Gold braid only slightly discoloured may be cleaned by beating it with a soft brush dipped in fine whiting, calcined magnesia, or fuller's-earth. If badly spotted and blotched, the stains may be removed by carefully brushing with a brush dipped in a warm solution of potassium cyanide - 1 dr. to 1/2 pt. of water - then in clean warm water. If the braid is of poor quality, all attempts at cleaning will only make its appearance worse.