\u00a9 2023 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. Copper is a highly reactive metal that will oxidize or discolor quickly. Were committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Rinse the remaining ketchup from the surface of the penny under warm running water. You can also use these methods to clean your copper sink or as one of the ways to clean a copper pipe that is tarnished or has stains. Place a lid on the container and soak the coins for one week. The copper that is dissolved in the vinegar will be attracted to the steel nuts and bolts. Start by adding a quarter cup of white vinegar, or lemon juice, into a cup or glass. Enjoy your time cleaning your pennies and making them shine once again. Prepare enough solution to fully submerge the pennies. . Flip the coin over, and let it soak for a few more moments. How Many Coins Are in a Regular Roll of Coins? Coin collecting is a fun hobby for children and people of all ages. White vinegar and water are two of the best basic ingredients for cleaning copper pennies. Place the copper pennies in a single layer into the solution. How To Clean Coins With Vinegar And Baking Soda - Curious if baking soda and vinegar works on cleaning pennies, nickels, and quarters? Or worse, they pile up in your cup holder and start getting sticky. Squeeze enough ketchup or Tabasco sauce into a small container or bowl to cover your pennies and place the coins into the sauce, making sure they do not overlap. This method is the best way to clean your pennies, and it will produce a very bright orangey-copper color on your pennies. Note: For pennies minted after 1982, refer to method 5. To clean your pennies with vinegar you should prepare a bowl with warm vinegar, place the pennies inside for 5-10 minutes and then rub off the tarnished layer with a toothbrush. You can also lightly scour the pennies using a toothbrush or cotton swab for a more thorough cleaning. Once clean rinse with soap and water and dry off. A quick wash will also help neutralize the overpowering odor of the vinegar. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Any type of eraser works to remove the build of dirt. Copper Penny Rust Removal With Vinegar & Baking Soda Experiment DT 22.8K subscribers Subscribe Like Share 57K views 6 years ago Sign Up For Free and Make Money . how to remove tarnish and clean coins using baking soda | howtofunda#cleancoins #bakingsoda #howtofunda If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. Cleaning one-two punch As a base, baking soda dissolves organic compounds like dirt, grease and . Let your kids use an old toothbrush to apply the paste to each coin, scrubbing gently. Press the wet brush into baking soda and listen to the oddly satisfying hiss :) Scrub the penny in long strokes applying a decent amount of pressure. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. "Very cool from the "Surprise me" feature! Dilute with1/2 cup water and add 2 tablespoons of white vinegar. The colors will be get dark. Lincoln Memorial Penny (1959 to Today) Values and Prices. Ordinary vinegar can be used to rid old coins of the gunk theyve gathered over time. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. Stir the salt until it dissolves into the vinegar. In a suitably sized cup, bowl or basin, stir salt - approximately 1 tablespoon of salt per cup of vinegar - into white vinegar until it's dissolved. Add the coins, and rub each one until the surface looks shiny. Its essential to use a mild cleaner when cleaning old coins. Method #1: Cleaning With Soap and Water Method #2: Cleaning With Lemon Juice/Vinegar and Salt Method #3: Cleaning With a Pencil Eraser Method #4: Cleaning With Tomato Ketchup Method #5: Cleaning With Baking Soda or Bon Ami Cleanser Method #6: Cleaning With Goo Gone Frequently Asked Questions Conclusion How to Clean Steel Pennies Do NOT. Rub the baking soda into the face of each coin with your fingers to scrub away the dirt and grime. There should be enough liquid that pennies lying flat on the bottom of the container will be fully submerged (if not, add more liquid). While this method will remove surface contamination, it may not make the copper penny bright. The dirtier and deeper brown color your pennies are, the longer it will take to bring out the orange-red color. Tested. Removing patina, tarnish, and gunk from those coins is simple using the right cleaning solution. Remove from the bin, place on the soft cloth and allow to dry naturally. Enjoy! This video is for demonstration purposes only on coins that are only worth face value. Pour cola over the top of the coins until they are covered. 20-30 dull pennies 1/4 cup white vinegar (dilute acetic acid) 1 teaspoon salt (NaCl) 1 shallow, clear glass or plastic bowl (not metal) 1-2 clean steel screws or nails water measuring spoons paper towels Shiny Clean Pennies Pour the salt and vinegar into the bowl. Soak them in a bucket of warm water and vinegar for about 15 minutes. Who would have thought that cleaning copper coins is like performing a fun science experiment in the home? This turns that bright orange-red color into a dull brown but can be removed from the surface of the coin. Start a one-minute timer. It works on the same principle as using ketchup (Ketchup contains vinegar, salt and tomatoes), but there is less rubbing . In about a minute, your penny will turn from dull brown into bright copper color. If you dont have any vinegar on hand, a 1:1 ratio of water to acetone will produce the same effect. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. Each victimized coin looked unusually shiny, and 5X magnification revealed countless tiny striations in the surface, rendering the coins almost worthless. I primarily collect and study U.S. coins produced during the 20th century. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Mix a teaspoon of salt into the liquid by stirring until it is dissolved. 10. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 1,414,495 times. Although this is using acid to clean your coins, it is a very low-level acid that is safe to use. Method #1: Apple Cider Vinegar and Dish Soap Trap. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Real Experiences. Unfortunately, many of the popular methods seen online are actually detrimental to coins and could leave yours with only a fraction of their original collector value! Then, stir in 1 teaspoon (6 g) of salt. Read more in our privacy policy. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Collectors consider a coin valuable and collectible when its appraised value is significantly higher than its intrinsic value. For this method, you will use a commercially available cleanser called Bon Ami. Citrus liquids such as lemon and orange juice are mildly acidic and work wonders for cleaning copper coins when combined with salt. An easy way to clean copper pennies and coins to remove the build-up of grime is with soapy water and a little elbow grease. wikiHow is a wiki, similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. James Bucki is a nationally-recognized coin collector and numismatic expert and author, sharing his knowledge and specialized training in coin grading, minting errors, and collection techniques.