\u00a9 2023 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. Wash each coin gently with a soft toothbrush before rinsing and drying it. This happens because the vinegar and salt dissolves the copper oxide layer of the penny. This method you will help you to clean old coin properly without any damage to. Admittedly, this one is hard to see working well, so I always suggest testing brand new coin cleaning methods on a coin you care absolutely nothing about. 3. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". 2 Pour a few ounces of vinegar into a shallow dish. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Garret ACE 250 Review Rinse the coins thoroughly with water to remove the baking soda and vinegar solution. If you don't have any vinegar on hand, a 1:1 ratio of water to acetone will produce the same effect. It might even be a good idea to stay away from even hiring a professional service to clean them for you. There is no way to clean a coin without damaging its collectible value, even wiping with a cloth causes scratches that reduce the value in the eyes of professional collectors. Finally, drop the coins in, seal the lid, and shake it. If you dont have ketchup or another acid, try using a metal polish from a general store. [1] Start working on the coins that need the least amount of work. One of the main reasons for pennies becoming dirty is their continual circulation among people. After applying, give it a couple of minutes and then rinse using distilled water. Copper, silver, nickel, and gold coins should strictly never be cleaned. Again, use small circular motions, scrubbing the entirety of the coin for a minute or so. This article has been viewed 438,144 times. This way, you can take any preventative measures necessary to clean the coins and retain their value. They include: As you can see, these materials are very cheap and easy to find anywhere. 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 were 95 percent copper and 5 percent zing. You just have to put a thin but uniform layer of sauce on the penny and then rinse it off with water after some time. Before we go into the process of bringing corroded pennies back to life, let us look at the cleaning materials you must have. [1] Create a mixture using -cup vinegar of lemon juice and a teaspoon of table salt together into a bowl. Scrub low-value coins with baking soda and vinegar, lemon juice and salt, or ketchup to break apart tarnish. There is even a high chance that you have all of them in your kitchen right now. Clean them off using distilled water and soap, using an old toothbrush to scour them clean. Cleaning and polishing rare and old coins can devalue them. Soak your quarters in lemon juice. Rinse the coin very well under warm water. Cleaning them can go wrong very quicklyand who wants to devalue their newly found treasure? Then mix gently until the salt totally dissolves in the lemon juice. Your email address will not be published. Collectors actively look for the tiniest flaws in pennies and they have all the necessary tools to find those flaws. Pencil Eraser for Cleaning Pennies. Step 2: Sprinkle Baking Soda. The best method for achieving that is with salt and vinegar. If I must choose a cleaning method, I will choose distilled water. We all enjoy the metal detecting finds we discover, and sometimes, even pennies fall into that category. Using a soft cloth, apply your chosen cleaner to the coin and allow it to soak in for five minutes. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Continue to slowly add water to the baking soda until it takes on the consistency of paste. The method of cleaning depends on the type of coin. Lemon juice is acidic and can cause damage to the skin if inhaled or spilled. If you feel that it needs longer, you can soak it for up to 15 minutes. Remove the coins and dump out the lemon solution, and then pour the olive oil and one teaspoon of lemon juice into the container. For a stronger treatment, let the coins soak in oil for about a day, then scrub them with a soft toothbrush. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". To clean your copper coins, start by adding some vinegar or orange juice to a small bowl, and stirring in 1 teaspoon of salt. How do you clean old coins without damaging them? Next, soak the coins in the solution for 5 minutes, making sure theyre spread out so theyre all submerged. After WWII, the original metal composition was reinstituted and reigned until the wheat penny retired. Stir until the salt dissolves. If you are planning to sell your cleaned pennies, using chemicals or scrubbing methods for cleaning could leave marks on the coins and an appraiser could easily discover this, which will greatly reduce the market value of your pennies. Step 3: Add Tarnished Silver Coins. Please do not clean collector coins, I don not take responsibly of any damage done. Give them about five minutes to sit, though you can go for another five if they are not quite as bright as you had hoped. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. So, in this article, Im going to explain to you exactly how to clean wheat pennies safely and effectively! Thats not necessarily to say the material so much as the purpose of the coin. Follow these steps to make your pennies completely clean: Step 1 Pour a small quantity of vinegar into a bowl. Soak the coins in more salt and vinegar if they still look dirty. Use a soft cloth to rub the paste on the surface of the copper. Were committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. When they start to look cleaner, remove them from the bowl. Hold the coins under a little bit of running water to ensure all of the cleaning solution rinses off. What are ultrasonic cleaners when it comes to cleaning copper coins? They will not pay you until you have shipped the coins. 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. If you are in a humid location, you can use desiccants to absorb atmospheric moisture. The best thing about using rubbing alcohol is that it will remove the tarnish from your copper coin without damaging its surface. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Hydrogen Peroxide Hydrogen peroxide can prove effective in removing various materials, including organic material. Wed love to hear from our readers! % of people told us that this article helped them. Add more baking soda and water as needed for larger batches of coins. You can also use just a touch of olive oil for polishing older coins that have become tarnished. With this simple technique, anyone can get their penny as clean as it once was. Experts can always tell if a coin has been cleaned improperly. Both can damage coins easily. Maintain your coins in great condition through proper care, handling and storage. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. 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. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Repeat the process as many times as you need in order to get the coins clean. For older, condition-sensitive coins, a gentle bath of water and mild hand soap will suffice. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Newer coins, such as relatively shiny pennies, tend to dull a little when washed in acid. 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. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. It is definitely cheaper to clean it yourself, but there are occasions where it would be more prudent of you to allow professionals to handle it. Step 6: Rinse Silver Coin With Cold Water. 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! The key is to ensure that you dont use anything super abrasive, especially on older coins. The soap should help keep the coin safe while you gently scrub it. From there, use your brush to gently get the grime off of the coins before putting them back into the water again. So if you leave your hand in the ultrasonic cleaner long enough, it will "clean" the flesh from your bones. In your small container, measure in a cup of fresh lemon juice (or white vinegar) and add one tablespoon of salt to it. Gently scrub them with either a soft toothbrush or your fingers. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. The more contact the coins have with one another the more damage they take on. If you are not worried about damaging the coins as much, you can continue down the list and use some of the more abrasive cleaning methods. The vinegar poured into that bowl should be enough to cover those pennies. It only requires rubbing the penny with a pencil eraser. The composition of the coin, the condition of the coin, and the year of the coin all affect its value. Approved. For tips on how to shine your coins with baking soda, read on! Baking Soda And Vinegar Great For Science Fair Volcanoes But Not For Enhancing Your Coins Value. You can use lemon juice to clean copper pennies, but youll want to work in a well-ventilated area when you do. This website uses cookies to improve your experience, but you may opt out if you wish. Remember, you dont want to use anything that has abrasive qualities to them because they can scratch the coins. So how do you safely store your wheat pennies? By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Start by adding a quarter cup of white vinegar, or lemon juice, into a cup or glass. There are a variety of cleaning methods for wheat pennies. Other Ways To Clean Copper Coins Without Damaging Them 1. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Therefore, before cleaning old coins, consult an expert on the subject. Soak your pennies for five minutes in vinegar to dissolve any copper oxide . Basically, it all depends on why you are getting your pennies cleaned in the first place. Cool the copper: Leave the copper item in the solution until it is cool to the touch. 1 1/2 cups olive oil. A professional coin valuer will notice these minute scratches on the surface from cleaning. Rubbing alcohol can be used to clean pennies and other copper coins, as well as other metals. Garret ACE 400 Review Using a toothbrush or other soft-bristled brush, gently scrub the baking soda into each coin, especially on the corroded areas. You may not see these changes with your naked eyes if you clean carefully, but they are there. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. There are coins worth thousands upon thousands of dollars, all contingent on the condition of the coin. Distilled water is highly recommended as tap water since it contains chlorine that works perfectly in removing the unwanted substances. [3] 4 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. Can hydrogen peroxide be used to clean coins? 