You will not need to clean your coins repeatedly if you know the best way to clean pennies and how to preserve them properly. Alicia Sokolowski is a Green Cleaning Specialist and the President and co-CEO of AspenClean, a green cleaning company in Vancouver, British Columbia. In this video, I'm showing you the 2 safest methods to clean coins without devaluing them. Soak your pennies for five minutes in vinegar to dissolve any copper oxide . For instance, use a small applicator to "paint" only the heads for an unusual "cameo" effect. Mix a teaspoon of salt into the liquid by stirring until it is dissolved. You should also rub the coin gently to remove debris, and rinse it under the tap to wash off the oil. 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 If you have questions, always seek the help of a professional coin cleaner and coin grading service. Put the coin in the bowl and slowly rub the coin with your finger from both sides. Have them professionally cleaned or sell them as is. Soak your quarters in lemon juice. But before you start your timer, make sure none of the pennies are touching themselves. AspenCleans glass cleaner was voted Parents Green Pick 2020 by readers of the Parents magazine. This happens because the vinegar and salt dissolves the copper oxide layer of the penny. How do you clean old copper coins without damaging them? Press ESC to cancel. 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. Cleaning these will absolutely devalue them if they are not cleaned properlyso just be mindful of this. Hold it there for about 10 seconds, then pull it out. The best thing about using rubbing alcohol is that it will remove the tarnish from your copper coin without damaging its surface. The aluminum foil is key to the reaction which removes the tarnish. Pennies get dull and dirty because the copper in the pennies reacts with oxygen in the air to form copper oxide. Just remember to rinse the pennies thoroughly after all cleaning methods. The effect is achieved only where the mixture has been in contact with the coin, so ensure you cover the entire 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. After applying, give it a couple of minutes and then rinse using distilled water. Many people think that a shiny coin will be worth more than a tarnished, old looking coin. This should be enough to get them clean. This article was co-authored by Alicia Sokolowski. EBay, one of the most popular online auction sites, charges a 10 percent fee plus listing fees. Its found naturally in wine, and it works by breaking down the copper oxide coating on your pennies. Since we are also concerned about safety, it is important for you to know that the acidic substances that these rust removers contain could be harmful to your skin, so you should protect yourself with gloves and a mask when using them. Minelab CTX 3030 Review, on How to Clean a Copper Penny:10 Tips and Advices. But we recommend the vinegar or lemon juice approach because the materials are safe for your skin, overall quite very effective, creates little to no mess, and the risk of damaging the pennies is fairly low. According to renowned numismatists, Ivory soap, and water is the safest way used in cleaning steel pennies. While you're grasping the coin firmly by its edges, use a clean toothbrush to lightly scrub the flat surfaces of the coin. As a small thank you, wed like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Anyone can use this simple technique. With this simple technique, anyone can get their penny as clean as it once was. If you do have hard water or highly acidic water, try using distilled water. Thanks. wheat pennies found can be worth a small fortune. Let them air dry or wipe them with a soft, microfiber cloth. Fisher F22 Review Since all alcohol is neutral (having neither acidic or alkaline charges) it will only remove ceraint oil base soils. [3] 4 Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full pricewine, food delivery, clothing and more. The concept is the same as white vinegar and salt. Even if they appear corroded and lacking shine or have a tarnish on them. Dont use steel wool or abrasive chemicals to clean your penny, as this could damage the metal. Baking soda and vinegar have proven to be one of the most effective ways to clean tarnished coins. Vinegar solutions are effective for removing dark spots on coins, but they also tend to make coins look a little dull. From there, use your brush to gently get the grime off of the coins before putting them back into the water again. This is the important part: rinse with distilled, not tap water. Stir until the salt dissolves. Let them soak for about two hours or so, though if they are extremely dirty, you may want to let them sit for up to a week. Microwaving 2 cups of water for 2-3 minutes should suffice and avoid boiling water. Everyday change can be cleaned in just about any type of way. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. 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. The best method for achieving that is with salt and vinegar. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 60,522 times. But for coins that have collectible value, they are oftentimes worth more than their face value. Allow the coins to air-dry on a microfiber or cotton towel. The effect is immediate and obvious. Leave the pennies for around five minutes in the glass of vinegar or lemon juice. So at the very least you need distilled water as a working medium. Steel pennies were abandoned the following year, and brass pennies were introduced. How do you clean old coins without damaging them? Wheat pennys face value is 1 cent, but every single one of them is worth more than face value, regardless of condition. 