One of the things that have crossed over from being used only by military personnel to being used by almost anyone who wants to wear one is the metal dog tag. These tags can be customized and used by anyone and for any purpose they want. These can also be worn any which way a person desires, be it around the neck, on the arm, or on their pet.
These can also be used as tags for hand bags, tags for your keys, and even tags for luggage. Wherever these are used, these are very useful because these provide information to the user as well as who sees them. These are also used for aesthetic reasons, if these are customized for use as jewelry or accessories.
Whatever you use these tags for, one of the things you need to do in order to keep these from deteriorating and to keep these looking as good as day one, is to keep these clean. How do you keep your metal dog tags clean? How do you keep them looking as good as the day you first used them?
Cleaning methods, when it comes to metals, are usually dependent on what kind of metal you are using. Some metals are more prone to tarnish and deterioration, as compared with others. You will need to know what to do with your particular metal dog tag according to the metal type you are using in order to effectively clean and maintain these.
If you are using stainless steel or aluminum for your dog tags, you simply need to wash these with a mild dishwashing liquid and some water. Dilute the soap with water, dip the tags in this mixture, and then with a soft, damp rag, wipe the surface off gently. Rinse these off with tepid, clean water, and then wipe off with a clean, cotton rag or an old t-shirt to remove any excess moisture.
For tags that are made using semi-precious and precious metal, like silver or gold, jewelry cleaner may be a good cleaning agent for this. Dip your jewelry-like tags into the solution that is made for cleaning jewelry, then wipe these off carefully with the cloth that usually comes with such a cleaner.
If these tags are marked with the use of a stamping machine, are embossed, engraved, or etched, you will need to get any dirt out from the recessed parts. You can do this with the use of a Q-tip. If the markings have parts that are rather small, it might be a good idea to remove the dirt in these cracks and lines with a toothpick.
Once your tags are cleaned, you can then apply a protective coating over these in order to keep them looking clean for longer. Metal polish can be used on stainless steel and aluminum tags, but should not be overly used on bronze and brass. You should also apply these protective coatings with the use of a soft cotton rag, to prevent the possibility of scratches occurring. A great material to use for this purpose is microfiber, which won’t scratch the surface of the metal.