Add distilled water and a small amount of dish soap to your shallow bowl. So, in this article, Im going to explain to you exactly how to clean wheat pennies safely and effectively! You can use lemon juice to clean copper pennies, but youll want to work in a well-ventilated area when you do. It is easy to just use any cleaning agent for this, but you need to understand that there are many cleaning materials that will potentially damage the penniesand even hurt your skin in the process. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". HCI works, but you get an orange look to the copper and still need to use your elbow grease to clean it. In fact, I use dish soap to clean my wedding ring, necklaces, and other jewelry. If your penny is really important to you. They are too harsh and abrasive to clean wheat pennies with. It might even be a good idea to stay away from even hiring a professional service to clean them for you. What do you see? Alicia holds a CPA designation and a Bachelors degree in Commerce and Finance from the University of Toronto. Before you do anything, do your research to know the value of the coin. Rinse off the ketchup and inspect the condition of your coins. If you don't have any vinegar on hand, a 1:1 ratio of water to acetone will produce the same effect. Start by adding a quarter cup of white vinegar, or lemon juice, into a cup or glass. Water is one of the best and safest ways to clean your wheat pennies. The acetic acid in white vinegar can help remove contaminants from your coins. As a small thank you, wed like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). 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. You can also opt for durable plastic holders, which can be square or round. Wait about five minutes and check your pennies. If they look clean enough, use a soft cloth to dry them. There are various other methods to clean your pennies. Make sure they are not directly on top of each other. After WWII, the original metal composition was reinstituted and reigned until the wheat penny retired. First, do not every use any type of jewelry cleaner or metal polish on coins. Ketchup is composed of vinegar, salt, and tomatoes. I would not do any cleaning at all. Leave the pennies for around five minutes in the glass of vinegar or lemon juice. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Dissolve 1 tsp (7 g) of table salt in a bowl with of white distilled vinegar. Mix your hand soap in with the water, creating a soapy mixture. One of the most recommended cleaning solutions for wheat pennies is white vinegar. 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. You must remember to use these at your discretion. Method 1 Using Simple Washing Download Article 1 Sort your coins. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. Then mix gently until the salt totally dissolves in the lemon juice. This detector works very well in areas with high soil mineralization. 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. 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. Dont use steel wool or abrasive chemicals to clean your penny, as this could damage the metal. This website uses cookies to improve your experience, but you may opt out if you wish. The baking soda isnt acidic like vinegar and citrus juice solutions, so leaving the paste in place for a while is safe. You will want to use a soft-bristled brush, one that has been well worn in as well as a soft cloth. Remember to not use tap water because the chemicals are bad for the coins. Soak the coins in the lemon solution for up to one hour. Like vinegar, citrus juice is acidic and wears off copper oxide on coins. Drop your coins into the mixture and let them sit for about 5 minutes. There are a variety of cleaning methods for wheat pennies. Dish soap is also a good and very gentle way to clean coins. CoinsForSale.com charges a 5 percent selling fee and no listing fee. 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! 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. These cookies do not store any personal information. Kids Metal Detectors Your email address will not be published. Again, if you have hard or corrosive water, go with distilled water. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Next, mix baking soda and water into a thick paste and rub this paste over the penny using your fingers. The coins should be dipped in that bowl for at least five minutes. [1] Rinse with freshwater and let air dry. Some are damaged by contact with other coins, general circulation, or being buried in the ground for many years. After 5 minutes, wash the solution off the coins with warm water, since if its left on too long it can damage them. Ammonia works well for removing rust from copper pennies, but it can also damage the surface of the penny if not used properly. But, when you combine vinegar with other ingredients, it will become a cleaning agent, not a tarnishing agent. 