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Topic: Guide: SAFELY Removing Tarnish From/"Cleaning" Coins/Bullion (Silver) (Read 11657 times)

b!z
legendary
Activity: 1582
Merit: 1010
I have a few pennies lying around that I'd like to clean. Thanks, I will try this later.
legendary
Activity: 896
Merit: 1000
You have probably heard "Do not clean coins!". This is very true in that you should not use ANY abrasive method/chemicals to clean your coins. This includes stuff like steel wool, Brasso, etc. However, there is a "safe" way to remove the tarnish from/getting your silver looking good again that is accepted as "safe" by even serious coin collectors.
It really does a lot to make your coin/bullion look good. The steps are as follows:
1. Get a glass bowl/pan.
2. Lay down aluminum foil along the bottom
3. Place your coins/bullion pieces on top
4. For a normal sized glass bowl (adjust accordingly-it doesn't have to be incredibly precise), add 3 teaspoons of baking soda, 3 teaspoons of table salt
5. Heat up distilled water to a point just above steaming.
6. Pour it into the bowl/pan such that it covers the coins/bullion 1/2-1cm.
7. Watch the tarnish literally disappear before your eyes
8. Flip the coins/bullion over after about 10 minutes
9. After 10 more minutes, take the coins out and put them into a bowl of room temperature distilled water.
10. If the coins/bullion still have salt/baking soda remnants on them, rinse them with distilled water till its all gone.
11. Make sure all salt/baking soda particles are gone (they could be abrasive) and lay out/dry your coins with a soft paper towel.
12. If you want to clean them further, use only dish soap and your finger to scrub. Non-abrasiveness is key.
13. Your coins/bullion should be looking a lot better!
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