Can you clean coins with Windex?

Author: Juliana Renner  |  Last update: Wednesday, September 3, 2025

Soap and Water - This is generally the only way to clean silvered and silver-plated coins, without damaging the silver. Ammonium - Windex works fine. This will clean the coin without damaging the silver.

What is the best cleaner for coins?

Mix two tablespoons of table salt with one cup of white vinegar, and toss your coins in. Make sure not to mix metals. Let the coins soak for a few hours or even overnight. Take 'em out, rinse 'em off with distilled water, and let 'em dry. You can get it pretty much anywhere, or order the vinegar straight from Amazon.

What not to clean coins with?

DO NOT CLEAN COINS WITH BAKING SODA, VINEGAR, SALT, PASTE, COCA-COLA, OR ANY OTHER CHEMICALS.

How do professional coin collectors clean their coins?

Some archeologists, professional coin dealers, and metal detecting hobbyists have used ultrasonic tanks that use ultrasound waves to agitate the clean, warm, soapy, distilled water in which coins are immersed. Sound waves are more gentle than even a soft toothbrush.

Does Coca-Cola clean coins?

NO! Coca cola is highly acidic and will destroy your coins. If you really need to clean any coin use only distilled water and a drop of dishwashing detergent. Let a coin sit in this for a while. If necessary to dislodge any stubborn dirt use a soft brush. Dry the coin thoroughly before you put into a flip.

Coin Shop Owner on HOW TO CLEAN COINS?

Does hydrogen peroxide clean coins?

Yes, you can use hydrogen peroxide to clean coins. It can remove stains and tarnish and won't damage your coins' surface. However, it's best to use a diluted form of hydrogen peroxide instead of concentrated.

What drink cleans coins the best?

Try a variety of citrus juices to see which works best or simply let your pennies soak in lemon juice. Citric acid works similarly to the other acids. Use a common pencil eraser on your pennies to remove the oxides like mistakes on paper. This takes more work than the others, however.

Does vinegar damage coins?

Acid based cleaners will eat away at a coin's surface diminishing its value. According to research professor Vinod Patel, washing common coins with natural white vinegar and iodized salt in distilled water is a non destructive way of cleaning them.

Are coins before 1964 valuable?

In the 1960s, the U.S. stopped minting silver coins because they'd become too expensive, he said. So coins from 1964 and before are more valuable. Some are worth a decent amount of money. If they're not rare, they can still bring in 12 times the face value because of the silver.

Can you clean coins without losing value?

An expert can, in some cases, improve the value of an old coin by cleaning, but for the average collector the risk of damage is too great, as almost anything you do is going to cut the value.

Is WD-40 good for cleaning coins?

The oil-base makes WD-40 reasonably effective at removing it without a lot of work. There is of course some sacrifice when this stuff is removed but fortunately the metal underneath is in pretty good condition and the coin, in hand, is much more presentable.

How much is a 1982 penny worth?

The 1982 “no mint mark” with bronze/copper composition and large date can cost an average of $0.05 in circulated condition. In an uncirculated state, the coin's value can range from $6 to $16. But pieces in higher grades – MS67 and above–can sell for as much as $135.

Can you use Windex to clean coins?

Ammonium - Windex works fine. This will clean the coin without damaging the silver. Lemon Juice - This works great on hard to clean silver coins. Simply leave the coin in the juice until the desired amount of crud has been removed.

What penny years are worth money?

  • 1943-D Lincoln Bronze Wheat Penny — $2.3 million. ...
  • 1944-S Steel Wheat Penny — $1.1 million. ...
  • 1793 Strawberry Leaf Cent — $862,500. ...
  • 1943-S Lincoln Cent Struck on Bronze — $282,000. ...
  • 1909 VDB Matte Proof Lincoln Penny — $258,000. ...
  • 1958 Doubled Die Obverse Cent — $224,831. ...
  • 1856 Flying Eagle Cent — $172,500.

Why is the 1944 penny rare?

The 1944 Lincoln penny is particularly desirable in the eyes of collectors not only because of its design, but also due to its scarcity. Being that there are no more 1944 Lincolns being produced, the scarcity of these coins is constantly on the rise, thus making the coins more valuable.

How much is a 1965 Kennedy Half Dollar worth?

According to the NGC Price Guide, as of February 2025, a Kennedy Half Dollar from 1965 in circulated condition is worth between $4.80 and $5.25. However, on the open market 1965 Half Dollars in pristine, uncirculated condition sell for as much as $2650.

What liquid cleans coins the best?

Lemon Juice did do the best, getting an average of rating of 7.5! Coming in second was Dish Soap which got an average rating of 7. A 3 way tie which consisted of Water, Cola, and Orange Juice, got an average rating of 5.5.

What happens if you leave pennies in vinegar for too long?

Don't soak the pennies for too long.

After a few minutes, the same reaction that dissolves stuck-on grime can begin to eat away at the copper.

Should you clean old wheat pennies?

Because the cleaning process required to restore the original bright and shiny look of the penny are nearly always abrasive, cleaning them rarely improves the grading of a valuable coin and almost always reduces the value.

Does ketchup clean pennies?

The best way to do this is with an acid and salt. Ketchup contains vinegar, a weak acid, which breaks down the copper oxide on the surface of the penny. The salt in the ketchup goes on to add dissolved chloride ions to the mix. These ions bond with the copper, forming copper chloride.

What does coke do to coins?

It's actually the acid within the cola that's reacting with the rust on the surface of our coins and causing them to return to their original shiny selves.

How to clean coins without devaluing them?

Give this method a try:
  1. Mix a bit of water with a tablespoon of baking soda to make a paste.
  2. Grab an old toothbrush and gently scrub each coin with the paste.
  3. Rinse the coins to unveil their shiny surfaces. Enjoy the sparkle!

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