Add a half a cup of baking soda with the laundry detergent to supercharge the cleaning process. According to coin experts, cleaning any potentially collectible coins might cause them to lose value. Check the coins date and compare them to online resources or get advice from coin collectors before cleaning coins. First, the water bath method, followed by the acetone bath method:How To Clean A Coin Without Damaging ItWatch this video on YouTube. You can even use tamarind juice instead of vinegar or lemon juice. Learn how to clean copper pennies using items you have in your cupboard right now. Go through your wallet, drawers, car and anywhere else that change tends to pile up to find pennies in need of cleaning. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. Let your kids use an old toothbrush to apply the paste to each coin, scrubbing gently. Dip one penny halfway into the liquid. Useful Tips To Make Your Everyday Life Just A Bit Better. As a small thank you, wed like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Pennies get dull and dirty because the copper in the pennies reacts with oxygen in the air to form copper oxide. In this video, Im showing you how to safely clean coins yourself. This procedure gives your pennies a nice DIY copper polish that you can also use for copper items throughout your home. Mix a teaspoon of salt into the liquid by stirring until it is dissolved. Use a soft toothbrush to dip into the ketchup and gently scrub the surface of the penny with it. 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! These two methods are the ONLY safe ways to clean your coins at home yourself without damaging your coins and lowering their value! Gentle cleaning methods that use natural items like vinegar and salt are preferable to commercial coin cleaners, which usually contain harsh chemicals that can easily damage the coin. You can polish your pennies with a polishing cloth from a silverware set to give them a polished surface. Then, mix up some baking soda and just enough white vinegar to make an abrasive paste. As a scientist, Stacy Kish has focused her research on Earth science, specifically oceanography and climate change. Toothpaste is a highly abrasive agent that will strip away more than just plaque it could literally remove metal right from your coin. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. Using small circular motions produces the best results. Mix 1 2/3 cups baking soda and 1/2 cup liquid soap in a bowl. Real Helpful. Pick up a little ketchup on an old toothbrush by dipping it in the ketchup. Gently swirl the cup so the penny is completely covered with ketchup. Pour the lemon juice into a small container or bowl and add the salt. Pour the . I primarily collect and study U.S. coins produced during the 20th century. Leave the paste on for about 1 minute to 10 minutes, depending on the severity of the tarnish. Read more in our privacy policy. If you're collecting just for fun and with no intention of one day selling or trading your coins, the steps below will clean a standard oxidized penny (that is only worth one cent) with ease. ", "Doing a science experiment on this topic. Pour a little bit of 100% pure acetone nail polish remover over the coin just enough to ensure that the coin is completely submerged. The salt helps lift black spots off of old copper coins. Pour your pennies into the bowl and stir them gently with a spoon. If your pennies are scratched and newer than 1982, they may end hollowed out. Remove hard water stains by placing a vinegar-soaked towel over the affected area. According to Amanda Morris, associate chair of the chemistry . Bar Keepers Friend is also ideal as a copper pot cleaner. For pennies of any possible value, do not clean them! If you're a serious coin collector, you can hire professional services to clean coins in a way that won't diminish the coins' value. Give the pennies a good rinse, dry them in a towel, and they should be shining like new. Rinse the coins to reveal the now-shiny surfaces. Removing patina, tarnish, and gunk from those coins is simple using the right cleaning solution. However, if you want to Coin Stack a Penny Bridge or Play Penny Ante, it may be nice to have clean, shiny pennies at your disposal. Next, add a squirt of dishwashing liquid and agitate the water to create bubbles. Lincoln Memorial Penny (1959 to Today) Values and Prices. 3. Vinegar and Salt Make a solution of vinegar and salt and let the pennies soak. ", pennies?" Rub that all over the penny with your fingers to bring back the shine. Rinse the coins thoroughly under running water until they shine and then dry them with paper towels. My love for coins began when I was 11 years old. 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. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Baking soda is the common name for sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3). 7 Rare Wheat Pennies To Collect & What Theyre Worth Today, This 1982 Copper Penny Is Worth $10,000! Its essential to use a mild cleaner when cleaning old coins. Ketchup can restore the copper glow of a penny. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 69,924 times. Both the baking-soda-and-vinegar and the baking-soda-and-salt methods can be . This article has been viewed 1,414,495 times. "When you are cleaning using baking soda or vinegar, you are actually doing very complicated manipulations of molecules," said May Nyman, a professor in the department of chemistry at Oregon State University. Place a lid on the container and soak the coins for one week. Today, I collect and study U.S. coins made during the 20th century. The answer is pretty basic baking soda and vinegar lie on opposite ends of the pH scale. 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. You're in the right place! Cleaning one-two punch As a base, baking soda dissolves organic compounds like dirt, grease and . Once clean rinse with soap and water and dry off. Using chemical cleaners or scrubbing the coins could leave scratches and marks that will be easy for a skilled appraiser to pick up on. While holding the penny on a flat, stable surface with one hand, use the pencil eraser to rub the dirt and brown oxidation off of the penny using a small circular motion. Real Helpful. Coca-Cola, or any generic type of cola soda, contains acids that dissolve away grime from coins and removes copper dioxide. 1) Fill the bottom of a small bowl with 1/2 1 inch of There are only two methods I recommend to anyone who wishes to clean coins at home: What this method of coin cleaning does is wash away loose surface particles without damaging the coins delicate surfaces. If youre attempting to clean a large amount of pennies, you may need to empty the dish and mix up some fresh solution periodically. Careful, circular motions with the brush are ideal in order to coat the surface and work the ketchup in. This takes more work than the others, however. Rinse the penny under warm water and dry with a soft towel. The dirtier and deeper brown color your pennies are, the longer it will take to bring out the orange-red color. