[Atom Ant]

Greetings chip people of the world,

Last week i cleaned one of my KEM decks and altough the result was satisfying, i ended up damaging some of them. The good news is that the back of the cards remained intact so the deck is still playable. I have a few others decks i'd like to clean and need advice.

So, what's the best way to clean KEM cards withtout damaging them?

thanks!

[poislb]

I just wipe mine down with a damp cloth...

[Jambine]

For any plastic cards, I simply wipe them off with a damp cloth and dry immediately. I wouldn’t use anything stronger than water unless it was something specific to a stain or mark on the card. Even then, start out slow with club soda or something like that.

EDIT: Just remember that the card itself is very durable, the ink is not.

[OnTheButton]

I cleaned a few decks of old KEM's the other day. Some of them were feeling a little "gritty" when shuffling.

I took a brand new kitchen sponge put ONE DROP of dish soap on the short edge, got it wet, and squeezed most of the water out.

I then lightly dragged the sponge edge/corner across the faces and backs, (the amount of pressure I used was about the weight of the sponge) and used a barely damp paper towel to wipe off any soap residue.

I let them sit out and dry face up and they turned out just fine.

Sure it took some time to do this to 4 decks of cards, but now they are smooth and slide just like they used to. It really made a difference, and I saw no damage or curling occur afterwards.

[HENDU3270]

Originally Posted by Atom Ant

Greetings chip people of the world,

Last week i cleaned one of my KEM decks and altough the result was satisfying, i ended up damaging some of them. The good news is that the back of the cards remained intact so the deck is still playable. I have a few others decks i'd like to clean and need advice.

So, what's the best way to clean KEM cards withtout damaging them?

thanks!

What did you use that "damaged" them?

[Wooly1]

Kem cards used to come with a small paper inside the deck with cleaning instructions... I actually have one, I have posted this elsewhere on here but I will again... here is what it says:

Care Of Kem Plastic Playing Cards
Kem Card Company recommends the following care for your 100% cellulose acetate plastic cards. Proper care and storage of your Kem cards will ensure they remain attractive and flexible through the most rigorous of use

Store cards in a place with a stable temperature. Ideal temperature for storage is 68 to 72 degrees, Fahrenheit


When returning cards to box after use, place a joker on top of each deck, along with a cut card or piece of cardboard. This serves to prevent warping


When cleaning KEM cards, wash only in cool water and with mild soap (please, no detergents). Add a few drops of vinegar to the solution. Pat dry immediately after washing. Do not apply powder to the cards

Kem cards are made entirely of cellulose acetate material, the most durable plastic used today in playing card production. These cards are scuff and break resistant and completely washable

[DaBear]

Some info on cleaning Kems.

Care of KEM Plastic Playing Cards
In October of 1997, KEM sent a letter to customers advising them of the proper care and storage of the company's plastic playing cards. The company recommended the following:

Store cards in a place with a stable temperature. Ideal temperature for storage is 68 to 72 degrees, Fahrenheit.
When returning cards to box after use, place a joker on top of each deck, along with a cut piece of cardboard. This serves to prevent warping.
When cleaning KEM cards, use lukewarm water and Dawn dish detergent. Add a few drops of vinegar to the solution. Pat dry immediately after washing. Do not apply powder to the cards.

I've personally had decks of KEM cards that have lasted for several years. In the long run, it's less expensive to use plastic playing cards than regular ones, as the plastic cards are much more durable.

Sorry Wolly1 posted first, have to learn to type faster...........

[Q10 soooted]

I'm curious what you did to damage them as well. I had a fairly major cola spill on a deck of copags. I 'washed' them in the sink with a drop or two of liquid soap to ~1 gallon of water. I took 5-10 cards, dropped them in, swished them around a bit, then took them on to a drying cloth. After doing this to all of the cards I dried them individually. No sign of ink damage or any material damage. If I had to do it again or for a more gentle cleaning I'd use the same type of WEAK solution but instead would just use a sponge or a rag for the cards. These were pretty covered/sticky and was my first try to wash them so I did it fairly agressively.

[rowlin]

Would baby wipes be a bad idea?

[Atom Ant]

Here's how i damaged my KEM cards.

I soaked them in luke warm water with a few drops dishwashing soap.
I rubbed them togheter while in the water.
I then dried them with a cotton cloth.

The ink was damaged on a few cards and they all warped a litlle. Good thing they all warped inward, so they're still ok.

So don't do as i did!


Thanks the tips. Next deck i clean should be ok.