Cleaning buttons help

[JMorgan]

Does anybody know a good way to clean dug civil war buttons. I've tried using a soft toothbrush but that still chips it away and I don't want to ruin any more buttons. Under this mess is a nice eagle button. What should I do to clean it without ruining it?

 

[brnn53]

Use a toothpick and slowly remove the gunk. If you see gold gilt, then you can use aluminum jelly but only if you see the gilt. Otherwise it will turn it red and ugly.
Mike

 

[GRAY GHOST]

ive always soft brass brushed my buttons. you gotta be careful, bad encrustation requires a good soak in olive oil first. you can only do so much anyway without destroying the value or breaking the shank. also the buttons condition coming out the ground largely depends on the ground itself. but ya gotta go slow and be careful. good luck, and hh,

 

[Neil in West Jersey]

I recently asked the same question. The response I got was to use the same peroxide method that is used for copper coins. I have used it for coins with great success. Simply put, Heat hydrogen peroxide in a microsafe dish until it bubbles. Then place the button in the peroxide until it stops bubbling. Gently wipe the button with a wet QTip. Don't waste money on the generic cotton swabs. they tend to unravel leaving cotton on the object. You can use a very light coating of petroleum jelly to bring out the finish.

The Indian Head in my avatar is a recent result of the peroxide method, as well as the plated button.

I hope this helps.