Five Natural Ways To Clean Silver Coins

16 December 2014
 Categories: , Blog


When you want to sell some silver coins, you want them to look their best so they can fetch the best price, You may want to clean them if they are very dirty or black from oxidation. However, some commercial silver cleaners can damage the finish of your coins, which can lower their value. To protect your silver, consider the following natural ways to clean your coins.

Laundry Detergent and Distilled Water

Allowing your silver coins to sit in warm, soapy water can help you clean your silver coins easily. Mix laundry detergent with warm water in a glass bowl, and let your coins sit for about an hour. Some municipal water supplies contain chlorine, so to be careful, avoid using water from the tap. Instead, use distilled water.

Baking Soda

A simple way for you to clean your silver coins is to use baking soda. Put a bit of baking soda in the palm of your hand, and drop a silver coin on top of it. Using your fingers, rub the baking soda onto the surface of your coin; you should start to see a difference in a few seconds. When you have rubbed your coins clean, rinse them with warm distilled water and let them air dry.

Ketchup

Ketchup is another substance that can clean silver. The tomato in the ketchup is acidic, so it serves as the cleaning agent; ketchup is not abrasive, so you need not worry you're going to ruin your coins. Simply use a soft tissue or cloth and rub a small amount of ketchup on the faces of the coins to clean them off. Rinse with warm distilled water.

Lemon Juice

The acid in lemon juice can help clean silver coins that have suffered from some oxidation. Spritz some lemon juice on each silver coin and use a toothbrush or soft brush to brush the coin clean. You can also let the coins sit in a bath of lemon juice for a few minutes, before you brush the grime off of your coins. Let the coins air dry after rinsing with distilled water.

Toothpaste

Toothpaste has long been used to clean silver so that it looks new again. Squeeze a small amount of toothpaste directly on the coin you want to clean, and rub it with a soft rag. Dirt and gunk will rub right off.

Now that you know some natural ways to clean your silver coins without harming them, you can shine them so that they look presentable for selling. Take them to a local dealer like Beaverton Coin & Currency to get a good idea of their value, and see if you can make a deal.


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