Help Cleaning Pennies, I'm running out of time...

[jenharring]

I know I have read on here about cleaning pennies before. Does anyone know the best way to clean pennies for the pressed pennies?
We leave in 10 days and I am tring to get them done so I can get them in the tubes and packed. Thanks for any help!

 

[Kaler131]

I'm not sure how to clean pennies....but you may be able to go to a bank and see if they have any rolls of new pennies. My sons used to be soooo into getting pressed pennies and we would get the new, shiny ones to use and it worked out great!

 

[MickeyDisneyFan]

Try putting them in a small saucer with some cola. It will dissolve the tarnish.

 

[Alesia]

1. In a small container, place a small amount of table salt
2. Add enough white vinegar to thoroughly moisten all of the salt.
3. Apply the paste to the penny wherever you want it to brighten up. The effect is immediate and obvious.

If you don't have any vinegar you can substitute it with Ketchup because it is also acidic. This works well for copper bottom pans, too!

 

[dvc at last !]

Put the pennies in a bowl of ketchup (overnite).

 

[jenharring]

thanks all, I found a really great website, go check it out. http://pennycollector.com/tips_clean.html
this is great
"What you are seeing is zinc, not silver. Before 1982, the U.S. minted coins that were about 95% copper and 5% tin & zinc. Beginning in 1982, the proportion of each metal was reversed because the value of the copper in a penny was becoming more valuable than a penny. When you elongate a post-1982 penny, the elongation process will reveal the zinc below the copper"

 

[mocame]

In ketchup overnight or in lemon juice for about 10 minutes or so.

 

[DisneyAsh32]

This may sound gross but hot sauce cleans pennies really well.

 

[mmeb144]

Lemon Juice works well, according to my DD. And so does baking soda and water, again according to my DD. Do it overnight and rub the coins.

 

[Snow Shoe]

Put them in bowl of Tarnix, it instantly cleans them. Then wash them in soapy water to finish the job. You can get it at Lowes.

 

[srwarden1928]

copper cleaner

Its available with other cleaning supplies--it should be near silver cleaner, but not the same thing.

 

[bopper]

I'm not sure how to clean pennies....but you may be able to go to a bank and see if they have any rolls of new pennies. My sons used to be soooo into getting pressed pennies and we would get the new, shiny ones to use and it worked out great!

Except new pennies have a "sandwich" of zinc in them...when the penny gets squished, you can see that silvery zinc. So many squished penny collectors use pre-1982 pennies that are all copper...but they tend to be tarnished.

OP: you should do an experiment with your kids to see what is the best cleaner: vinegar, ketchup or lemon juice!

 

[Sleepymel]

I tried a bunch of home remedies like vinegar/salt, lemon juice/salt, baking soda, ketchup. They all worked somewhat, but for some reason the next day (I didn't leave them in the solution overnight - I just left them out after drying them) they looked awful again. Some just looked old and tarnished again, some were spotty, some had reddish marks, and a few had turned greenish.
Then I tried Mother's Mag and Aluminum Polish (use a small amount and brush lightly with a toothbrush, then wipe off residue with a clean cloth) and the pennies look amazing. Still do 2 days later. I got it from AutoZone, but I'm sure you can find it, or a similar metal polish, from any auto parts store.
For the record, I used all pre-1982 pennies so I don't get the zinc striations after pressing, so I don't know what the polish would do to a new penny, but I highly suggest using it on pre-1982 pennies. It's amazing how shiny and clean they are.

 

[jenharring]

Except new pennies have a "sandwich" of zinc in them...when the penny gets squished, you can see that silvery zinc. So many squished penny collectors use pre-1982 pennies that are all copper...but they tend to be tarnished.

OP: you should do an experiment with your kids to see what is the best cleaner: vinegar, ketchup or lemon juice!

that would have been a great idea to do with the kids, but we leave in 7 days and I am working all but 1 of those days, so I wont have a lot of time on that one day to do anything like that. I have them in ketcup now, I put them in it last night and forgot about them today. I will get my husband to clean them for me tommorrow.

I tried a bunch of home remedies like vinegar/salt, lemon juice/salt, baking soda, ketchup. They all worked somewhat, but for some reason the next day (I didn't leave them in the solution overnight - I just left them out after drying them) they looked awful again. Some just looked old and tarnished again, some were spotty, some had reddish marks, and a few had turned greenish.
Then I tried Mother's Mag and Aluminum Polish (use a small amount and brush lightly with a toothbrush, then wipe off residue with a clean cloth) and the pennies look amazing. Still do 2 days later. I got it from AutoZone, but I'm sure you can find it, or a similar metal polish, from any auto parts store.
For the record, I used all pre-1982 pennies so I don't get the zinc striations after pressing, so I don't know what the polish would do to a new penny, but I highly suggest using it on pre-1982 pennies. It's amazing how shiny and clean they are.

We are using all pre-1982 pennies. did you do a baking soda paste to clean them after the ketcup, it is suppose to finish up the job and make them shinny.

Thanks for all the tips!!

 

[Sleepymel]

We are using all pre-1982 pennies. did you do a baking soda paste to clean them after the ketcup, it is suppose to finish up the job and make them shinny.

Yup, I tried baking soda after each of my other experiments (vinegar/salt, lemon juice/salt, ketchup) and it did shine them up some immediately, but again, the next day, they looked bad again. None of my experiments had results anything near the metal polish, immediate or lasting.

 

[amberg@eastlink.ca]

fast easy and cheap???? KETCHUP!!!!!! i discovered this by pure accident one day when i was eating a hotdog and a penny fell into my ketchup(ick!) it came out sparkling!!!!

 

[jenharring]

Yup, I tried baking soda after each of my other experiments (vinegar/salt, lemon juice/salt, ketchup) and it did shine them up some immediately, but again, the next day, they looked bad again. None of my experiments had results anything near the metal polish, immediate or lasting.

wow thanks for letting me know. If it does that to me I will be sure and go buy that stuff. thanks

 

[KimDis]

Maybe some coca cola? I'm thinking the phosphoric acid should do a good job. I've even used it on a slow drain and it helped.

 

[klacey1]

Let sit in vinegar overnight.
Mix water and baking soda to make a paste and individually scrub each penny with the paste, then rise with vinegar. Should work well!

 

[vacation4me]

How much does those pressed penny machines cost? Is it 50cents and penny?

Thanks,