If, like 6-year-old me, you or your kids are curious about how to clean coins, follow the simple steps below to get dull coins sparkling using a slightly acidic solution that will eat away at the brown oxidation on the coins. How to Clean Steel Pennies (6 Stupid-Simple Tips) - Metal Hunting Magazine These are both proven odor busters! Agitate the water with your hands to create sudsy water and place the dirty pennies into the tub. Bringing luster back to copper pennies is easy once you know which ingredients get the job done. Thats because a coin is usually only considered cleaned if it shows hairlines or other signs of damage consistent with an abrasive cleaning as would be caused by the methods explained earlier in this post. As you clean more and more pennies, the acid will dissolve some of the copper on the pennies. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. To restore pennies to their original luster, simply plop them into a solution of vinegar and salt, let them sit for a few minutes, then rinse them off and watch them shine like new. Once the washer is filled, before the wash cycle starts, drop in a cup of vinegar. Try cleaning your quarters, dimes, and nickels using these techniques. Learn more As copper pennies continually change hands, they become prone to tarnishing and collecting dirt. The highly acidic nature of ketchup helps lift away dirt and debris when gently rubbed onto coins. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Well, perhaps youll want to save your $9.95 bottle of Shiny-O for your jewelry, pots, and pans, because all of the metal cleaners, dips, and polishes youve seen advertised on TV or on the shelves at your neighborhood big box store will ruin your coins surface patina. Depending on the coin and . NY 10036. Keep in mind, if you have a rare or antique penny, cleaning it may destroy its value, so look the penny up online if you suspect its worth something! The only downside to using cola to clean pennies is that this process takes a little longer than using vinegar or lemon juice and salt. This solution not only removes dirt and grime but washes away copper oxide from pennies. If you don't wash them off, a blue-green sheen will develop on your pennies. Keep in mind, the goal is never to make the coin look brand new and shiny. You cant watch daytime TV without seeing at least one or two ads touting the latest and greatest silver or copper polish. While most posts usually tell you HOW to clean coins, Id like to try something different: tell you how NOT to go about cleaning your coins. Use your fingers to work the cleaning paste into the surface of each coin and then rinse them under warm water to wash all residue away. By using our site, you agree to our. You can get Lincoln penniesby the roll at your local bank, or check with your parents or grandparents if they have a big-old-jar full of pennies and spare change sitting on top of their dresser. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Once clean rinse with soap and water and dry off. The trade-off is that the process may take a while for this low-level acid to work. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Using Vinegar and Salt 1 Put 1 tsp (5 g) of salt into 1/4 c (2 oz) of vinegar. I primarily collect and study U.S. coins produced during the 20th century. In a jar, combine 1 cup vinegar (or lemon juice) and 1 tablespoon salt. Scrub pocket change with baking soda and vinegar. Best Baking Soda and Vinegar Cleaning Solutions - Reader's Digest Most Valuable Quarters: A List Of Silver Quarters & Other Rare Quarters You Should Hold Onto! Should Coin Collectors Clean Their Coins? wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. was vinegar, salt and tomatoes) or with coca-cola. The friction does the work. Each victimized coin looked unusually shiny, and 5X magnification revealed countless tiny striations in the surface, rendering the coins almost worthless. While regular soap and water remove the grime, it doesnt remove the tarnish. For pennies of any possible value, do not clean them! Scrub any stubborn spots with a grill brush or kitchen scrubber. 6. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Follow the same procedure and your copper pot will look like new again. If your dish cloths/towels are white, add bleach into the load when you wash them. Step 6 (optional): If your coins are still dirty, you can fill the plastic container with a 1-inch layer of warm water. Mix a teaspoon of salt into the liquid by stirring until it is dissolved. % of people told us that this article helped them. Last Updated: February 10, 2023 Sprinkle the cleaner over the pennies and let them sit for a few minutes. For this method, you will use a commercially available cleanser called Bon Ami. pH is a measure of how acidic or basic a substance is, on a scale from 1 (very acidic) to 14 (very basic), with a neutral value at 7. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, Who would have thought that cleaning copper coins is like performing a fun science experiment in the home? This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.
\n<\/p>

\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/a\/a5\/Clean-Pennies-Step-14-Version-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Clean-Pennies-Step-14-Version-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/a\/a5\/Clean-Pennies-Step-14-Version-4.jpg\/aid132323-v4-728px-Clean-Pennies-Step-14-Version-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":259,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":410,"licensing":"