[Milsurplus] Equipment Tag Cleaning

[James C Whartenby]

Call for Help!
Does anyone on the list have a tried and true method of cleaning those
aluminum equipment designation tags?
I assume the lettering is made by a black anodize (reverse of plating?)
process.  The problem with the one I have is it appears to be faded,
maybe bleached by the sun?  I was thinking of using a caustic cleaner to
brighten the bare aluminum but I don't know what to do about renewing the
anodized finish.
I tried a Google search but didn't find anything useful.  Any suggestions
would be appreciated!
Regards from Arkansas,
Jim