These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Copper is a soft metal, so copper coins are prone to degrading over time. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Wearing gloves will help protect your skin from the cleaning solution. So how do you safely store your wheat pennies? From there, use your brush to gently get the grime off of the coins before putting them back into the water again. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 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. Some other options to use in place of vinegar include orange or lemon juice. That means a lot more options for getting them clean enough to use again. Signs of cleaning can be evident in many ways and often affect the value of the coin. They include: As you can see, these materials are very cheap and easy to find anywhere. Use distilled water because chemicals in tap water may cause discoloration. 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. Rinse off any excess liquid with water and set aside to dry. If pennies are collectibles, then cleaning them may reduce their value. 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. Hot sauce and brown colas are some other household substances that work well on copper coins. 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. Tartaric acid is a weak organic acid, which means its not as corrosive to your penny as other chemicals. Or in layman's terms, by generating microscopic bubbles between a hard surface and a softer material, and allowing them to catastrophically collapse. Rinse your pennies well with water; otherwise, if any of these cleaning agents remain on the coin, the coin will turn blue-green. You must remember to use these at your discretion. If you do not rinse all the vinegar off your wheat pennies, they may turn green or bluish green. If you do use an abrasive like vinegar or salt, make sure that you dont rub the abrasive in as it could scratch up the surface of the coin. Aluminum Foil Any aluminum foil will do, what you have laying around in your kitchen will work great. 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. This eliminates the possibility of abrasions to your investment. Step 4: Add More Baking Soda & Hot Water. There are 11 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Vinegar will remove any oxides formed on the coin surface. You want something a bit more gentle for silver coins but you will need a heavier abrasive for your copper pennies. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. It only requires rubbing the penny with a pencil eraser. Step 2 Add a teaspoon of salt to the bowl full of vinegar, and stir the mixture until the salt is completely dissolved. There are many options for selling wheat pennies. (So before you start using baking soda, vinegar, toothpaste, or ketchup to clean your coins at. Stir together until the soap is sudsy, then add your coins to the bowl. If you want to use tartaric acid on your pennies, all you have to do is dissolve some crystals of it in warm water. References. Were committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Using a toothbrush or other soft-bristled brush, gently scrub the baking soda into each coin, especially on the corroded areas. Simply run the water over the coin, or let it soak in the water. Rinse the coins thoroughly with water to remove the baking soda and vinegar solution. Make sure they are not directly on top of each other. Start with a mixture of warm, soapy water when cleaning silver coins. As you can see, these materials are very cheap and easy to find anywhere. When in doubt, refrain from cleaning anything older than those. The key is to first know what kind of coin you have. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Collectors actively look for the tiniest flaws in pennies and they have all the necessary tools to find those flaws. Fill up two plastic containers with distilled water and a tablespoon of mild hand soap. Last Updated: October 27, 2022 That way, if the cleaning method damages the coin, youre not going to be upset about it. Different types of coins require different cleaning solutions, so ask an expert if you are not sure. If you want to go with something that is both inexpensive and likely already in your home, olive oil is the right choice. 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. You can visit a local coin dealer if you have one nearby. Dry them off with paper towels. With wheat pennies, you will want to fill a small dish with fresh water and some dish soap. If possible, stick to water or dish soap for cleaning wheat pennies. Youll be surprised at what works and what doesnt! How To Clean Old Copper Pennies. There are chemicals within the tap water that can erode the coins over time. Seatown Cleaners offers standard, deep, and move-in/out cleaning services using green products and cleaning techniques. 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. Its also an effective way to remove oxidation from copper and make sure that there are no stains left behind. For coins that dont have collectible value, you can use sand, olive oil, and even isopropyl alcohol to get the job done. This is usually only a concern for industrial levels of exposure. Copper, silver, nickel, and gold coins should strictly never be cleaned. [1] 2 Add enough acetic acid (vinegar, white vinegar is most recommended) to moisten the salt into a paste. Gently scrub the coin with an incredibly soft brush. 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! Rinse with freshwater and let air dry. Can hydrogen peroxide be used to clean coins? Some wheat pennies found can be worth a small fortune. These became known as Lincon wheat pennies. Silver dollars, or any collectible silver coin, should only be cleaned under certain conditions. 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 olive oil is good at separating the dirt from the surface of the coin for a thorough cleaning experience, though it takes substantially longer. 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. Keep in mind that adding more salt to the solution makes it stronger. If there are stubborn stains that dont seem like theyre budging, try scrubbing them vigorously with steel wool while theyre still wet; this should do wonders when trying to remove stubborn grime from coins like pennies made out of zinc (which often have dark spots). No scrubbing necessary at all. Shine the coins to make them look better. 290K views 3 years ago In this video you will find a simple but very effective method of cleaning old coins. Enjoy! Drop your coins into the mixture and let them sit for about 5 minutes. 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. Required fields are marked *. 3. Use a small plastic container full of hydrogen peroxide. After brushing each penny, rinse with clean water and dry, it should be looking good as new by now. The amount of vinegar used to clean the pennies depends on the number of coins you wish to clean. Add more baking soda and water as needed for larger batches of coins. Try cleaning only a few pennies at a time. It can be frustrating, but hang in there! Guys you have got to try this, its crazyand it works like a charm, if you want yourpennies clean do this nowThe materials you need for this science experiment are:A few pennies that need to be cleaned1/4 cup white vinegar1 teaspoon saltNon-metal bowl A bowl of water Welcome To My Channel !! Let the coins sit in the mixture for about 10 or 15 minutes so that the soap can break down the grime. Vinegar is most effective for cleaning copper. Rare coins shouldn't be cleaned as doing so could remove the value Credit: Getty. You can also try using a damp cloth with baking soda, which will help loosen any stuck-on dirt without damaging the coins surface. There are countless things that it can be used for, cleaning old coins and even jewelry among them. Were committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Start adding your pennies into the solution, but dont throw everything inside at once. Step-2: Mix dish soap with water in a bowl. Finally, take the pennies out and rinse them off using distilled water. Do not leave the coin in the ketchup for more than an hour or two as it will leave a green oxidation on the coin. Modern Coin Mart is another site for selling coins. How to clean green corroded copper coins Mix cup vinegar with 1 teaspoon of salt in a bowl that is non-metallic. In many cases, cleaning a coin can lower the value of the coin as a collectors item. Wait about five minutes and check your pennies. Cleaning in small batches is a better option. Looking to achieve that bright, orange-copper color? If you happen to find one of these while metal detecting, do not attempt to clean them yourself! Wipe down the surface of your penny with another clean cloth or paper towel until all dirt has been removed from its surface. Rinse the coins with fresh water after 24 hours and let them air dry. There is one important thing to note, though. An alternative is to use vinyl erasers, but they do not contain abrasive, which is typically found in pencil erasers. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Remove the coins and dump out the lemon solution, and then pour the olive oil and one teaspoon of lemon juice into the container. First, gather your supplies. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Newer coins, such as relatively shiny pennies, tend to dull a little when washed in acid. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. % of people told us that this article helped them. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly.