We should point out a very important distinction at this point: The paint applied to American helmets is much thicker and durable than that used on German helmets. Therefore American shells can retain a good percentage of paint even if the shell has turned into a dome of rust. The M1 shell had a rough texture, made by adding cork to the paint. Do not use strong abrasive devices as this will remove the cork from the shell, and will only save the smoother part of the helmet. A good cleaning product that can be utilised for helmet cleaning is the abrasive washing powder of the type used to clean sinks. Use this powder with some water and rub it in with your fingers all over the shell, (not forgetting to be careful in areas where insignia/decals might be present), then rinse with plenty of water. Take a look at the results and repeat as necessary. Bear in mind however, that with such powder you will inevitably remove some paint as well as rust.

You can mix the above method with another: spray over the shell some limescale removing detergent, you can steal it from your mother or wife, as this type of detergent  is used by housewives for cleaning the bathroom! You need to ensure that you use the type that contains Phosphoric Acid. The types that use Chlorine should not be used. Leave the limescale remover on the shell for 2-3 minutes then rinse with soap and water. Check your results and repeat as necessary.

German helmets were produced with a much thinner finish, although of high quality. The use of abrasives may greatly damage any remaining paint. Of course helmets were repainted in the field, and so helmets can be found with considerably thicker layers of paint on them, thus a better resistance to corrosion. This alone does not justify attacking a German helmet with vigorous cleaning. By far the best approach is to use limescale remover - taking extra care when using this product in areas where decals might be found, as even this mild acid will damage decals.

The M1 above still retained much of its finish, as well as traces of netting. Unfortunately the metal had become so fragile, with paint becoming detached with the shell. In this case the application of a thick coat of protective transparent paint proved to be necessary to preserve the integrity of the relic and to reinforce the fragile shell.

After cleaning the wet helmet must be dried. I use a hairdryer for this purpose as it gets the shell dry fast. Remember to let any leather parts dry naturally.

Once the shell is dry apply a layer of protective Vaseline oil. This will protect the shell as well as help to revive the colours. Alternatively, if the shell is very fragile then a coat of clear paint or lacquer may be applied. However this should be only taken as a last resort as it is irreversible.

The above method can also be used on other painted objects such as road charts, ammunition boxes etc.

UNPAINTED IRON RELICS.

Even a rusted piece of iron can be of some interest to a military archaeologist: a bayonet, a gun part or a mechanical device. These kinds of objects, that were never painted, can be cleaned with much less attention than the previous category. After removing most of the dirt and loose rust manually, you can consider whether the use of abrasive or chemical means. I prefer the latter on most occasions. You can use limescale remover or vinegar, just leave the item in the solution until the rust is gone! From time to time you can take out the item and clean it with a plastic brush and rinse it with clean water. This gives you a chance to examine the item before deciding to re-immerse it into the solution, as well as clearing away more loose rust in order for the solution to get to work on the deeper rust underneath. This entire procedure will take from 1-3 days depending on the amount of rust on the relic and the strength of the acid solution.

Once the rust is gone wash the relic again using a brush, soap and water (to ensure all traces of the acid are removed). Then dry it with the hairdryer and apply a coat of protective oil.

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