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Care and Feeding of Chainmail
(Cleaning Instructions)
(Cleaning Instructions)
The type of cleaning needed by any individual piece of chainmail is determined by the metal used for that piece. Some basic things to remember that are common to all pieces are to remove any pendants, leather thongs, or other fittings that could be harmed by the cleaning process. Except where specifically noted, never use a citrus cleanser (such as lemon scented dish-soap) as it has the ability to change the colors on some of the differing metal types. Following is a list of cleaning instructions by metal type:
Aluminum, Anodized Aluminum, Etched Aluminum, Bright Aluminum, Stainless Steel, Titanium, Anodized Titanium, Nickel Silver, Neoprene:All of these pieces may be cleaned in a normal dishwasher run, remember to not use cleansing agents with a citrus content.With etched aluminum, the etching may eventually come off in cleaning. If this occurs I have been informed that you can re-etch the aluminum in a water/oxi-clean solution. With pieces containing neoprene, if the item is to be washed frequently you will want to hand wash it in warm, instead of hot, water
Copper, Brass, Bronze:
These metals may be cleaned either with a 10-20 second dip in lemon juice or with commercial cleaners designed for that metal. Note that if these metals are dipped for too long, the base color can change dramatically. This is sometimes intentional in the case of copper. If you have a very pale pink copper piece, this color is achieved by extending the dip toa matter of minutes as opposed to seconds. 5-10 minutes is most common depending on the paleness of the color.
Sterling Silver, Gold Fill, Fine Silver, Rose Gold Fill, White Gold fill:
These metals should be cleaned with commercially available cleaning agents. An alternative is water and non-citric dish-soap and a gentle scrub with a soft brush.
Galvanized Steel:
The easiest manner to clean galvanized steel is the old fashioned way. Get a sealable container (round) large enough to fit the chainmail piece and have room left over. Place the chainmail and a quantity of sand into the container and seal it. Then roll the container back and forth for several hours. An alternative to this last step is to place the container (sealed) into the trunk of your car and leave it there for several days of heavy usage. This will roll the container about in a similarmanner to rolling it by hand.
The easiest manner to clean galvanized steel is the old fashioned way. Get a sealable container (round) large enough to fit the chainmail piece and have room left over. Place the chainmail and a quantity of sand into the container and seal it. Then roll the container back and forth for several hours. An alternative to this last step is to place the container (sealed) into the trunk of your car and leave it there for several days of heavy usage. This will roll the container about in a similarmanner to rolling it by hand.