If you are worried that your collection has turned dark or the products have become dirty, first of all, consider the fact that some precious coins are more valuable with a touch. It is he who is the sign of antiquity. If they just accumulate dust or fat, the question arises, how and how to clean coins from different metals and in general, whether cleaning copper coins at home is possible. To do this, of course, you can, but you need to know several features of this procedure and apply the right technology and tools.
to the contents ↑What metals are coins made of?
Depending on the historical period of the money symbol that you have available, in which country it was made, the coin can be made of:
- silver;
- gold;
- copper;
- of zinc;
- bronze;
- of nickel silver;
- platinum;
- aluminum;
- iron;
- of tin;
- chrome.
How to clear coins?
Cleaning of copper or any other coins at home can be performed by the following means:
- soap solution;
- ammonia;
- citric acid;
- toothpaste;
- Coke;
- special chemistry for jewelry cleaning.
You will be able to apply tools and remove dirt with the help of handy tools:
- soft rags;
- soft or medium-hard brushes;
- thin needles.
Important! Be sure to remember that the daily use of coins can be cleaned with more complex and aggressive substances, without fear of damaging them. Cleaning old and valuable coins requires a mandatory delicate approach, otherwise the procedure can destroy them or reduce the cost of the product.
to Contents ↑Universal Methods for Cleaning Copper Coins
Before you clean a coin from any metal with suitable complex or aggressive solutions in your opinion, try using the simplest, most versatile methods.
Option 1
- Prepare a warm soapy solution.
- Put dirty products in it.
- Leave it for a while.
- Lightly rub with a cloth or sponge to remove dirt.
- Place the coin in a soft, clean cloth to let it dry.
Option 2
- Rub on a small grater soap - any child or household.
- Add a little water to the mixture to make a gruel.
- Put all the coins in it.
- Leave for 1-2 days, very dirty - for a week.
- Remove, rinse with water, lightly rub with a soft brush and dry properly.
- Make sure that the cash products have become clean.
How do I clean daily coins?
If you simply do not like to use dirty money, and such fell into your hands and you decide to solve the problem yourself how to clear coins, proceed by one of the following methods.
Method 1
- Mix the vinegar with a little water.
- Dampen the cotton pad and rub the surface of the product.
- Apply a small amount of toothpaste on an unnecessary brush and treat the metal.
- Remove products with a damp sponge or cloth.
- Polish with a dry cloth until it shines.
Method 2
- Put all the products in a bowl with warm water.
- Top with soda.
- Leave for half an hour.
- Rub with a soda brush.
- Rinse under running water and dry the coins.
Method 3
- Pour cola into any convenient container.
- Put dirty money into it for the night.
- Remove in the morning and rinse under running water.
Method 4
- Take a not very concentrated solution of hydrochloric acid.
- Dampen it with a cotton pad.
- Rub the surface of the coins.
- Properly dry, put between a soft cloth.
Important! Using this method to solve the problem of how to clean copper coins at home, work with gloves, so as not to damage the skin of your hands.
to the contents ↑How can I clean old or precious coins?
As already mentioned above, precious coins require a special approach. Therefore, before you clean old coins, find out which metal or alloy they are made of. After that, use the methods below suitable for a particular type of coin.
Gold
This metal can be safely cleaned of dirt in this way:
- Take the ⅛ piece of soap bar, grind it and dilute the shavings in 1 liter of warm water. Soak the coins for a while in the solution.
- Rub them with your fingers.
- Place a pot of coins in a soapy solution on a fire and warm slightly, but do not bring to a boil.
- Remove and rinse all products with clean water.
- Place on a cloth to dry.
Silver
If you decide how and how to clean silver coins, be sure to consider the metal sample and how much it has oxidized. The most sparing, but quite effective way to clean it looks like this:
- Pour into the bowl of ammonia.
- Put all the coins in it.
- Leave for 1 hour.
- Lightly wipe off and leave on a moisture absorbing cloth for drying.
Important! To clean the silver of a low sample, you can also use a tool called "Trilon B".Detailed instructions for its use are on the packaging.
Iron
Coping with traces of rust and whitish divorce on iron coins will help such a solution:
- Take a weak solution of hydrochloric acid, soak the cotton pad into it.
- Wipe gently all items made of iron.
- Strongly dirty places a little rub with a brush with a brass bristle or remove with a needle.
- Rinse under running water.
- Dry and grate with felt cloth to return the products to their former shine.
Copper
To solve the problem, how and how to clean copper is suitable for vinegar or even a cleaner Cilit, which perfectly removes rust. Both options are suitable not only for processing household items, but also to cope with such a problem as cleaning copper coins at home.
To apply the first remedy, proceed as follows:
- Pour vinegar into any container.
- Dip the copper coins into it.
- Leave for a while - determine the treatment time, based on how dirty the product is.
- Remove and dry.
In the second case:
- Apply paste to the surface of the metal.
- Lightly rub with a sponge or a soft brush.
- Rinse with running warm water.
- Dry on a soft cloth.
Coins of the USSR
During the Soviet era, money was minted mainly from copper, as well as from an alloy of aluminum, nickel or zinc with copper. Therefore, before you clean the coins of the USSR, specify which alloy was used for your products.
Please note that when performing the procedure, the following recommendations:
- Aluminum does not tolerate aggressive chemicals, so the use of soap and brushes is more suitable for such cleaning of coins.
- Those products that include zinc in the alloy, a weakly concentrated solution of hydrochloric acid is quite suitable. To do this, lower the coin into it, but not for long, and then clean the plaque with a brass wire.
- For a nickel, a special solvent like WD-40 or vinegar is suitable.
Than you can not clean the coins?
Before cleaning coins from any metal at home, note that it is strictly not recommended for this purpose to use:
- Any abrasive powders and tools - for example, sandpaper, metal brush or modern household chemicals will quickly remove not only dirt, but alsopatina on expensive products, because of what their price will drop dramatically.
- Concentrates of acetic, hydrochloric, nitric or sulfuric acids - their effect can completely melt the pattern of coining.
- Heat treatment at high temperatures - can simply melt the metal or cause it to crumble after cooling.
Now you know how to clean coins of different kinds and hope that after using our useful tips in practice, you managed to return your collection to an attraction.