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. LARISA NIEDLE You'll Need: Salt White vinegar (or fresh lemon juice) Shallow plastic container Cloth or paper towel Baking soda (optional) Toothbrush (optional) Dishwashing liquid (optional) 02 of 07 Step 1: LARISA NIEDLE In a jar, combine 1 cup vinegar (or lemon juice) and 1 tablespoon salt. You want something a bit more gentle for silver coins but you will need a heavier abrasive for your copper pennies. These coins range in value from a few cents to a small fortune, if you are lucky enough! For coins that dont have collectible value, you can use sand, olive oil, and even isopropyl alcohol to get the job done. I like to use distilled water to clean coins if I decide to clean them. If it can clean oil off baby ducks, it should be able to clean your wheat pennies with very little damage! Put the coin in the bowl and slowly rub the coin with your finger from both sides. Keep in mind that adding more salt to the solution makes it stronger. Pennies are made from highly reactive metals like copper or copper alloys, so it is only normal for them to get corroded with time. You can use your finger or an exceptionally fine brush to remove any stuck-on dirt. It may take a few treatments, so work gradually and wash the coins off each time to avoid damaging them. That means a lot more options for getting them clean enough to use again. In this video I clean three old worn large cents. Fill up two plastic containers with distilled water and a tablespoon of mild hand soap. Pull the coins out of the liquid and gently wipe them with a paper towel to break apart the tarnish and dark spots. They were initially made of bronze, a 95 percent copper alloy. There are many options for selling wheat pennies. Use a stronger acid like ketchup or cola to strip away the green patina that forms when copper is exposed to salt and water. You just cant see them because they are microscopicbut your intended buyer will see them. Exposure to air leads to the formation of copper oxide. The right materials will effectively clean your pennies and will also be safe for your hands. Wheat pennies were made of different metals during different years depending on the need for metals. Again, use small circular motions, scrubbing the entirety of the coin for a minute or so. But before you start your timer, make sure none of the pennies are touching themselves. You may not see these changes with your naked eyes if you clean carefully, but they are there. This natural acid can be used to clean coins, pots and pans, and more. Let them air dry the rest of the way. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Add more baking soda and water as needed for larger batches of coins. Safely storing your wheat pennies is critical for preserving and protecting them. Shine the coins to make them look better. Dry the coins with a microfiber cloth to give them that extra shine! This detector features multiple search frequencies and has 2 different coin modes: one for foreign coins and one for U.S. coins. I know it sounds strange, but stay with me. So at the very least you need distilled water as a working medium. From there, use your brush to gently get the grime off of the coins before putting them back into the water again. Distilled water is highly recommended as tap water since it contains chlorine that works perfectly in removing the unwanted substances. Rinse your pennies well with water; otherwise, if any of these cleaning agents remain on the coin, the coin will turn blue-green. 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. Gently scrub them with either a soft toothbrush or your fingers. 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. Make a bath using a cup of isopropyl alcohol combined with two tablespoons of salt. Vinegar and salt are the best methods of cleaning your pennies. The Garrett Ace Apex is one of my favorite metal detectors for coin shooting. The application of taco sauce is another simple method of cleaning these pennies. You can also seek the services of the Numismatic Conservation Services. If there are still some stubborn stains on your pennies after rinsing them with water, try using baking soda next time instead; this should help get rid of those stainsand if not then maybe some hand lotion would help soften up those stubborn spots too! For many pennies, one tablespoon (15 g) of salt in 1/2 cup (4 oz) of vinegar will get the job done. Even more importantly, understand how the condition impacts the value. So my suggestion would be to take a random corroded penny that you dont care about, and try this cleaning method. Its also an effective way to remove oxidation from copper and make sure that there are no stains left behind. However, with old coins you have found while metal detecting, you may want to refrain from cleaning. 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. Repeat the process as many times as you need in order to get the coins clean. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. One of the most important aspects of cleaning old coins is to know the value first. 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. Wed love to hear from our readers! [1] Start working on the coins that need the least amount of work. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUbe88W78I0&feature=youtu.be&t=13, https://sciencebob.com/clean-pennies-with-vinegar/, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mMp2OYpCq8&feature=youtu.be&t=27, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHZSYR463uw&feature=youtu.be&t=41, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RS9-A1TO67c&feature=youtu.be&t=45, https://www.pennycollector.com/cleaning.html, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/shine-bright-like-a-penny/, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7cfVkadI_A&feature=youtu.be&t=174, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7cfVkadI_A&feature=youtu.be&t=928, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUPuRLcm7WY&feature=youtu.be&t=516, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUPuRLcm7WY&feature=youtu.be&t=542. When you handle your coins, wear cotton, Nitrile, or latex gloves, and handle the coin only by the edges. When you have them totally clean, let them air dry and enjoy the bright sheen that your pennies have. 