Before you grade
Should you clean a card before grading?
The safest default is conservative: remove nothing you are not certain is loose surface debris, and avoid techniques that alter the card.
Do not treat a trading card like a surface to restore. Whitening, chemical cleaning, wax, polishing, scratch removal, pressing and other appearance-changing work can create alteration or cleaning issues with graders.
What PSA currently flags
PSA’s published grading standards identify altered-stock issues including paper restoration, crease/wrinkle pressing, scratch removal, enhanced gloss, and foreign substances such as cleaning spray or wax. PSA also lists evidence of cleaning where whitener or solutions are used to remove certain stains.
A conservative preparation routine
- Work on a clean, dry surface with clean hands.
- Inspect the card under good lighting before touching the surface.
- If the card only has obvious loose dust, use the least-contact approach possible rather than rubbing.
- Stop if you are unsure whether a mark is debris, a stain, a print defect, coating damage or part of the card.
- Place the card into the holder recommended by your selected grader.
What not to do
- No household cleaners, alcohol, solvents or sprays.
- No waxes, polishes or gloss enhancers.
- No whitening borders or recoloring.
- No sanding, buffing or scratch-removal methods.
- No pressing or flattening intended to remove wrinkles/creases.
- No aggressive rubbing just to make the card “look better.”
IQ rule: if a tutorial could materially alter the collectible, we would rather tell a reader not to do it than chase a higher-looking grade.
Read PSA’s current standards ↗ Back to Grading Center
Source note
Primary source used for the PSA-specific statements: PSA Grading Standards. Policy-changing facts are date-stamped and linked to the grader so readers can verify current requirements.