Patch Restoration Project

[Wedgehead30]

I recently acquired large amount of patches mostly WWII. Unfortunately they came in and album glued to the paper pages. Being a bit OC I decided to see if I could safely remove the paper and glue without damaging the patches. So I thought I'd document my procedure and results.

 

From my research it seems that there are two ways to safely do this. Steaming and soaking, I decided to go with the latter.

 

So here's my first attempt. A rather common Army Ground Forces Replacement Depots patch. As you can see it's somewhat soiled and there's a fair amount of paper & glue on the back.

 

[Wedgehead30]

So let's give it a quick test to make sure it's an original patch.

 

• Cut edge - pass
• Snow back - pass
• UV Light - pass
• Burn test - pass

So I'm pretty confident this is an original and worth my time & effort.

[Wedgehead30]

Okay on to soaking. Mix up a little Dreft laundry detergent and some warm water. Add the patch and let it soak for at least an hour. I went two.

 

 

Now it's time to clean. First remove the paper with tweezers. once you're down to the glue lightly brush it with a medium stiffness brush. Be easy and the glue will come off. If you get aggressive you may damage the stitching.

 

 

[Wedgehead30]

Next up, rinsing, drying and pressing. I softly rinsed the patch under warm water to get the soap out. Then I blotted it dry and left it out for about an hour. Finally I placed it between two towels and put a heavy item on it. I also hit it with an iron on low heat after it had been under the press for a while. But I don't think it was actually necessary. I didn't actually let the iron touch the patch, just the top towell.

 

[Wedgehead30]

Here's the final product, a nicely restored patch. But it is pretty stiff and it looks like I picked up a glow from the Dreft.

 

[Nack]

Very scientific approach to things I have been pondering. Good work!

 

The patch looks much nicer too!

[Wedgehead30]

So, lessons learned.

 

• No problem with the after glow as long as you're keeping it for yourself.
• Add a little fabric softener to the mix. It might help with the stiffness.
• Never try this on a valuable patch.
• Never on wool or felt.

I need to experiment further to find the right soap and combination of soap and softener. I'm definitely going to give the steaming method a try next.

 

So there you have it folks. My feeble attempt at restoring a patch.

 

Take it for what it's worth. Your mileage may vary...

Scott

[Sabrejet]

A well constructed "how to" thread Scott...well done! I've done something similar myself in the past. The worst-case scenario is when the previous owner used either a "hard" or a latex glue! The hard glues are often insoluble...ditto the latex. Of the two, the latex is the easiest to remove because it can be laboriously picked off.

[ed101]

Nice article, have you tried non phosphate Arm & Hammer detergent, or oxyclean?

[manayunkman]

Why did you select Dreft ?

 

Does it need detergent ?

 

It does look cleaner.

 

To help you with your OC maybe you should black light different detergents ? Tung in cheek....whooops

 

Seriously someday that patch will go to someone else with a glow.

 

You might have to document the better patches so as to not provoke any controversy in the future.

 

Or find a detergent that doesn't glow ?

 

Just trying to think outside the bucket.

[Sabrejet]

Maybe he's being sponsored by Dreft? A nice little earner....as we say over here!

[manayunkman]

Maybe he's being sponsored by Dreft? A nice little earner....as we say over here!

 

 

[Wedgehead30]

Nice article, have you tried non phosphate Arm & Hammer detergent, or oxyclean?

 

No, but I will. I've got plenty of patches to fix..

 

Sent from my LG-E970 using Tapatalk 2

 

 

[Wedgehead30]

Why did you select Dreft ?

 

Does it need detergent ?

 

It does look cleaner.

 

To help you with your OC maybe you should black light different detergents ? Tung in cheek....whooops

 

Seriously someday that patch will go to someone else with a glow.

 

You might have to document the better patches so as to not provoke any controversy in the future.

 

Or find a detergent that doesn't glow ?

 

Just trying to think outside the bucket.

 

According to the Boss...err, my wife, Dreft is the least harsh detergent. According to the box, it contains no phosphate. I used the detergent to help with the soiling and it's supposed to help loosen the glue.

 

The patch will stay with me and then to my son after that.............???

 

I will be trying different methods and detergents until I find the right combination. I'm also going to see if I can eliminate the glow from this patch. All of which will include the UV light.

 

Good idea on the documentation. I will have to do that so there's no question about it's originality.

[Wedgehead30]

Maybe he's being sponsored by Dreft? A nice little earner....as we say over here!

 

Ya do what ya gotta do....

[hardstripe]

I use my wife's quilt soap. The brand is ORVUS and it is around $11.00 for an 8 ounce bottle. The good news is it is specially formulated to be used on antique quilts and only takes 1 tablespoon per a washing machine load. I just dip one finger up to the knuckle and mix in a plastic bowl with 2 quarts of warm water. Let soak as long as you want. The paper will peal off. Lightly brush the glue as noted above. Every patch I have washed using this method came out OK.

[Wedgehead30]

I use my wife's quilt soap. The brand is ORVUS and it is around $11.00 for an 8 ounce bottle. The good news is it is specially formulated to be used on antique quilts and only takes 1 tablespoon per a washing machine load. I just dip one finger up to the knuckle and mix in a plastic bowl with 2 quarts of warm water. Let soak as long as you want. The paper will peal off. Lightly brush the glue as noted above. Every patch I have washed using this method came out OK.

 

 

Awesome, thanks for the tip.

[BROBS]

I use my wife's quilt soap. The brand is ORVUS and it is around $11.00 for an 8 ounce bottle. The good news is it is specially formulated to be used on antique quilts and only takes 1 tablespoon per a washing machine load. I just dip one finger up to the knuckle and mix in a plastic bowl with 2 quarts of warm water. Let soak as long as you want. The paper will peal off. Lightly brush the glue as noted above. Every patch I have washed using this method came out OK.

You can't just find this info anywhere, folks!

 

-Brian

[Patchcollector]

Soap is'nt necessary unless the patch is really dirty and one wants to clean it.I soak mine minus the soap,just water,and achieve nearly the same results,minus the glow.

[Wedgehead30]

I use my wife's quilt soap. The brand is ORVUS and it is around $11.00 for an 8 ounce bottle. The good news is it is specially formulated to be used on antique quilts and only takes 1 tablespoon per a washing machine load. I just dip one finger up to the knuckle and mix in a plastic bowl with 2 quarts of warm water. Let soak as long as you want. The paper will peal off. Lightly brush the glue as noted above. Every patch I have washed using this method came out OK.

 

 

For what it's worth. Since I originally started this post I took hardstipe's suggestion and purchased some Orvus quilt soap. I should have known, my wife is a big quilter and knew right away what I should have used. I didn't originally tell her what I was trying to do and had just asked her for a mild soap and she told me Dreft. Once again, be clear and always check with the Boss first...

 

But anyway, I had several patches that were given to me. They looked like they had spent the last decade in a coal mine. I used the Orvus soap with the same procedure. I can tell you that the Orvus is the shiznit. All of the patches came out looking damn near brand new. No negative after effects, no glow, soft and supple.

 

Give it a try and you won't be disappointed.......a little "earner" on my part as Sabrejet would say.

 

Cheers,

Scott

[jgawne]

You can rinse it better in plain water to decrease the glow,

 

and it will fade over time as the brighteners wear out. They don't change the structure of the actual fibers, just leaves a residue that reflects light back in a higher spectrum that hits it (making things looks bluer, and hence more white than plain white.)

[bheskett]

Great thread about cleaning patches. I bet this works about as well n field gear. I have a pile of gear that was in the rafters of a pole barn for decades and its pretty soiled.

 

Bob