How to Clean Silver Coins
He has always loved your silver coin collection, your grandfather, and this month on his 75th birthday you want to present them to him. Won't he just love that? He'll love it! But when you open the cupboard and remove the coin collection from its muslin pouch, you find that they are almost black, like filled with soot and grime. Obviously you cannot give him that! You'll need them to be sparkling and shining through. But how do you ensure you do that? How to clean silver coins to make them look like new, you wonder. I see your problem. And I offer solutions in the next section. All you need to do is read the following piece on some ways of cleaning silver coins to perfection and you'll be ready with your gift.
Best Ways to Clean Silver Coins
There are several ways that have been devised which help in cleaning silver coin and make them as good as new. Here are some of the tried and tested methods. The best part of these is that they require simple ingredients and the methods they involve aren't much difficult either. Let's get to it then and see what can be done about tarnished silver cleaning, particularly in the area of silver coins.
Baking Soda
Find some baking soda (of course) and an old toothbrush. Now take the silver coins and wet them in plain water. Next, dip them in baking soda so that they are sufficiently covered on all sides and then take an old toothbrush and scrub them vigorously. Wet the coin a little more if it appears too dry. Simply brush on all sides and you'll find that the tarnish and soot-esque covering has been cleaned off. What shines through will be the coin in all its glory.
Vinegar
Cleaning silver coins with vinegar is very easy. Take the coins and put them in a container that is filled with vinegar. Make sure that the coins are dipped in completely/ allow them to stay in for about 20-30 minutes. Then get the coins out and scrub with a toothbrush. Rinse in tepid water and dry off. Be careful not to soak the coins in the vinegar for more than 30 minutes. Vinegar is a harsh solution and may cause damage to the coins. You can even make a paste of baking soda and vinegar and use that to scrub the coins.
Distilled Water
A very simple method is to use distilled water. Many times, the coins merely have a deposit of minerals on them that a soak in distilled water will solve. Just soak them in the water for 2-3 days and then gently scrub with a brush or with your fingers. This works for coins that are not completely tarnished and blackened.
Detergent Mix
Make a homemade silver cleaner by mixing a mild liquid detergent in distilled water and soak your coins overnight. Then scrub with a toothbrush and you'll find that the soot has been cleared off. Another variation in this one is to make a mixture of equal parts of detergent, salt and baking soda and add it to a gallon of water. Put it in an aluminum pot, then bring it to a boil after you've added the coins to it. Let the coins sit in this solution for about 20 minutes. After that remove them from the solution, scrub them with a toothbrush and wash with water. Pat dry.
Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is highly acidic and therefore, cleaning silver coins with lemon juice in its pure form might damage the coins. Instead of soaking the coins in lemon juice, use a different method. Dilute the lemon juice to reduce the acidic content and then take a toothpick that has been dabbed in this solution. Now use this solution to dab on the tough spots on the coins. Let it sit for a couple of minutes. Then rinse with distilled water and pat dry.
Olive Oil
This is a method that will require a lot of time for cleaning. All you do is place the coins in a container that has been filled with olive oil. Let the coins just sit in it. Change the oil every time the oil becomes black. Let the coins soak for over 3 months. After that you simply wash the oil off with water and pat dry.
One can even try soaking the coins in a container that has diluted tamarind juice in it or brushing the coins with any toothpaste. These are some of the simplest methods of cleaning silver coins at home. Now pick anyone of them that is most comfortable for you and get those coins to shine.
