Home >> Collecting >> Coin Collecting

Home Remedies for Cleaning Old Coins

The first rule of coin collecting is to avoid cleaning your old coins. This is because old coins can become damaged through the cleaning process, particularly if you are using chemical substances such as metal polishes. However, if your coins are so dirty that you cannot identify what is depicted on them, you should consider cleaning your old coins using trusted home remedies.

Gold Coins
- Fill a bucket with warm water and soap. If possible, the water should be distilled. Take a soft toothbrush or cotton washcloth and dip it in the bucket, then gently rub it over the coin until the coin is clean. Because gold is soft, it scratches very easily. Gold coins are the most unlikely coins to discolor during cleaning, though.
Silver Coins
- Fill a cup with ammonia, vinegar, rubbing alcohol or lemon juice. Place the silver coins in the cup and allow the coins to soak until the dirt has lifted off of the coins. Air dry the coins. Note that among collectors, cleaned silver coins are not desirable. Many collectors simply will not purchase coins that look like they have been cleaned. So even if your silver coins have taken on a dark tone over time, you might consider leaving them uncleaned, provided you can still see the text and design on the coin.
Copper Coins
- Fill a cup with olive or grape oil and soak the coins in the oil. Then, air dry. Copper coins are more susceptible to damage through cleaning than gold and silver coins. Thus, if you have dirty copper coins, you might want to consider purchasing a specialized commercial cleaning product or taking your coins to a professional coin cleaner.

Coin Collecting