Preserving an Autographed Cleat

Dear Donia,
How do I preserve a worn autographed cleat?

autographed cleat

Q. Dear Donia,

What is the best way to preserve an autographed cleat worn during a game? Do we leave it dirty? Do we put it in a case? Thanks, Shawnee

A. Dear Shawnee,

Thanks for asking your question and what a great one it is!

The best thing to do is be gentle with any cleaning. To get the dirt off the bottom, use an old toothbrush to brush away the dirt. For the upper, I would simply use a soft-bristled paintbrush and brush any surface dirt into the nozzle of a vacuum cleaner and then leave the rest alone. The dirt tells a story and once the surface dirt is off so it won't get on everything else, you can display it as you would like as long as it is not in any direct sunlight or near any other source of bright light as the signature could fade over time. A case would be good since it would help keep the dust off but don't put it in one with a built-in light.

Hope this helps!