products as I've read that some can damage the medals!

Really wanting to restore my great-grandads medals to their former glory and have ordered the ribbons as the originals were damaged so now it's just the cleaning!

Can anybody recommend ways in which I can clean each medal without damaging them?

Thanks,
Rebecca

 

A few hours in a cup of white vinegar will clean the brass one.

 

I'd leave them as they are if it was me.

 

Cleaning an ancestors medals is a sometimes very personal choice. It all depends on what is best for you when it comes to remembrance: some want them 'sparkly as new' while others want them 'just as grandad last saw them' etc etc

If you do want to clean and reribbon them then you also need to consider how to mount them....loose....in a frame with his other bits and pieces....Court Mounted.....etc

If you do decide to clean them then a good soak in white/spirit Vinegar is a good start but, like all acid cleaners, don't get carried away with overenthusiasm. Something that people often forget is that polishing removes the natural finish to the metal....meaning that they will subsequently tarnish faster than previously.

 

I'd rather leave them as they are to preserve the natural patina but it's up to you.

 

IMHO the cleaned metal will look too raw to be aesthetically pleasing. I'd take a soft cloth and mild soap and that would be all.