Ultrasonic Coin Cleaning

How the Utrasonic Cleaner Works

• An ultrasonic cleaner may not be made exclusively to clean coins, but that doesn't mean it won't work. The cleaner is generally a smaller case with a lid. Open the lid and place specific cleaning liquids for the product you are using (in this case you'll use a metal cleaner) into the cleaning box. When the device is activated, the ultrasonic cleaner will use a series of sound waves to vibrate the objects inside the cleaner to remove the dirt. These sound waves are at such a pitch that our human ears cannot hear them.

The Cleaning Solution

• Look on the back label of the cleaning solution which came with the ultrasonic cleaner. A list of products you can clean with the solution should appear on the label. Check to see if coins or jewelry are listed. If one or both are listed, the solution should be fine to use. However, if neither is listed, you will need to purchase a new cleaning liquid. You can either do this through the store where you bought the cleaner, or through the link provided in the "Resources" section at the end of this article.

Cleaning the Coins

• Pour the appropriate cleaning solution into the open ultrasonic cleaner. Place the coins into the device. It is all right if they are touching one another because the slight vibrations given off will most likely rearrange them. Turn the cleaner on, and allow it to run for a few minutes. Turn the device down, and take out the coins. Inspect them to see if the dirt has been removed. If the coins only had a slight layer of dirt or gunk on them originally, they should be clean now.

Avoid Over Cleaning

• When using the ultrasonic cleaner to clean coins, you do not want to over clean the coins or scrub them to harshly. You will decrease the value of your coins if you clean them. Most collectors prefer any signs of aging to remain on the coins. Clean the coins gently until the dirt is soft and can be removed via other methods. This form of cleaning should only be used as a last resort in case the coins just can't be cleaned any other way.