Button Lovers Cleaning Cautions

Read these cautions before cleaning and button

Always be EXTREMELY cautious when cleaning buttons until you have some experience with all the materials. Start with your least expensive buttons like modern plastics and go to the next. Always start with soft dry cloth or jewelry cloth is reserved for metal. Inspect the button entirely until you have an understanding of all the materials used in making the button.

Material Identification

Please ask if you are not familiar with the button’s material content. In the future we will expand on this in a totally different guide. This is important before cleaning, restoring and protecting your buttons.

Embellishments

If the button has any type of embellishment, inlay, paint, lacquer or varnish additional caution is warranted. If the embellishment is contained in a setting, make sure it is secured before proceeding. If an embellishment is missing, finding the original might be very challenging especially if they are imitation stones or pastes. Using any glue has some dangers and users should read instructions to see if the glue is a good fit.

Paint, Glaze, Tints, Iridescence or Luster

These can be easily damaged depending on the type or brand along when it was applied. This is especially important on certain materials.

Polishing Creams or Paste

If the polishing creams or paste was not designed for jewelry cleaning, see manufacturer’s instructions, do not use.
The purpose of polishes, creams and pastes is for restoring and/or protection. A little bit goes a long way. Don’t let dry without puffing first, because it will be harder to remove later.

Orders (Unpleasant Smells)

If you open a container and it smells “BAD”, you might initially see many affected buttons. Make sure you have your latex or nitrile gloves on. The damage is the result of many factors – water exposure, mice invasion, Celluloid deterioration, to mention a few.

You might not understand the source of the smell initially, but you should let the buttons breathe. Find a spot in the house where you can isolate these buttons. Placing them outside might damage many of the man-made polymer or plastic buttons from sunlight or dampness, unless they have been UV protected and/or water proofed.

Look for any buttons that have crystallized and are brittle. Those are Celluloid buttons and might be the source of the smell. The smell might linger for a while after you remove those buttons and be deposited outside, since they are giving off fumes.

Alternative Cleaning methods

Depending on the materials present on the buttons, you might have to determine the best cleaning practice that works best without further damages. Remember these are suggestions and you proceed at your own risk. If there is more than one method, don’t think you need to go with the most expensive or extensive one for the best care.

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