How do you clean copper pennies without damaging them?

What cleans a penny the best?

Vinegar (or Lemon Juice) and Salt

This method is the best way to clean your pennies, and it will produce a very bright orangey-copper color on your pennies. It does this by using the low levels of acids that are contained naturally in vinegar and lemon juice to remove the patina (brown oxidation) on the penny.

What is the easiest way to clean pennies?

Copper oxide dissolves in a mixture of weak acid and table salt-and vinegar is an acid. You could also clean your pennies with salt and lemon juice or orange juice, because those juices are acids, too.

Does Coke really clean coins?

Coke and off-brand colas will quickly remove the tarnish. Just don’t drink the coke afterward. Coke contains phosphoric acid that cleans the oxides. Try a variety of citrus juices to see which works best or simply let your pennies soak in lemon juice.

Should you clean wheat pennies?

In general, old coins should not be cleaned. While you might think that getting all the years of dirt and grime off a coin would make it more valuable, the opposite is actually true! By cleaning a coin, you may actually damage it and decrease its value. At worst, you could permanently damage the coin.

Does rubbing alcohol clean pennies?

To soak your coins, you will create a bath using isopropyl alcohol and salt. It is important to note that each of these chemicals is acidic and abrasive. While they will do a great job of cleaning your coins, be careful of how many contacts they have with your skin.

How do you clean wheat pennies at home?

Soap. Cleaning your old coins with gentle dish soap and water can loosen some of that built-up dirt. Fill a small plastic container with warm water, add a few drops of mild soap, immerse the coins, and rub with your fingers or a soft toothbrush to clean.

Can vinegar damage coins?

Just be sure to rinse off the vinegar with water after you’ve soaked them, since any remaining vinegar residue could cause the coins to oxidize again. First, if you think your coins might be of any value, do not clean them at all, since you can possibly damage them by soaking in cleaners like vinegar.

Does baking soda damage coins?

The baking soda/aluminum foil cleaning is not a completely safe non-damaging form of cleaning. Oh and you will still have to be careful to thoroughly rinse the coin afterward. A base like baking soda can corrode the coin if traces are left behind, just like an acid would.

Are wheat pennies worth anything?

Most wheat cents (wheat pennies were minted between 1909 and 1956) are worth about 4 to 5 cents. Those in better condition can have double-digit value. Special examples (especially those in near perfect condition) can be worth much more. And pennies dated from 1879 to 1909 are worth at least $1.

How long do you soak pennies in vinegar?

Leave the pennies for around five minutes in the glass of vinegar or lemon juice. If they’re extra dirty or if you‘re cleaning a lot simultaneously, give them a few more minutes for good measure.

What does vinegar do to copper?

Copper oxide dissolves in water, but it usually takes a long time. The combination of vinegar (a weak solution of acetic acid), and table salt (sodium chloride) helps to dissolve the copper oxide, and also forms the blue copper(II) ion, which is soluble in water. The penny becomes shiny again!

Why do pennies turn green in vinegar?

A penny is made of copper. The vinegar on the paper towel helps the copper in the penny easily react with the oxygen in the air to form a blue-green colored compound called malachite.

Does water or vinegar clean a penny better?

You can see the surface of the pennies change and become shinier. You can then rinse them with running water and set them on a towel to dry. Vinegar and lemon juice both work really well for cleaning pennies.

How does baking soda make pennies shiny?

Why do pennies turn dull?

When oxygen binds with copper, they form a new molecule known as copper oxide. This is why most pennies you see look dirty or tarnished—it’s not actually dirt but copper oxide that makes them look so dull.

What is the best way to clean copper?

Rub a mixture of 1 tablespoon of table salt and 1 cup of white vinegar onto the copper with a soft cloth and rinse. Or, immerse the tarnished copper into a pot of 3 cups of water and the salt-vinegar mixture, bring to a boil and boil until the grime and tarnish comes off.

Can you use toothpaste to clean copper?

You do not usually think of toothpaste as a copper cleaner, but if used properly, it makes dull, unattractive copper shine like new. After you soak copper in water to remove loose debris, you can clean it with toothpaste and a toothbrush. This restores some of the copper’s luster and leaves behind its natural patina.

How do you clean and shine copper?

Mix 1/4 cup salt, 1/4 cup flour and enough vinegar to make a thick paste. Use a soft cloth to rub the paste on the surface of the copper. Buff the copper item until it shines. Rinse with warm water and dry thoroughly.