As part of the uniform, it is important to care for police and firefighter cap badges as well as the uniform badge holders that you use to store these items. This helps maintain a professional image throughout your team and also extends the life of the badge and badge holder in question. Discover the best way to care for your uniform ID badges and the holders for storingthem.
Follow Manufacturer Instructions
The most important rule when it comes to caring for police cap badges is to follow the instructions given by the manufacturer. If you did not receive care instructions with your badge or have since lost them, contact the manufacturer directly for advice and follow the best practices they outline. This is crucial since all uniform ID badges and uniform badge holders are slightly different.What works for one may not work for another.
That being said, the following advice will apply to nearly all badges and holders.
Cleaning Badges
When it comes time to clean your uniform ID badges, less is more in terms of the products used. Ideally, you will just use a damp microfiber cloth since nothing more should be needed, provided you take care of badge cleaning on a regular basis. Never use any abrasive cleaners or any sort of chemical to clean your badge, unless it is a specific formula that the manufacturer of the badge recommends. Otherwise, these types of products will cause damage to the badge, wearing down its appearance.
Take Care Around Certain Items and Conditions
To further care for your police cap badges, you should be cautious when using certain products or exposing the badge to specific conditions. When you apply cologne, perfume, hairspray, aftershave, or any other chemical that is in the form of a spray in the presence of the badge or while wearing it, be extra careful to ensure none of the substance gets on the badge. If these items get on the badge, they can lead to discolouration or stickiness that requires more than a microfiber cloth to remove.
You should also be careful when it comes to heat exposure with your badges. If you expose it to extreme heat, the badge may discolor over time or become malleable. Because of this, avoid storing it in hot cars (particularly on the dashboard) or right next to a heater.
Caring for the Badge Holder
Take as much care with uniform badge holders as you do with the badge itself. Remember that you want these to remain presentable to maintain your professional appearance when you display your badge and so they last longer. Most badge holders are made of leather, which means you can follow general care instructions for other leather items. This includes regularly applying leather conditioner on the badge case or wallet. This will help the leather retain moisture, which lets it last longer.
If the badge case gets wet, make sure it dries thoroughly, but do so slowly and naturally. If you try to speed dry it with a hair dryer or something else, this can lead to warped leather.
You should be able to remove any dust and dirt with a gentle cloth, like the microfiber one you use for your badge, plus some warm water. Just be sure to let the wallet dry afterward.
As with badges, do your best to keep the badge wallet out of extreme temperatures since direct sunlight can make the leather fade, heat exposure can lead to bubbles and peeling, and freezing temperatures can cause weakness and brittleness.
When in doubt, follow the care instructions from the manufacturer of the firefighter cap badge case.