By sarah carter

Coins can collect dirt, grime and lint from the many pockets and purses they inhabit over the course of a lifetime. If your coins have picked up the stickiness of an old piece of gum or tarnished to an almost unrecognizable color, there are some things you can do. If you want to clean coins you should follow these steps.

Materials:
Liquid dish soap
Water
Small paper cup
Lemon juice
Soft cloth

  1. Inspect the coin. This first step is important for two reasons. First, the steps below work best for coins made of copper, silver or nickel coins. For ancient coins or those made of gold you should avoid steps that involve the acidic lemon juice. The second reason for inspecting the coin is to check for their value. Collectible coins have more value when they are preserved in their natural state. Check the date of your coins and do some research for any that might be valuable before you start cleaning.
  2. Rinse the coins in water. Loose dirt and debris may be removed with a simple rinse. Place the coin in the palm of your hand then hold it under warm running water.
  3. Apply a dab of soap. Drop a bit of liquid dish soap on the coin. Use your fingertip to lightly wash the soap over the coin on both sides. Then rinse again. If the coin is clean, skip to step five. If the coin is still tarnished, move on to step four.
  4. Place coin and lemon juice into small cup. Let the coin soap for five to ten minutes. Check the coin at the five minute mark to see if the soil has been removed. If not let it soak for a second five minute period.
  5. Rinse and dry. Rinse the coin under cool water. Then place the coin onto a soft cloth to let it dry. Do not rub dry.

Coins can be cleaned to a shining, gleaming sparkle. If you follow these steps you can remove dirty, stickiness and even tarnish that changes the coins from shiny copper, silver and nickel and turns them into tarnished circles. Follow these steps for your every day coins and you'll be passing them back into circulation for years to come.