Cleaning silver coins at home

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Over time, silver coins become dull and lose color. Oxidized, they can acquire a greenish tint, which spoils the appearance of the product. Antique coins are often covered with a thick layer of patina and ordinary mud. In order to clean them at home, there are many simple ways.

Features of the

process Before you start cleaning silver coins, you should determine the degree of contamination and oxidation. Dirty plaque needs to be cleaned in any case, and with traces of oxidation can be done differently. On the one hand, the patina adds value to ancient coins, but on the other, it can significantly spoil their appearance.

It is believed that if the oxidation on the coin is uniform and rust is not visible, it is better not to scrape it off. This will add value to an old item. If the oxides have the form of ugly spots or hide a pattern under them, they should be removed.

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Also before cleaning you need to at least approximately determine the value of the product. As a rule, large coins were minted from high-grade silver, and smaller ones from low-grade metal. Different cleaning methods are used for products of different quality. In addition, there are universal ways to clean silver. With their help, dirt and small oxides can be removed from the surface of coins.

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Cleaning rules

In order to most effectively clean the surface of a silver item and not accidentally damage it, you need to take precautions. The rules are quite simple:

  • First, remove surface contamination with a soft toothbrush and soap solution.
  • Clean the coating carefully, without haste, so as not to cause accidental damage. Do not use abrasive materials and products.
  • After surface cleaning, try to determine the approximate value of the product and, based on this, make the decision to remove the patina.
  • When using cleaning solutions do not allow the coins to contact each other.
  • After you clean the metal, rinse it well in warm water.
In no case should the coin be heated and dipped in cold water. This will cause damage to the silverware.

If you could not determine the sample of a silver coin, use one of the universal methods of cleaning metal. In the case when there is a suspicion that the product has a high value, it is better to use the services of a specialist.

Ways to clean

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There are many available ways to clean silver at home. You can use the usual simple means or a special solution. Silver coins can be cleaned using:

  • soap composition;
  • toothpaste;
  • baking soda solution;
  • vinegar or ammonia;
  • citric acid powder;
  • water remaining from boiling eggs;
  • table salt;
  • formic acid.

It is also quite easy to clean silverware by purchasing a special tool for cleaning precious metals in a jewelry store. In this case, you must follow the instructions exactly. If you increase the time of contact with the liquid, you can ruin the coin.

How to clean

If you decide to clean your silver coins yourself, choose any tool that you have at home. Remember that it is necessary to approach the process very carefully, especially if the products are valuable.

For training, you can first try to clean the copper coin, which is not valued as high as silver. Once you start to get, you can begin to handle more complex things.

Soap solution

The use of soap composition is gentle, but also the least effective method. It is suitable for primary processing of the product. In this way, you can clean the silver thing from adhering dirt and grease.

It is better to use baby or household soap. Rub a small amount of soap shavings and dissolve in warm water. In this composition, put a silver product and leave it for some time.

If the pollution is small and not old, they will move away pretty quickly. Otherwise, cleaning may take longer( a week or more).After the dirt and grease has dissolved, the coins are taken out and gently washed with a toothbrush.

Toothpaste

Ordinary toothpaste also helps clean silver things from various contaminants. You need to squeeze a small amount of paste onto the surface and rub it with a soft brush or cloth. You can use tooth powder.

It is best not to use a product that contains bleach. It contains more aggressive substances that can adversely affect the surface of the product.

Baking soda

Soda is a well-known cleaner for various coatings. With its help you can remove not only pollution, but also oxidation. It can only be used for processing low-grade coins, as it is an abrasive substance and can scratch the surface.

Make gum out of sodium bicarbonate and a small amount of water. Use your fingers to rub the composition into the product until it starts to shine.

Acetic acid, ammonia

Green spots and blackened spots can be scrubbed using a mixture of baking soda and ammonia. Add a few drops of alcohol to the soda powder to form a mushy mass. Then put on the coin and rub until the bloom disappears.

With rubbing alcohol you can clear silver coins of both low and high samples. This is a very common method of purifying precious metal. It is necessary to lower the coins into the container with alcohol and remove it in a few minutes. If the oxidation is strong, you can wait 1-2 hours. After that, wipe the surface with a cloth.

Well helps to clean the coating of silver six-percent solution of table vinegar. In it you need to moisten a piece of cloth, and then wipe the surface until it starts to shine. To speed up the result, it is better to slightly heat the solution.

Consider that these products have a pungent unpleasant smell. The room in which the work is done must be well ventilated.

Citric Acid

Clear silver can be done with citric acid powder, although this method is rarely used. If you perederzhat product in solution, it can adversely affect the integrity of the coating, so you need to be very careful.

A tablespoon of the acid must be diluted in 100 ml of water until completely dissolved. After this thing is made of silver down there for 2-3 seconds. Then you need to wipe the cover with a clean cloth. You can use juice of natural lemon instead of powder, this substance is less aggressive.

With the salt

This method is quite common. It is used mainly for processing low-value coins, as grains of salt can scratch the surface. Salt well removes impurities of various kinds of coatings, so it is often used as a cleaner.

We need to take a piece of foil and put a mixture of salt and water on it. Salt is better to take finely ground. Make a mushy composition of these ingredients and place them on the foil. Then a silver item is put in there, which needs to be cleaned and covered with gruel completely.

The edges of the foil need to cover the composition and leave it for several hours. Try to act carefully so that the metal is not scratched during these movements. After cleaning, rinse the product with warm water.

Other ways

The water left after boiling eggs will help give the silver shine and remove light pollution. In a warm liquid you need to put a coin and hold it there for a while. A 5% formic acid solution eliminates traces of oxidation well. It is necessary to place a silver item in it, after some time to clean it with a soft brush.

If you spend the first time cleaning the silver coins, approach it responsibly. Start with more gentle solutions, so as not to spoil the product.

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