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. Let them sit for a month though you may need to let them go for as long as six months. If you don't have any vinegar on hand, a 1:1 ratio of water to acetone will produce the same effect. 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. Drop the pennies into the mixture for about 5 minutes. tb1234. ", "It is so amazing, the power of baking soda and vinegar.". I know it sounds strange, but stay with me. Clearing away the dirt now makes the coin look clearer once you add the oil to it. Make sure that any cleaner you use is rated to clean pennies prior to 1982. So here's how to clean a penny with vinegar: Get a small glass (or another kind of non-corrosive container) and fill it with some white vinegar - just enough to submerge a coin below the surface. What is the formula for calculating solute potential? 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. Grab some past with your thumb and forefinger, rubbing it gently onto both sides of the penny. Can hydrogen peroxide be used to clean coins? We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Rinse and dry: After scrubbing, rinse in warm water and dry the copper with a lint-free dishtowel. Cleaning Copper With Ketchup: Ketchup can be used to clean a variety of copper products. If you have a penny that has been cleaned with another method but still looks dull or dirty, try using the baking soda and salt method to bring back its shine. 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. 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. My dad has collected coins my entire life. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Rinse the baking soda off with fresh water. Step 3: Add Tarnished Silver Coins. 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. For older, condition-sensitive coins, a gentle bath of water and mild hand soap will suffice. No scrubbing necessary at all. Water is less abrasive than other cleaning methods and should clean most of the dirt and debris off your wheat pennies. Pull the coins out of the liquid and gently wipe them with a paper towel to break apart the tarnish and dark spots. 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. If you dont have ketchup or another acid, try using a metal polish from a general store. Place the coins in a plastic container and cover with mouthwash. Monitor coins carefully and rinse them with clean water as soon as possible. [1] There will be times when you think your coin is clean, only to discover later that its still dirty. You may even want to take the same steps you learned from here to help clean other dirty pennies that you come across in the future. You can clean as many pennies you want with a single pencil eraser. Over time, coins of all sorts can and will collect grime and gunk. I go from light cleaning, to using soap and water, to using olive oil. You can also seek the services of the Numismatic Conservation Services. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. In this article, we will go into details about the steps you should take if you want to turn corroded pennies into their original fine, bright form. Wheat pennies are a relatively common find when metal detecting. This is what gives some pennies their odd bluish hue. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Experts can always tell if a coin has been cleaned improperly. 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. You will end up with irreversible damage to the coins. 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! For tips on how to shine your coins with baking soda, read on! But, when you combine vinegar with other ingredients, it will become a cleaning agent, not a tarnishing agent. (So before you start using baking soda, vinegar, toothpaste, or ketchup to clean your coins at. If I must choose a cleaning method, I will choose distilled water. Soak them in vinegar or ketchup: If youve ever used ketchup on your penny, then you know that it can clean it up pretty quicklyand with very little effort on your part at all! Ketchup contains acid that can help remove copper stains. 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. Some other options include you can at least look into are: There are many rust removers you can use to clean your coins, and some of them can be very fast and effective, but that is just part of what you need. Soak the coins in more salt and vinegar if they still look dirty. Copper, silver, nickel, and gold coins should strictly never be cleaned. Aluminum Foil Any aluminum foil will do, what you have laying around in your kitchen will work great. To clean softer or more valuable coins, your best bet is to lightly rinse them in warm water, then pat them dry with a microfiber cloth. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Therefore, before cleaning old coins, consult an expert on the subject. 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. Drop your coins into the mixture and let them sit for about 5 minutes. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Mix 1/4 cup salt, 1/4 cup flour and enough vinegar to make a thick paste. Do not clean these valuable pennies on your own, and if you do, only use distilled 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. This natural acid can be used to clean coins, pots and pans, and more. Some other options to use in place of vinegar include orange or lemon juice. While it is very possible to clean your pennies without damaging them, it is hard to say the same for the market value of the pennies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Split your coins into three categories: showing good detail, showing some detail, and showing no detail. Submerge the coins in a shallow bath of vinegar and let them soak for at least an hour. tb1234 Basic Penny Cleaning Warm water Dishwashing soap Plastic bin Toothbrush Paper towel tb1234 Were committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Warm distilled water can be used to clean coins. 