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 !! [5] The salt and vinegar in the ketchup will remove tarnish from the penny. Thanks. Dissolve 1 tsp (7 g) of table salt in a bowl with of white distilled vinegar. Patience is key: The best way to clean a copper coin is by using patience and not being afraid to try new methods until one works well enough for you without scratching up your penny too much while doing so. The Nokta Makro CF77 Coin Finder is another great detector for coin shooting. They include: As you can see, these materials are very cheap and easy to find anywhere. Can hydrogen peroxide be used to clean coins? [1] 2 Add enough acetic acid (vinegar, white vinegar is most recommended) to moisten the salt into a paste. Let them soak for a while. Mix 3 parts baking soda with 1 part vinegar. 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. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. Other coins are molded from different metals, so the solution may not work as well on them. 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. Here are a few different methods that you can use to get those pennies clean. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. With this simple technique, anyone can get their penny as clean as it once was. It is okay to stop at the fourth step, but if some of the pennies dont get clean after you use the paper towel to clean them, you can put them back into the solution and soak for an extra five minutes. Last Updated: October 27, 2022 Its important to note that cleaning tarnish off valuable or rare coins can greatly affect their value. For coins that are not terribly valuable, you can clean them yourself with little to no worry. If you are keeping them for sentimental value or for your own personal collection, you may certainly clean them. After brushing each penny, rinse with clean water and dry, it should be looking good as new by now. Keep reading below for the best methods for safely cleaning your wheat pennies at home. They also will not pay you until you ship the coins. Or in layman's terms, by generating microscopic bubbles between a hard surface and a softer material, and allowing them to catastrophically collapse. All items are affected by the passage of time, and coins are no different. Step 5: Rub Away the Tarnish & Grime. The best method for achieving that is with salt and vinegar. Hot sauce and brown colas are some other household substances that work well on copper coins. Even if they appear corroded and lacking shine or have a tarnish on them. Cleaning them can go wrong very quicklyand who wants to devalue their newly found treasure? Well, the general rule is if you intend on selling your wheat pennies, you should not clean them. According to renowned numismatists, Ivory soap, and water is the safest way used in cleaning steel pennies. We all enjoy the metal detecting finds we discover, and sometimes, even pennies fall into that category. One of the simplest ways to clean coins is by using distilled water and a soft towel. Maintain your coins in great condition through proper care, handling and storage. For older, condition-sensitive coins, a gentle bath of water and mild hand soap will suffice. 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. 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. You dont have to sacrifice the quality of your pennies just so you can have them looking good. 3 What is the fastest way to clean copper coins? For some of us, they just collect in a container until they are used or traded in. Mix it together and add the coins into the bowl. They will, in fact, devalue. 2 Pour a few ounces of vinegar into a shallow dish. When they are sufficiently clean, lay them out on a soft cloth, dabbing them dry with gentle pressure. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Soak coins in warm water mixed with liquid dish detergent to clean off light dirt and grime. Remember, you dont want to use anything that has abrasive qualities to them because they can scratch the coins. Ultrasonic cleaners work by microcavitation. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. You can clean as many pennies you want with a single pencil eraser. Pennies have been around since the late 1700s in the United States. It has 3 search coil options, all are waterproof. In this case, 100% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. Stir together until the soap is sudsy, then add your coins to the bowl. An alternative is to use vinyl erasers, but they do not contain abrasive, which is typically found in pencil erasers. After a good shake, take the coins out and rinse them off. For a stronger treatment, let the coins soak in oil for about a day, then scrub them with a soft toothbrush. Be sure to check with a professional before cleaning a corroded coin that may have significant value. You can use your finger or an exceptionally fine brush to remove any stuck-on dirt. Copper is a soft metal, so copper coins are prone to degrading over time. Take them out, setting them on the cloth. Pencil Eraser for Cleaning Pennies. 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! Numismatists and some coin collector organizations may offer these services. But for coins that have collectible value, they are oftentimes worth more than their face value. Thats not necessarily to say the material so much as the purpose of the coin. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Submerge the coins in a shallow bath of vinegar and let them soak for at least an hour. Seatown Cleaners offers standard, deep, and move-in/out cleaning services using green products and cleaning techniques. These became known as Lincon wheat pennies. Press ESC to cancel. When you put your pennies in a vinegar and salt mix, the vinegar and salt react together and remove the copper oxide.