The vinegar poured into that bowl should be enough to cover those pennies. That would be true if your plan was to only use vinegar to clean a corroded penny. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Coins are part of most of our lives in one way or another. Youll be surprised at what works and what doesnt! What is the fastest way to clean copper coins? There will be times when you think your coin is clean, only to discover later that its still dirty. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Drop your coins into the mixture and let them sit for about 5 minutes. Last Updated: October 27, 2022 Listerine and other antiseptic mouthwashes can clean dirt, oil, and debris from old coins. This website uses cookies to improve your experience, but you may opt out if you wish. For instance, use a small applicator to "paint" only the heads for an unusual "cameo" effect. Wed love to hear from our readers! Those are meant to clean items like antique silver vases and your wedding ring. Rinse off excess mustard under running water until all traces are removed from both sides before allowing them dry completely upside down so they wont lose any color fading away while drying out naturally overnight.. You can also try using a damp cloth with baking soda, which will help loosen any stuck-on dirt without damaging the coins surface. Press ESC to cancel. Your best bet is to keep them separate so they are not rubbing against eachother. 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. Pennis that were made prior to 1982 had more copper in them, which can lead to a more intense reaction chemically while cleaning. Make sure to use small, circular motions. And if you're unsure of how to properly clean a coin and you want a second opinion, get in contact with a coin expert before trying any of the following methods. Hot sauce and brown colas are some other household substances that work well on copper coins. Mouthwash not only helps with dental health but can help you clean up dirty coins. The key is to first know what kind of coin you have. With this simple technique, anyone can get their penny as clean as it once was. Follow these steps to make your pennies completely clean: Step 1 Pour a small quantity of vinegar into a bowl. Pennies get dull and dirty because the copper in the pennies reacts with oxygen in the air to form copper oxide. Do I need to add liquid to it? There is endless information available on the Internet about cleaning pennies, and these ideas can also be used to clean nickels, quarters, dimes, or even specifically cleaning silver coins, etc. 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. You can use your finger or an exceptionally fine brush to remove any stuck-on dirt. If you had a rare coin you had cleaned too harshly, and wanted to have it valued, it would reduce the coins value. Its a very interesting question and a great DIY project. 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. If you are in a humid location, you can use desiccants to absorb atmospheric moisture. Other Ways To Clean Copper Coins Without Damaging Them 1. Rubbing the surface of a coin can damage it, even if you cannot see it. To clean your copper coins, start by adding some vinegar or orange juice to a small bowl, and stirring in 1 teaspoon of salt. If you don't have any vinegar on hand, a 1:1 ratio of water to acetone will produce the same effect. Soak your quarters in lemon juice. Simply hold your copper penny by its edges between your thumb and forefinger, then dip its entire surface into a small bowl of freshly squeezed lemon juice. If needed, use a soft towel or soft-bristled brush to scrub the coin. Gentle dish soap, like Dawn, is a good option for getting those wheat pennies shining again. If you need to remove dirt from your coins, remove the worst of it with a tooth pick. Fill the bowl with enough lemon juice to cover the quarter. Copper, silver, nickel, and gold coins should strictly never be cleaned. Use a stronger acid like ketchup or cola to strip away the green patina that forms when copper is exposed to salt and water. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. What is the formula for calculating solute potential? Finally, take the pennies out and rinse them off using distilled water. Mix 1/4 cup salt, 1/4 cup flour and enough vinegar to make a thick paste. One of the main reasons for pennies becoming dirty is their continual circulation among people. They can clean your coin if it has PVC residue, dirt, debris, adhesive, tape reside, copper spots on gold, or toning issues. Coins Metal Detectors % of people told us that this article helped them. If the quarter is clean, rinse it off with distilled water. LARISA NIEDLE You'll Need: Salt White vinegar (or fresh lemon juice) Shallow plastic container Cloth or paper towel Baking soda (optional) Toothbrush (optional) Dishwashing liquid (optional) 02 of 07 Step 1: LARISA NIEDLE In a jar, combine 1 cup vinegar (or lemon juice) and 1 tablespoon salt. Before we go into the process of bringing corroded pennies back to life, let us look at the cleaning materials you must have. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. You must remember to use these at your discretion. The amount of vinegar used to clean the pennies depends on the number of coins you wish to clean. You may also have luck selling them online. Remove the coins and dump out the lemon solution, and then pour the olive oil and one teaspoon of lemon juice into the container. This method is the best way to clean your pennies, and it will produce a very bright orangey-copper color on your pennies. Remember, cleaning a wheat penny you have found while metal detecting might make it look better to you, but to a professional numismatist, it will be ruined. As a small thank you, wed like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). This is a simple, inexpensive method that works well on pennies that arent too tarnished. These coins range in value from a few cents to a small fortune, if you, Read More How to Clean Wheat Pennies Safely and Without DamageContinue, ABOUT|AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE|PRIVACY POLICY|TERMS OF USE. Rinse off any excess liquid with water and set aside to dry. If you want to go with something that is both inexpensive and likely already in your home, olive oil is the right choice. Heritage Auctions is an online consignment program with a 10 percent fee. Method 1 Removing Dark Spots with Vinegar Download Article 1 Pour 14 cup (59 mL) of white vinegar into a small bowl. The best thing about using rubbing alcohol is that it will remove the tarnish from your copper coin without damaging its surface. We hope you enjoy these tips and find the one that works best for you! If pennies are collectibles, then cleaning them may reduce their value. If it works for you, stick with it. Remember to not use tap water because the chemicals are bad for the coins. Dry the coins with a microfiber cloth to give them that extra shine! Clean copper coins in a vinegar and salt solution. Basically, it all depends on why you are getting your pennies cleaned in the first place. The key is to ensure that you dont use anything super abrasive, especially on older coins. Copper is a soft metal, so copper coins are prone to degrading over time. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. In your small container, measure in a cup of fresh lemon juice (or white vinegar) and add one tablespoon of salt to it. only use vinegar to clean a corroded penny, Metal Detecting in Massachusetts: Laws, Tips and Beaches, Metal Detecting in Pennsylvania: Tips, Tricks, and Laws to Know. There are coins worth thousands upon thousands of dollars, all contingent on the condition of the coin. 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. When you clean via any method, you are clearing off small parts of the penny surface along with the corrosion, so a slight change in the appearance of the pennies is actually inevitable. So if you leave your hand in the ultrasonic cleaner long enough, it will "clean" the flesh from your bones. It removes various materials including organic material. Rinse them off after soaking them in vinegar so they dont reabsorb any of that dirt onto themselves! 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 But if you do really want to get stuck in and have a go at cleaning some coins, we recommend that you experiment on some modern loose change instead. With wheat pennies, you will want to fill a small dish with fresh water and some dish soap. This article may contain affiliate links, How to Paint Concrete [From Preparation to Sealing], 14 Ways to Open a Stuck Jar A Helpful Guide, A Guide to Wood Finishes That Are Food Safe, How to Significantly Improve Your Charcoal Grill, How to Remove Scratches From Stainless Steel, Pickled Cherry Tomatoes are Definitely a Thing You Need to Know About. Plain tap water is a good options, if you know your water is not corrosive or hard. For others, coins can be collected throughout the years, some of which become quite valuable. If you decide to clean your wheat pennies, make sure you start with the least invasive cleaning method first. Can hydrogen peroxide be used to clean coins? Sell them the way they are (or as is) and you will surely gain more money from your pennieswell, assuming they are actually worth something, of course. They include: Fresh lemon juice Salt White vinegar A toothbrush Baking soda A small container A paper towel. 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. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. These cookies do not store any personal information. The presence of salt and vinegar as its ingredients explains why this method works. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Wet the coin with water and roll in baking soda. Do not clean these valuable pennies on your own, and if you do, only use distilled water. After 5 minutes, wash the solution off the coins with warm water, since if its left on too long it can damage them. EBay, one of the most popular online auction sites, charges a 10 percent fee plus listing fees. [2] 3 Now simply apply the paste to the penny wherever you want it to brighten up. Different types of coins require different cleaning solutions, so ask an expert if you are not sure. Lemon juice is acidic and can cause damage to the skin if inhaled or spilled. Step 1: Line Container With Aluminum Foil. If you do not rinse all the vinegar off your wheat pennies, they may turn green or bluish green. While you're grasping the coin firmly by its edges, use a clean toothbrush to lightly scrub the flat surfaces of the coin. Abrasive cleaners, like using a brush along with an acid or alcohol-based cleaning solution, can leave minuscule hair line discrepancies on the metal that can only be seen under magnification and in the right lighting.