1 How do you clean old copper coins without damaging them? You want something a bit more gentle for silver coins but you will need a heavier abrasive for your copper pennies. HCI works, but you get an orange look to the copper and still need to use your elbow grease to clean it. This article has been viewed 60,522 times. Soak the coins in the lemon solution for up to one hour. Even more importantly, understand how the condition impacts the value. Cheap Metal Detectors If you do have hard water or highly acidic water, try using distilled water. They are too harsh and abrasive to clean wheat pennies with. Its also an effective way to remove oxidation from copper and make sure that there are no stains left behind. If they look clean enough, use a soft cloth to dry them. 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. Just make sure that you gently apply the olive oil and you can help prevent tarnish over time. If the water is not enough, continue down the list and use dish soap. In this video I clean three old worn large cents. Avoid rubbing where possible as they can scratch and damage the coins surface. Listerine and other antiseptic mouthwashes can clean dirt, oil, and debris from old coins. Put your solution and a small bit of sand into a watertight jar. But, if you are in doubt about how to clean your pennies, it is a good idea to leave them alone or consult a rare coin specialist before you begin the cleaning process. Leave the pennies for around five minutes in the glass of vinegar or lemon juice. By using our site, you agree to our. AspenCleans glass cleaner was voted Parents Green Pick 2020 by readers of the Parents magazine. Clean copper coins in a vinegar and salt solution. Because the effect is achieved only where the mixture has been in contact with the coin, this allows one to get creative with the contrasting features of the coin itself with your choice of different colored copper. In fact, there are a lot of people who may suggest that using vinegar will hurt the integrity of your penny by making it tarnish. Method 1 Using Simple Washing Download Article 1 Sort your coins. For some of us, they just collect in a container until they are used or traded in. All items are affected by the passage of time, and coins are no different. This article was co-authored by Elias Weston. You will want to use a soft-bristled brush, one that has been well worn in as well as a soft cloth. Safely storing your wheat pennies is critical for preserving and protecting them. I hope you enjoyed this article and have learned more about how to clean wheat pennies! If pennies are collectibles, then cleaning them may reduce their value. No scrubbing necessary at all. They were initially made of bronze, a 95 percent copper alloy. As for what is best to add and enhance the cleaning action, I'm not sure. Rinse with warm water and dry thoroughly. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. These coins range in value from a few cents to a small fortune, if you are lucky enough! Ketchup. Pull the coins out of the liquid and gently wipe them with a paper towel to break apart the tarnish and dark spots. 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. The right materials will effectively clean your pennies and will also be safe for your hands. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 60,522 times. One of the most recommended cleaning solutions for wheat pennies is white vinegar. Copper is a soft metal, so copper coins are prone to degrading over time. In this article well take a look at the top 10 tips for cleaning a copper penny. Cleaning Copper With Ketchup: Ketchup can be used to clean a variety of copper products. Modern Coin Mart is another site for selling coins. If you had a rare coin you had cleaned too harshly, and wanted to have it valued, it would reduce the coins value. 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. Let them air dry or wipe them with a soft, microfiber cloth. Since all alcohol is neutral (having neither acidic or alkaline charges) it will only remove ceraint oil base soils. Kids Metal Detectors If youre using lemon juice, be sure that the penny is very well-cleaned beforehand and that its completely dry before applying the lemon juice. Like vinegar, ammonia has a strong chemical odor, so you may want to wear gloves when cleaning with this method. Be gentle: A penny is a delicate coin and you dont want to scratch it up in the process of cleaning it. They include: Fresh lemon juice Salt White vinegar A toothbrush Baking soda A small container A paper towel. If you are keeping them for sentimental value or for your own personal collection, you may certainly clean them. If the coins still look a little dull, try treating them with more paste. Try not to rub the coin too much with your fingers or the dirt, silt, and other residue on the surface can damage the coin. Let the coins sit in the mixture for about 10 or 15 minutes so that the soap can break down the grime. Start with two tablespoons of baking soda, mixing it with water into a bowl. This detector works very well in areas with high soil mineralization. Enjoy! Clearing away the dirt now makes the coin look clearer once you add the oil to it. The key is to first know what kind of coin you have. Copper coins often turn a muddled brown color, and these marks can be cleaned off with salt and a mild acid like white vinegar. CoinsForSale.com charges a 5 percent selling fee and no listing fee. How to clean a copper penny? This detector features multiple search frequencies and has 2 different coin modes: one for foreign coins and one for U.S. coins. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. This should be enough to get them clean. Signs of cleaning can be evident in many ways and often affect the value of the coin. The safest way to clean a coin is to send it a professional. The Nokta Makro CF77 Coin Finder is another great detector for coin shooting. With over 17 years of experience, Alicia specializes in creating a healthier, green alternative to chemical-based cleaning products and services. Mix cup vinegar with 1 teaspoon of salt in a bowl that is non-metallic. If possible, stick to water or dish soap for cleaning wheat pennies. With -cup of ketchup, just dip your old toothbrush in and scrub the surface of the coin. Use Water Sometimes the simplest methods are best. The Garrett Ace Apex is one of my favorite metal detectors for coin shooting. You do not want to leave behind any residue that may further degrade the pennys condition! It might seem like theres no hope for your tarnished coins, but fear not! How do you clean badly tarnished copper coins? The coins should be dipped in that bowl for at least five minutes. Wheat pennies are a relatively common find when metal detecting. Ketchup is also effective at cleaning copper jewelry, so keep this tip in mind next time you need an emergency polish job for your favorite necklace or bracelet! White Vinegar One of the most recommended cleaning solutions for wheat pennies is white vinegar. This natural acid can be used to clean coins, pots and pans, and more. Copper, silver, nickel, and gold coins should strictly never be cleaned. Retrieve the coins from the vinegar and apply a few teaspoons of baking soda to each coin. 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. Silver dollars, or any collectible silver coin, should only be cleaned under certain conditions. Mix your hand soap in with the water, creating a soapy mixture. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Be patient and try not to get frustrated. Apmex is a well-known auction site for coins. After a good shake, take the coins out and rinse them off. Vinegar and salt are the best methods of cleaning your pennies. 290K views 3 years ago In this video you will find a simple but very effective method of cleaning old coins. Make a bath using a cup of isopropyl alcohol combined with two tablespoons of salt. If you decide to clean your wheat pennies, make sure you start with the least invasive cleaning method first. Use a small plastic container full of hydrogen peroxide. What do you see? 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Press ESC to cancel. 6 Can hydrogen peroxide be used to clean coins? There are a variety of suggested ways when it comes to cleaning coins, and cleaning . There are 11 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. So our advice is that if you have found some valuable pennies (and have hopes of selling them for big money), it is actually safer to not clean them at all. It may take a few treatments, so work gradually and wash the coins off each time to avoid damaging them. If you dont have a brush available, leave the coins submerged in the ketchup for at least 5 minutes. Even if they appear corroded and lacking shine or have a tarnish on them. In that event, you would want to avoid anything highly abrasive that could damage the surface of the coin. This fact makes it all the more important for you to know how to clean corroded pennies, especially if youve found a few wheat pennies from metal detecting. First, gather your supplies. 3 What is the fastest way to clean copper coins? You should also rub the coin gently to remove debris, and rinse it under the tap to wash off the oil. Most wheat pennies that are not extremely rare will sell for at least 3 to 5 cents at most coin dealers. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. So there is no need for you to buy harsh bleaching agents, because you want to clean corroded pennies, these simple ones can help you achieve your goals if you use them properly. Ketchup is composed of vinegar, salt, and tomatoes. Wheat pennys face value is 1 cent, but every single one of them is worth more than face value, regardless of condition. 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. Alicia holds a CPA designation and a Bachelors degree in Commerce and Finance from the University of Toronto. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. The advantage is it will not cause any decrease in numismatic value, but there are better options for cleaning materials. The good news is that there is a solution available no matter what type of coin. But before you start your timer, make sure none of the pennies are touching themselves. But if you simply want to clean the coins for non-commercial reasons (for example, you just want a bunch of cleaned pennies youve found to become part of your coin collection), the vinegar/lemon juice method will be good enough. Which is correct poinsettia or poinsettia? That means a lot more options for getting them clean enough to use again. When you put your pennies in a vinegar and salt mix, the vinegar and salt react together and remove the copper oxide. For a safer way to remove stubborn debris and make a coin shine, rub it gently with a little bit of vegetable oil.