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How To Clean Coins

Finally, a guide on learning how to clean coins the right way. Although it is not recommended, there are procedures that will not harm or damage your precious coins. There are several methods to cleaning coins, so we will go over only the very best coin cleaning methods here.

Coin Cleaning Method #1

Distilled Water

Gather the coins together that you’d like to clean. Simply place them in a container full of distilled water, then place the container into the freezer. Allow the distilled water to freeze solid. The distilled water soaks into the dirt which moistens the dirt a great deal. The distilled water is also a non-corrosive which will not damage the coins either. Once the distilled water freezes with the coins submerged, the ice crystals actually expand which breaks the dirt loose in all of the tiny little cracks and crevices and will not damage the coins in any way. You may need to repeat this process again to  completely get all of the dirt out.

Coin Cleaning Method #2

Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen Peroxide is praised religiously by many as to being a great household ingredient for cleaning coins without causing any damage. Simply submerge coins into a container of Hydrogen Peroxide and just let soak for 24 hours. Once the 24 hour time period has passed, rinse the coins in distilled water and let air dry.

“Some individuals also recommend using Listerine brand mouthwash as a safe alternative to scrubbing and polishing coins. The Listerine mouthwash actually attacks dirt, oil and debris embedded into the coin and the coins fine lines and helps break it loose from the surface of the coin. Soak for 12 hours in Listerine and rinse with distilled water and air dry.”

The Coin Cleaning Methods listed above for safely cleaning coins are the least invasive methods. Below are links to the best deals on coin tumblers I could find. If you have a lot of coins to clean, a coin tumbler may be the best choice for you. Many collectors use watered down pea gravel in their coin tumblers to clean their coins. They’ve also reported great success. However, I would limit the tumble time until you get a good feel for how clean is “clean enough” and how much is just too much.

Single Barrel All Purpose Coin Tumbler

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Super Deluxe Heavy Duty Coin Tumbler

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Cleaning coins is really never recommended. More damage can be caused by cleaning the coin in an effort to make it more presentable. You should always avoid touching the coins with your fingers as well and always store your coins in coin books, coin capsules or coin flips.

Sometimes a good soaking of freshly dug coins like coins found when metal detecting may be needed. Just soak them in a solution that won’t harm or deteriorate the coin surface. All that is really necessary is that the coin is presentable and that the date is legible. Lets face it! It’s not likely that you’ll find many excellent condition coins while out metal detecting, so simply cleaning them enough to make the date and the mint mark legible is all that is really needed.

Coin Cleaning Tips Continued