cancel
Showing results for 
Show  only  | Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

CLEANING MY SHINY BRITE ORNAMENTS. I don't want to ruin them.

I bought a box of old Shiny Brite ornaments and some other glass orn. They are so dirty. Is there a safe way to clean them? I did a board search and couldn't find any specifics. I tried a moist paper towel on a broken piece and it took off the snow AND the paint. Can you please help me?
Message 1 of 62
latest reply
61 REPLIES 61

CLEANING MY SHINY BRITE ORNAMENTS. I don't want to ruin them.

The paints used are water-based, so I think any liquid would take it right off. Compressed air may be your only option, to clean off any loose dirt and dust.

I'll be interested to see if anyone has a better idea.

VintageO I get very tense around apples... Well, I get very tense generally. I think I’ve fallen into the trap of blaming fruit.

Image hosted by Photobucket.com I was nothing more than an almost innocent bystander!

Message 2 of 62
latest reply

CLEANING MY SHINY BRITE ORNAMENTS. I don't want to ruin them.

ornament_gal
Enthusiast
no ideas here either. I'm looking at a nice silver one on my desk...used to be a peach color. I've given up on trying to clean them other than to blow the dirt out.
Message 3 of 62
latest reply

CLEANING MY SHINY BRITE ORNAMENTS. I don't want to ruin them.

I wouldn't say my method is better, just a litle different. I use a very old cloth diaper that has been washed at least a thousand times and is almost threadbare to gently wipe dust off the ornaments. You can't use any moisture at all or the colors come right off. A plain paper towel is just rough enough to rub the color off too. Any snow or mica should just be left alone. Often the silvering has developed oxidized rings that look like dirt. They won't come off with dusting because they are on the inside of the ornament.
Message 4 of 62
latest reply

CLEANING MY SHINY BRITE ORNAMENTS. I don't want to ruin them.

Some great suggestions - Here is another thought.

I clean mime with a very soft cosmetic brush.
A very light dusting gets off the grunge and doesn't
damage the original finish or paint. As Yankeepeddler suggests, stay away from any mica or snow - you'll damage your ornament.

These old ornaments are special and have shared their charm with families for so many years. It's wonderful that you're now concerned with protecting them for future generations to enjoy!

My kids wear fur.

~ ~ ~
Image hosting by PhotobucketImage hosting by Photobucket
My kids wear fur.

~ Laurie ~
Message 5 of 62
latest reply

CLEANING MY SHINY BRITE ORNAMENTS. I don't want to ruin them.

Thanks. I now really appreciate people who carefully box and store their ornaments.
Message 6 of 62
latest reply

CLEANING MY SHINY BRITE ORNAMENTS. I don't want to ruin them.

ornament_gal
Enthusiast
Why is it that every box of Shiny Brites that I pick up at a yard sale still has the hanging wires attached just banging around scratching the ornaments? Ok people take the wires off every year when you put the ornaments away!

my pet peeve for the day.
Message 7 of 62
latest reply

CLEANING MY SHINY BRITE ORNAMENTS. I don't want to ruin them.

The ones I find usually have pine needles stuck to them.pine resin... yuck. I have several that don't have their metal caps on them but they have a strip of cardboard with a circle on the ends. The circle is forced into the neck and this serves as a sort of temporary, weak hanger I think.I'll try to get a photo. It's hard to describe. Have any of you seen these?
Message 8 of 62
latest reply

CLEANING MY SHINY BRITE ORNAMENTS. I don't want to ruin them.

Elkline, the cardboard ones could be World War 2 era ornaments. Metal was in such short supply by 1943 cardboard was used. It is possible that someone just remembered those ornaments and used a similar solution when they needed a top.
Message 9 of 62
latest reply

CLEANING MY SHINY BRITE ORNAMENTS. I don't want to ruin them.

Some ornamets were painted on the inside. Those can be cleaned.

Paper caps are WW II era and very very scarce. We group our WW II ornaments together so geusts will notice them.

Early WW II: no metallic paint, metal garland inside
Later: no garland, just a painted ornament or colored glass
Still Later: paper caps with hooks, no metal for caps
Finally: paper caps with a loop of string, no metal for hooks

Ornaments too dirty to display or with severe paint issues could be washed clean an re-decorated.

You can print decals on your ink jet printer and decal the ornaments.

Schwa
Message 10 of 62
latest reply

CLEANING MY SHINY BRITE ORNAMENTS. I don't want to ruin them.

Shiny Brite ornaments are wonderful. I also collect and sometimes sell them. I just try to take a very soft cloth to dust them gently. I like the suggestion of using a small soft costmetic brush - just avoid the decorations so you don't brush them off.

I have not run across any with pine tar but wondered if something like Goo Gone would take it off, using a Qtip saturated in it and dabbed on the sticky stuff. Maybe someone can try this on a test one to see.

All of the Shiny Brites that I have found have also had the metal toppers still attached.

Any of the ornaments that were used for years will have some scratching on the surfaces since the paint on the outside was not sealed in any way. A lot of collectors want to see this wear but I am surprised at how many people think that an ornament from the 1940's or 1950's should still be "mint in box" or they won't buy it.

I enjoy collecting Shiny Brite ornaments and hope to hear more discussion on them.

Joyce
Message 11 of 62
latest reply

CLEANING MY SHINY BRITE ORNAMENTS. I don't want to ruin them.

I read somewhere that the mica and snow is stuck on with gelatin. No wonder it comes off with water. I found some shiny brites that the lady had sprayed with clear acrylic spray to stop the color from flaking off. Do you think that would reduce their value?.It sure stabilized the surface.
Message 12 of 62
latest reply

CLEANING MY SHINY BRITE ORNAMENTS. I don't want to ruin them.

Wow- I just noticed that I posted on my own thread. LOL.I've learned a few things from the great people on this board since this thread was started.
Message 13 of 62
latest reply

CLEANING MY SHINY BRITE ORNAMENTS. I don't want to ruin them.

Probably a lot of collectors would feel that adding the protective spray to the outside was altering the genuine quality of the ornament, even though it did something useful like protecting the surface. My guess is that if you wanted the ornaments for your personal use and enjoyment that adding something like the protective coating would be your choice, but that it could possibly alter the value later. I probably would not do this for the ones I have though.

It is interesting that Shiny Brites at one time were affordable ornaments sold in "dime stores" and that the company that made them did not put a lot of time and labor into them to make them more durable just because they probably wanted to keep their cost low so many could be able to buy them. I guess that is why some of the collectors like to see missing paint and scratches because it shows that they truly were put into use over the years.

They are still special ornaments to collectors and I am happy any time I am able to come across a box of old ones!
Joyce
Message 14 of 62
latest reply

CLEANING MY SHINY BRITE ORNAMENTS. I don't want to ruin them.

The lady that sold me the Shiny Brites was the one that sprayed them, not me. If I do list them, I'll make sure to include that in my description. Some buyers buy for collecting and some just enjoy them. Can't hurt to try. 🙂
Message 15 of 62
latest reply