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Cleaning with baking soda can be an effective way to cut out harsh chemicals from your home. Allow the coins to soak for a while to loosen up years of gunk. Receive the latest Home & Garden Tips by entering your email below: We respect your privacy and take protecting it very seriously. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. % of people told us that this article helped them. Rinse the container you put the pennies in with disinfecting soap and hot water before using it again. Let it set for a few moments, soaking in the acetone. To make pennies shiny again, fill a small glass bowl with cup (60 mL) of white vinegar If you dont have any vinegar, you can use lemon juice instead. It is harsh like vinegar but dissolves organic matter," Nyman told Live Science. Vinegar dissolves zinc. Let the pennies soak for 10 minutes. While this process is extremely long, the final result is worth the wait. Remove the coins from the oil, one at a time, and clean them in the soapy water by scrubbing them gently with a toothbrush. This makes them harder to distinguish from other coins and may make you reluctant to handle them. Freshen your sink by mixing one part of baking soda with two parts of vinegar. Were committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Wait 15 minutes. Over time, the surface of the penny accumulates dirt and gets discolored as a result of copper oxide. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush to scrub the surface of the coins gently to remove dirt. When you remove the coins and wipe them with a cloth or paper towel, they should look shiny. Unlike the bleach-ammonia mixture, combining soda and vinegar won't hurt anyone but don't expect the mixture to do a good job cleaning, either. The wikiHow Video Team also followed the article's instructions and verified that they work. Last Updated: March 14, 2022 Im a member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA) and the Numismatic Literary Guild (NLG) and have won multiple awards from the NLG for my work as a coin journalist. Using Vinegar and Salt 1 Put 1 tsp (5 g) of salt into 1/4 c (2 oz) of vinegar. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Prepare enough solution to fully submerge the pennies. I used to experiment with rubbing toothpaste on some of my coins years ago, but I ended up ruining every coin I cleaned with it. Pennies are made from copper or copperplated zinc. A good first step in cleaning. Shake the pennies at the bottom of the dish as they soak to release even more buildup. Scrub pocket change with baking soda and vinegar. Easy & Effective Ways to Clean Dirty Coins at Home, 10+ Ways to Clean Your Clipper Blades like a Pro Barber. To create this article, 129 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. Agitate the water with your hands to create sudsy water and place the dirty pennies into the tub. Dry the penny with a soft clean cloth. Baking Soda. Depending on the coin and . This natural process begins by putting about a quarter cup of tomato ketchup into a small container. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Rub the baking soda into the face of each coin with your fingers to scrub away the dirt and grime. Place the copper pennies in a single layer into the solution. Spray the paste with vinegar before scrubbing the grime away. Pat the coin dry with a soft cloth. It's essential to know that some pennies are collectibles worth quite a bit of money, and cleaning them can reduce or destroy their value. Real People. Rinse the penny and your fingers under clean running water and dry with a soft cloth. An old toothbrush works great. Specific elements are required to clean copper properly and turn dirty pennies into shiny pennies. Stir until the salt is dissolved. Make a paste by mixing just enough warm water and baking soda in a small bowl. Thank you for the article. After all, there really is only one way to clean your coins safely. Press the wet brush into baking soda and listen to the oddly satisfying hiss :) Scrub the penny in long strokes applying a decent amount of pressure. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. Hold your coin under gently running tepid water for a few moments not too hot, and not too cold. By setting for a few days the vinegar gets concentrated. . Follow this with one cup of vinegar during the rinse cycle to kill bacteria and soften fabric. You probably already have everything you need, Small, physical, and repetitive motions (may be difficult for grandma or grandpa to help), A quarter cup of tomato ketchup (or three ketchup packets from your favorite fast food place), Physically easier than the pencil eraser method, Ketchup can splatter on people and things, Does not bring out the bright copper color on the penny, 2 tablespoons Bon Ami cleanser (or baking soda), 8 oz. So, thats what you need to know about proper coin cleaning! After the front side is clean, flip the coin over and rub the eraser on the backside. Again, cleaning corrosion off wheat pennies can harm the value significantly. It may take several batches of pennies in order to put enough copper into the solution. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. Run the washer, and dry as normal. Hold it there for about 10 seconds, then pull it out. Any variety of salt will do. Live Science is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Thank you. So why are these household items such effective cleaning agents? Rinse with warm water, then dry. Place the copper pennies in a container, making sure that none of them touch or overlap. Cleaning pennies can be a fun activity for kids of all ages. First, mix a small amount of dishwashing liquid and water together. During this time-period, zinc was substituted for copper as a cheaper way to make pennies. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.
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\u00a9 2023 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. Rinse the baking soda off with fresh . He has over 50 years of numismatic and writing experience, including a monthly magazine column for the American Numismatic Association. Consider adding salt to your vinegar/citric acid/soda. Let the pennies sit for two more hours and then rinse them under warm water to wash away the dirt and soda residue. How can I clean them? This type of cleaner is also the best way to polish brass and clean other metal surfaces. Pure water has a pH of 7. Rinse under warm running water and dry with a soft clean cloth. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.
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\u00a9 2023 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. Start mixing small amounts of water into the powder until you have a paste-like consistency. In about a minute, your penny will turn from dull brown into bright copper color. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.
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\n<\/p><\/div>"}. If you don't have vinegar, use lemon or even orange juice. bottle of Goo Gone brand adhesive remover, Easily removes glue, tape residue, and adhesives, May have to let the coin soak for a while. Here's how to clean a penny with ketchup: Put a generous squeeze of ketchup into a small container, ideally ceramic, glass or plastic.