Wet the penny with warm water until its thoroughly dampened (but not dripping). What is the best solution to clean copper? If you dont have a brush available, leave the coins submerged in the ketchup for at least 5 minutes. Split your coins into three categories: showing good detail, showing some detail, and showing no detail. According to renowned numismatists, Ivory soap, and water is the safest way used in cleaning steel pennies. If this does not bother, you and you simply want to restore the coin for yourself you can use a baking soda paste. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. How To Clean A Penny Without Damaging It (Detailed Guide) For a safer way to remove stubborn debris and make a coin shine, rub it gently with a little bit of vegetable oil. You must remember to use these at your discretion. Start adding your pennies into the solution, but dont throw everything inside at once. It is always at the discretion of the buyer whether the minute scratches and damaged caused by cleaning is an issue. Dish soap is also a good and very gentle way to clean coins. Coins generally lose value as they get cleaner. 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. Enjoy! Anyone can use this simple technique. If I must choose a cleaning method, I will choose distilled water. This should be enough to get them clean. Youll be surprised at what works and what doesnt! Take them out, setting them on the cloth. Safely storing your wheat pennies is critical for preserving and protecting them. ", "It is so amazing, the power of baking soda and vinegar.". Cheap Metal Detectors Drop your coins into the mixture and let them sit for about 5 minutes. Press ESC to cancel. After 5 minutes, wash the solution off the coins with warm water, since if its left on too long it can damage them. Even more importantly, understand how the condition impacts the value. 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. You can clean as many pennies you want with a single pencil eraser. Mix in extra salt if you wish, but keep a close eye on the coins to avoid damaging them. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Removing the copper oxide by cleaning will give your penny a brand-new look. As a small thank you, wed like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Salt and vinegar combinations have been used to clean coins for many yearsthis method is actually on display in one of the earlier videos I shared above. How to Clean Corroded Pennies Safely and Effectively, How to Clean Gold Jewelry With Vinegar Without Any Damage, How to Clean Wheat Pennies Safely and Without Damage. If they're extra dirty or if you're cleaning a lot simultaneously, give them a few more minutes for good measure. Step 3 Now put those pennies into the bowl containing the mixture of vinegar and salt. Then, rub a small amount of vegetable oil onto each side of the coin to loosen stubborn dirt. If youre more of a do-it-yourselfer, try using a basic household cleaner to start. The citrus juices are acidic, and mixed with salt, can remove corrosion and debris from wheat pennies. What is the fastest way to clean copper coins? It can even be used as a metal polishing solution. This article was co-authored by Elias Weston. Other Ways To Clean Copper Coins Without Damaging Them 1. Mouthwash not only helps with dental health but can help you clean up dirty coins. The best thing about using rubbing alcohol is that it will remove the tarnish from your copper coin without damaging its surface. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. From there, wipe your finger on your face for some natural oil, made up of sebum, and transfer it to the face of the coin. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Should the oil start to look discolored, change it out. The application of taco sauce is another simple method of cleaning these pennies. How to Clean a Copper Penny:10 Tips and Advices - Metal Hunting This may be true in certain aspects, such as uncirculated monies. Dry them off with paper towels. How to Clean Steel Pennies (6 Stupid-Simple Tips) - Metal Hunting Magazine This detector works very well in areas with high soil mineralization. If it's a very thin coin, don't clean it as the vinegar can scorch through it. The Mabnol : How to Clean Coins I would not do any cleaning at all. Step-2: Mix dish soap with water in a bowl. There is one important thing to note, though. Vinegar is a great cleaning agent because it will remove the copper oxide that's on your pennies. Be patient and try not to get frustrated. They also will not pay you until you ship the coins. It can be frustrating, but hang in there! Then dip your coins in the solution and let them soak for an hour or twothe longer they soak, the more oxidation will come off. 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. Let them soak for a while. The level of water in the container should determine when you stop adding pennies into it because they must all get totally submerged into the solution for this process to work. If you are keeping them or do not care if they are damaged, you can use methods like vinegar, peroxide, baking soda, mouthwash or even, dare I say, ketchup! After WWII, the original metal composition was reinstituted and reigned until the wheat penny retired. For instance, use a small applicator to "paint" only the heads for an unusual "cameo" effect. This means distilled water. How to clean coins without damaging them - YouTube If you do not sell your coin, you do not pay. 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. Experts can always tell if a coin has been cleaned improperly. "What stood out was that very common household ingredients were used.". Wed love to hear from our readers! Monitor coins carefully and rinse them with clean water as soon as possible. You like wouldnt need the professional cleaning. How to Clean Wheat Pennies Safely and Without Damage, How to Clean Corroded Pennies Safely and Effectively, How to Clean Gold Jewelry With Vinegar Without Any Damage. Ultrasonic cleaners work by microcavitation. Of course, there are other ways to clean corroded pennies. There are many methods you can use at home to clean your wheat pennies, and other coins you have found, safely and carefully. To clean using this method, place your coins in a small plastic container, fill with enough hydrogen peroxide to cover, and soak for 24 hours. Avoid rubbing where possible as they can scratch and damage the coins surface. The safest way to clean a coin is to send it a professional. Allow the coins to air-dry on a microfiber or cotton towel. Keep your coins in a stable, cool, dry location. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. This method and those that follow are going to be for everyday coins. Since all alcohol is neutral (having neither acidic or alkaline charges) it will only remove ceraint oil base soils. However, with old coins you have found while metal detecting, you may want to refrain from cleaning. Copper, silver, nickel, and gold coins should strictly never be cleaned. Scrub low-value coins with baking soda and vinegar, lemon juice and salt, or ketchup to break apart tarnish. How to clean copper pennies using vinegar and baking soda. Have them professionally cleaned or sell them as is. How do you clean badly tarnished copper coins? Exposure to air leads to the formation of copper oxide. It only requires rubbing the penny with a pencil eraser. If the quarter is clean, rinse it off with distilled water. wheat pennies found can be worth a small fortune. 290K views 3 years ago In this video you will find a simple but very effective method of cleaning old coins. Leave the coin to soak for about 5 minutes or so and then check on its condition. This technique is an easy way to clean silver coins and zinc pennies without causing damage, too. This process only works in fluid. Do I need to add liquid to it? I know it sounds strange, but stay with me. Every cleaner is thoroughly vetted and every cleaning is backed by a 100% money-back guarantee. A professional coin valuer will notice these minute scratches on the surface from cleaning. It only requires rubbing the penny with a pencil eraser. Seatown Cleaners offers standard, deep, and move-in/out cleaning services using green products and cleaning techniques. In addition to the vinegar and lemon juice, ketchup can also be used to clean copper pennies. 3 What is the fastest way to clean copper coins? 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. So if you leave your hand in the ultrasonic cleaner long enough, it will "clean" the flesh from your bones. If you are keeping them for sentimental value or for your own personal collection, you may certainly clean them. You can use your finger or an exceptionally fine brush to remove any stuck-on dirt. % of people told us that this article helped them. Rinse off any excess liquid with water and set aside to dry. Distilled water is highly recommended as tap water since it contains chlorine that works perfectly in removing the unwanted substances. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. Be gentle: A penny is a delicate coin and you dont want to scratch it up in the process of cleaning it. How to Clean Pennies with Vinegar: 11 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow This happens because the vinegar and salt dissolves the copper oxide layer of the penny.