17 Ways to Clean Your Coins in 10 minutes or Less
Last updated on June 5th, 2024 at 12:09 pm
Here, we’ve got 17 ways to clean your coins to help you reduce the chances of damaging them. We made the coin cleaning process quite easy to clean and each one takes an average of 10 minutes or less. These coin cleaning techniques are fast and simple and right to the point. Promise.
17 Ways to Clean Your Coins
Optimally, if you are a coin collector you should know that it is best to not clean a coin. However, cleaning common coins that are priced at face value is fine. Due to circulation, common coins can be highly dirty and filthy and should most definitely be cleaned.
Warning: If the value of the coin exceeds its face value, Never clean the coin! Let’s get started:
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- Alcohol. Dust of coin and soak it in isopropyl alcohol. Always make sure to dry the coin completely before storing it.
- Acetone. Place the coin in a bowl with warm water and add acetone to the solution. Clean coin in a well-ventilated area.
- Ammonia. Soak coin in ammonia, and scrub the coin gently with a toothbrush to remove any build-up or corrosion. Make sure to wait a couple of minutes. Dry before storing.
- Apple cider vinegar. Put the coin in apple cider vinegar solution for about 5-10 minutes. Use a soft bristle brush to remove grime and dirt. Afterward, rinse the coin with warm water. Wipe Dry.
- Baking soda. Take a glass and fill it up with about hot water, add 1/4 of baking soda and place the coin in the solution for 7 minutes. The baking soda will lift the dirt and remove corrosion.
- Brasso. To clean coin, spray Brasso to the surface, and massage the coin lightly and let it settle for about 10 minutes. Let Brasso dry mid-way then rub with a soft cloth or towel.
- Baking soda and vinegar. A popular combination of baking soda and vinegar will help clean coins. This is a time-saver and more powerful than regular baking soda. Use a toothbrush to scrub sides of the coin to remove any remaining residue.
- Baking soda and foil. Place a piece of aluminum foil around a container and fill it with hot water. Sprinkle baking soda and drop the coin into the container. Do not let the foil wrinkle or fold.
- Coke. Leave the coin in coke and let it marinate for about 5 minutes. Brush off any loose dirt and rinse the coin under cold water. Wipe dry with a microfiber cloth. Repeat steps if necessary.
- CLR. In a well-ventilated room, mix CLR and warm water in a shallow dish. Let sit for 5 minutes. Using a toothbrush gently rub away corrosion, dirt and rust build-up.
- Hydrogen peroxide. Simply place your coins into a bowl and cover them with hydrogen peroxide. Add baking powder to the mix and allow the solution to foam for 5-7 minutes. Rinse under warm water and dry with a soft cloth.
- Lemon Juice. Mix plain dish soap, lemon juice, vinegar and warm water in a bowl. Add coins to the mixture and rinse with cold water. It is excellent for cutting grease and dissolving mildew and dirt.
- Ketchup. Smear a small amount of ketchup onto both sides of the coin, use a toothbrush to gently scrub each side. Wait about 10 minutes, then rinse the coin with warm water and dry it. The ketchup will remove oxidization and dirt build-up.
- Olive oil. Leave coin soaking in olive oil overnight. In the morning, gently scrub with dish soap using a toothbrush. Buff with a dry cloth and the coin will be shining like new.
- Salt and vinegar. Mix 1 cup white distilled vinegar, 3 tablespoons salt, and 1 cup hot boiling cup water. Add coins and let sit 15 minutes. Rinse with cold water and dry with a microfiber cloth.
- Toothpaste. It works great. Take a Q-tip and get some toothpaste and begin applying to coin. Let it sit for 5 minutes and rub it off. Rinse under warm water. Scrub while rinsing and repeat steps if needed.
- Vinegar. In a bowl, cover a pile of coins with apple cider or white distilled vinegar. Shake the bowl every now and then to loosen dirt. For even better results, allow coins to soak overnight, rinse, dry and repeat.
Helpful Tips
- You would never want to use an extremely harsh chemical like muriatic acid when cleaning coins as it may cause corrosion. Such chemicals will cause permanent damage that cannot be restored.
About The Author: Hi, I’m Jessica. I’m a Mom of 2 and I love DIY hacks, home decor ideas and non-toxic cleaning tips. I created this website to share my knowledge with a community of like-minded people who love simple, easy and safe ways to keep their home clean and inspiring. I hope you enjoy!