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. The method of cleaning depends on the type of coin. Gentle dish soap, like Dawn, is a good option for getting those wheat pennies shining again. [1] Start working on the coins that need the least amount of work. Place your pennies at the bottom of the cup or glass so that they are not stacked on top of each other. There are a variety of cleaning methods for wheat pennies. The key is to first know what kind of coin you have. HCI works, but you get an orange look to the copper and still need to use your elbow grease to clean it. 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. Leave the coin to soak for about 5 minutes or so and then check on its condition. In that event, you would want to avoid anything highly abrasive that could damage the surface of the coin. Dont leave them in a bowl of water, since the vinegar solution and copper oxide will end up in the bowl and on other coins. What do you see? You can also try using a damp cloth with baking soda, which will help loosen any stuck-on dirt without damaging the coins surface. They will not pay you until you have shipped the coins. It may take a couple of applications, so dont be afraid to try this method a few times to get out those tough stains. If your penny is really important to you. Drop the pennies into the mixture for about 5 minutes. Its best to wear rubber gloves when handling the ketchup and penny because they can both leave your hands stained red if you arent careful! These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Dump all the pennies into the liquid. [1] 2 Add enough acetic acid (vinegar, white vinegar is most recommended) to moisten the salt into a paste. Make sure to use small, circular motions. Make a paste: Use a lemon juice/salt or vinegar/salt paste and a sponge to scrub the copper. You can also find protective books which have individual sleeves for each coin. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. Rinse off any excess liquid with water and set aside to dry. Get an appraisal before you clean themif you plan to sell them. This is usually only a concern for industrial levels of exposure. Collectors actively look for the tiniest flaws in pennies and they have all the necessary tools to find those flaws. There are chemicals within the tap water that can erode the coins over time. Please do not clean collector coins, I don not take responsibly of any damage done. In many cases, cleaning a coin can lower the value of the coin as a collectors item. If they look clean enough, use a soft cloth to dry them. These cookies do not store any personal information. Let us move on to how to clean wheat pennies you intend to keep or sell yourself without any type of professional grading service. Other coins are molded from different metals, so the solution may not work as well on them. In terms of valuable wheat pennies, while it can range vastly depending on the pennys condition, here are some best case scenarios in terms of value for a select few: If you happen to have one of these in your wheat penny collection, consider yourself incredibly lucky! One of the simplest ways to clean coins is by using distilled water and a soft towel. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. So how do you safely store your wheat pennies? Vinegar is a great cleaning agent because it will remove the copper oxide thats on your pennies. When a coin has evidence of cleaning, it is valued as Genuine-Cleaned. This means that despite the condition of the coin, it will be valued less than Fine range coins that have not been cleaned. Mix 3 parts baking soda with 1 part vinegar. The Minelab Equinox 800 is another of my favorite metal detectors. Hydrogen Peroxide Hydrogen peroxide can prove effective in removing various materials, including organic material. Step-2: Mix dish soap with water in a bowl. White Vinegar One of the most recommended cleaning solutions for wheat pennies is white vinegar. When in doubt, leave the coin as you found it. If you are keeping them for sentimental value or for your own personal collection, you may certainly clean them. When they start to look cleaner, remove them from the bowl. One of the most recommended cleaning solutions for wheat pennies is white vinegar. The good news is that there is a solution available no matter what type of coin. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. As a general rule, make the paste at a ratio of 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water. Vinegar is most effective for cleaning copper. Do not rub them or the dirt and debris on them can scratch them and ruin the value. Its also an effective way to remove oxidation from copper and make sure that there are no stains left behind. That means a lot more options for getting them clean enough to use again. On average, a quarter-cup should be adequate. First, gather your supplies. Mix it together and add the coins into the bowl. Be gentle: A penny is a delicate coin and you dont want to scratch it up in the process of cleaning it. Mix your hand soap in with the water, creating a soapy mixture. Soak your penny in the vinegar for a minimum of 30 minutes. Before you begin cleaning, sort through the coins to determine which coins need the most work. There is one important thing to note, though. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/e\/e9\/Clean-Copper-Coins-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Clean-Copper-Coins-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/e\/e9\/Clean-Copper-Coins-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid5915095-v4-728px-Clean-Copper-Coins-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":259,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":410,"licensing":"