[1] 2 Add enough acetic acid (vinegar, white vinegar is most recommended) to moisten the salt into a paste. Pat the coin dry. Use a small plastic container full of hydrogen peroxide. Top 7 Ways to Ruin Your Coins - The Spruce Crafts Can hydrogen peroxide be used to clean coins? If your pennies still dont get clean after the fifth step, you can mix baking soda with a tablespoon of water, then use an old soft toothbrush to gently scrub the surface. Wed love to hear from our readers! Next, soak the coins in the solution for 5 minutes, making sure theyre spread out so theyre all submerged. In this video, I'm showing you the 2 safest methods to clean coins without devaluing them. For coins that dont have collectible value, you can use sand, olive oil, and even isopropyl alcohol to get the job done. 5 Ways to Clean Your Pennies - The Spruce Crafts Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Mouthwash not only helps with dental health but can help you clean up dirty coins. This, Read More How to Clean Corroded Pennies Safely and EffectivelyContinue, If youve ever discovered gold jewelry in the woods or beach before, then you likely stumbled upon jewelry that was quite dirty and in need, Read More How to Clean Gold Jewelry With Vinegar Without Any DamageContinue, ABOUT|AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE|PRIVACY POLICY|TERMS OF USE. Beach Metal Detectors Youll be surprised at what works and what doesnt! Under Water Metal Detectors Rinse the coins with fresh water after 24 hours and let them air dry. There are various other methods to clean your pennies. It is easy to just use any cleaning agent for this, but you need to understand that there are many cleaning materials that will potentially damage the penniesand even hurt your skin in the process. Rinse and dry: After scrubbing, rinse in warm water and dry the copper with a lint-free dishtowel. This is what gives some pennies their odd bluish hue. References. Like vinegar, ammonia has a strong chemical odor, so you may want to wear gloves when cleaning with this method. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. The coins need to be submerged in the vinegar, so make sure the vinegar doesn't have too much space to spread out. Baking soda and vinegar have proven to be one of the most effective ways to clean tarnished coins. So at the very least you need distilled water as a working medium. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. The acetic acid in white vinegar can help remove contaminants from your coins. If you have any other ideas, please share them in the comments below. Those are meant to clean items like antique silver vases and your wedding ring. Enjoy! But before you start your timer, make sure none of the pennies are touching themselves. PCGS offers a restoration service that can aid in cleaning your coins professionally. Dry the coins with a microfiber cloth to give them that extra shine! Heritage Auctions is an online consignment program with a 10 percent fee. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. If this does not bother, you and you simply want to restore the coin for yourself you can use a baking soda paste. Removing the copper oxide by cleaning will give your penny a brand-new look. Be patient and try not to get frustrated. When you put your pennies in a vinegar and salt mix, the vinegar and salt react together and remove the copper oxide. The Garrett Ace Apex is one of my favorite metal detectors for coin shooting. Warm distilled water can be used to clean coins. If the water is not enough, continue down the list and use dish soap. Rinse the coin very well under warm water. If you use the right materials and carry out the process in a gentle manner, you can get the best of both worlds a set of cleaned shiny pennies that are also not damaged. 4 Ways to Clean Copper Coins - wikiHow That would be true if your plan was to only use vinegar to clean a corroded penny. Avoid rubbing where possible as they can scratch and damage the coins surface. There are also various commercial cleaners available in the market to clean your pennies, but they may prove a bit expensive if you have lots of pennies to clean. Every cleaner is thoroughly vetted and every cleaning is backed by a 100% money-back guarantee. If youre more of a do-it-yourselfer, try using a basic household cleaner to start. AspenCleans glass cleaner was voted Parents Green Pick 2020 by readers of the Parents magazine. At this stage, the corrosion on the pennies mustve reacted with the lemon and salt solution, so it is time for you to start removing them from the container. For instance, use a small applicator to "paint" only the heads for an unusual "cameo" effect. You can always put them on other websites like Facebook market, but you may not reach the intended audience with that forum. The first step to cleaning a copper penny is soaking it in vinegar. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. WATER. You might have to use multiple methods or go back and forth between methods until you find the one that works best for you. How to Clean Copper Naturally So It Looks Brand-New - Real Simple The presence of salt and vinegar as its ingredients explains why this method works. With this simple technique, anyone can get their penny as clean as it once was. Wait about five minutes and check your pennies. Ultrasonic cleaners work by microcavitation. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. You must remember to use these at your discretion. Where I live, we have acidic and hard water. Remember, you can always try cleaning a coin again, but you cant reverse mistakes. You want something a bit more gentle for silver coins but you will need a heavier abrasive for your copper pennies. Ketchup contains acid that can help remove copper stains. Dip one penny halfway into the liquid. Soak your quarters in lemon juice. Dab some yellow mustard onto a cotton ball or soft cloth and rub firmly over the entire surface of the coin until it starts turning darker than usualthis means that its working! If you are planning to keep the coins for your own collection, you may certainly clean them as you see fit. You can also clean pennies with a combination of salt and lemon juice or salt and orange juice. These cookies do not store any personal information. If they look clean enough, use a soft cloth to dry them. You can use lemon juice to clean copper pennies, but youll want to work in a well-ventilated area when you do. Repeat the process as many times as you need in order to get the coins clean. Your fingers contain oils, acids, and minuscule pieces of grit that will adhere to the surface of the coins and cause them to discolor or suffer microscopic scratching. Last Updated: November 9, 2022 If pennies are collectibles, then cleaning them may reduce their value. In 1943, the composition changed to zinc plated steel due to the need for copper during World War II. If the quarter is clean, rinse it off with distilled water. Elias specializes in helping clients find cleaning services with instant booking and flexible pricing. It does this by using the low levels of acids that are contained naturally in vinegar and lemon juice to remove the patina (brown oxidation) on the penny. The right materials will effectively clean your pennies and will also be safe for your hands. Soak your pennies for five minutes in vinegar to dissolve any copper oxide left on them from handling before you start scrubbing them with toothpaste or soap. One of the most recommended cleaning solutions for wheat pennies is white vinegar. It works similarly to ketchup. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Vinegar is a great cleaning agent because it will remove the copper oxide thats on your pennies. There is something so magical and intriguing about looking through coins from the past. [1] How to Effectively Clean a Penny and Other Old Coins - Real Simple In this video I clean three old worn large cents. Submerge the coins in a shallow bath of vinegar and let them soak for at least an hour. Rubbing alcohol can be used to clean pennies and other copper coins, as well as other metals. Any attempt at cleaning a coin can reduce its value. We will focus on the materials you need, how to use them, and most importantly, how to carry out the cleaning process in a safe way so that the pennies do not get damaged or lose their integrity. Again, if you have hard or corrosive water, go with distilled water. Dish soap is another good cleaning method and is very gentle. Lemon juice. If your penny is really important to you. Passchal.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.comSitemap | Contact | Privacy Policy. Leave the coin to soak for about 5 minutes or so and then check on its condition. Apply the paste with a microfiber cloth and rinse it off with water. I like to use distilled water to clean coins if I decide to clean them. Coins generally lose value as they get cleaner. Fill up two plastic containers with distilled water and a tablespoon of mild hand soap. How To Clean A Penny Without Damaging It (Detailed Guide) Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full pricewine, food delivery, clothing and more. You can also find protective books which have individual sleeves for each coin. Place the quarter you want to clean into a small plastic bowl. We all enjoy the metal detecting finds we discover, and sometimes, even pennies fall into that category. There are various other methods to clean your pennies. If you need to remove dirt from your coins, remove the worst of it with a tooth pick. Take them out, setting them on the cloth. Wheat pennies are a relatively common find when metal detecting. How to Clean Steel Pennies (6 Stupid-Simple Tips) - Metal Hunting Magazine Place your pennies at the bottom of the cup or glass so that they are not stacked on top of each other. Rubbing the surface of a coin can damage it, even if you cannot see it. Wheat pennies were made of different metals during different years depending on the need for metals. This could mean going into tight corners with cotton swabs dipped in diluted vinegar solution or water; however, if there are no crevices left untouched by this step then this is generally enough for most coins because they wont have been exposed much during wear-and-tear over time anyway (if at all). Soak your coins in a glass or other non-corrosive container for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight, and then wipe with a clean cloth or scrub gently with an old toothbrush. Like vinegar, citrus juice is acidic and wears off copper oxide on coins. The baking soda isnt acidic like vinegar and citrus juice solutions, so leaving the paste in place for a while is safe. The key is to ensure that you dont use anything super abrasive, especially on older coins. As you can see, these materials are very cheap and easy to find anywhere. Do not clean these valuable pennies on your own, and if you do, only use distilled water. You will not need to clean your coins repeatedly if you know the best way to clean pennies and how to preserve them properly. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 1 How do you clean old copper coins without damaging them? It only requires rubbing the penny with a pencil eraser. Be sure to check with a professional before cleaning a corroded coin that may have significant value. Nearly all metal detectors will be able to find coins in the right conditions. White Vinegar One of the most recommended cleaning solutions for wheat pennies is white vinegar. Overall, cleaning a copper penny is not that difficult most of the time, and any of the methods listed above will be sure to get the job done right. Using a soft cloth, apply your chosen cleaner to the coin and allow it to soak in for five minutes. This is the important part: rinse with distilled, not tap water. As a general rule, make the paste at a ratio of 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water. Your email address will not be published. After learning about how to clean a copper penny in this article, you should be able to do it well and keep your coin looking better for longer. 2 Pour a few ounces of vinegar into a shallow dish. If youve ever discovered gold jewelry in the woods or beach before, then you likely stumbled upon jewelry that was quite dirty and in need, Read More How to Clean Gold Jewelry With Vinegar Without Any DamageContinue, Wheat pennies are a relatively common find when metal detecting. Dish soap is also a good and very gentle way to clean coins. If you do not sell your coin, you do not pay. Dont use steel wool or abrasive chemicals to clean your penny, as this could damage the metal. What is the fastest way to clean copper coins? There are a variety of suggested ways when it comes to cleaning coins, and cleaning . On average, a quarter-cup should be adequate. Pennies are normally made of copper, which is a shiny, bright metal, and more recently Zinc. It can even be used as a metal polishing solution. Repeat the treatment with more oil as needed. Make sure that you continue to stir in the salt until it dissolves, then place the pennies in so that they are not stacked in any way. Subscribe To Me: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=TheBoxUnboxed https://twitter.com/TheBoxUnboxed Use Promo Code TBU for 10% off GFUEL http://www.gammalabs.net Use Promo Code TBU For 5% off Custom Pc's at http://lostlegionpcs.webs.com/ Use Promo Code tbu for NoScope Gaming Glasses or use the link below https://www.noscopeglasses.com/demon-glasses?tracking=tbu Continue to slowly add water to the baking soda until it takes on the consistency of paste. Both can damage coins easily. This makes it easier for copper atoms to join oxygen from the air and chlorine from the salt and form a blue green compound called malachite. One of the main reasons for pennies becoming dirty is their continual circulation among people. How to clean copper pennies using vinegar and baking soda. Its also an effective way to remove oxidation from copper and make sure that there are no stains left behind. That is because ketchup has vinegar in it, which is naturally acidic. The amount of vinegar used to clean the pennies depends on the number of coins you wish to clean. If needed, use a soft towel or soft-bristled brush to scrub the coin. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Steel pennies were abandoned the following year, and brass pennies were introduced. Drop your coins into the mixture and let them sit for about 5 minutes. This process only works in fluid. Drop your coins into the mixture and let them sit for about 5 minutes. You can clean a dug copper coin by removing layers of dirt, gently, with a toothpick, piece of wood, or your fingernail until getting down to the patina. Let them soak for a while. Pennies are made from highly reactive metals like copper or copper alloys, so it is only normal for them to get corroded with time. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Whether its a regular penny or a wheat penny, hopefully youve found this article to showcase a helpful method on how to clean a corded penny. Copper, silver, nickel, and gold coins should strictly never be cleaned. Get a corrosive resistant container, such as a glass, and soak your wheat pennies in the vinegar for at least 30 minutes. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Ketchup can restore the copper glow of a penny. You can clean as many pennies you want with a single pencil eraser. Or in layman's terms, by generating microscopic bubbles between a hard surface and a softer material, and allowing them to catastrophically collapse. If you dont have vinegar, lemon juice should work just fine. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. If you have a collection of copper pennies, chances are that theyre not looking their best. When you have them totally clean, let them air dry and enjoy the bright sheen that your pennies have. Cleaning in small batches is a better option. After a good shake, take the coins out and rinse them off. Silver dollars, or any collectible silver coin, should only be cleaned under certain conditions. Lightly rub the ketchup into the coin with a soft toothbrush, then rinse off the ketchup. Other coins are molded from different metals, so the solution may not work as well on them.