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How to Clean Corroded Money

If your coins are corroded and you want to prevent further corrosion damage, cleaning the coins is a necessity. Cleaning your coins also improves the appearance of them, in case you are collecting coins or putting them on display. It is possible to damage the surface of the coins through improper cleaning. In order to clean them and maintain their appearance, coins require specific cleaning techniques to be followed.

Things You'll Need

Dish washing soap
Distilled water
Olive oil
Denatured alcohol
Soft toothbrush
Cloth

Instructions

- 1
  Place the coin under warm running water for at least one minute.
- 2
  Determine the material the coin is made of. Submerge the coin in a solution depending on the material. Soak gold coins in hot water with dish washing soap. Soak copper, nickel, bronze or silver coins in distilled water or olive oil. Keep the coins in the solution for a minimum of a few hours or a maximum of two weeks depending on how dirty the coin is. Remove the coins and rinse them with denatured alcohol.
- 3
  Dip a damp soft toothbrush into a bit of dish soap and rub the coins with the toothbrush. Apply enough pressure to remove any remaining dirt without damaging the coin̵7;s surface. Rinse the coin with warm water.
- 4
  Lightly pat the coin with a cloth to dry it. Place the coin on top of the cloth and let it air dry.

Coin Collecting