Tarnish and Rust Care
It's important to know what type of metal(s) you steel type pokémon are made of so you can properly care for them. Some pokémon have different metal make-ups depending on their breed or whether or not they're a shiny.
Tarnish
Metals That Will Tarnish:
- Brass (Honedge line)
- Bronze (Bronzor line)
- Copper (Cufant line)
- Pewter (Melmetal)
- Steel (even stainless steel) (Steelix)
- Sterling Silver (Orthworm)
Taking care of tarnished pokémon is pretty simple. Use a microfiber cloth to dust the dirt off your pokémon. Use Q-tips or tooth brushes to remove dirt from more difficult to clean areas. Mix a tablespoon or so of natural dish soap in a bucket, dip the microfiber cloth in and wipe down their coat. With metals like bronze it's important to be gentle with them as their coats can be easily damaged. Afterwards, rinse your pokémon with water to remove any leftover soap residue. With iron alloys like steel, it's important to dry them off thoroughly to prevent rust.
Rust
Only iron and iron alloys rust. The best way to prevent your iron pokémon, the Magnemite line, for example, from rusting is to take proper preventative measures. Pokémon with iron coats need to be kept away from moisture as much as possible, which means they don't play well with water-type pokemon. If they do get wet it's important to dry them off as soon as possible.