My dad cleans his money. Seriously. Not all of it, just the coins he finds in puddles and near car tires… and on the floor of the men’s room. He mainly reaches down for heads-up pennies. He thinks they’re good luck. I used to follow his lead until the day I picked up a heads-up penny on the way to my car only to find a parking ticket pasted to the windshield. I haven’t picked up a stray penny from the ground since.
Still, my dad is a coin cleaner. I should be so lucky to have spare money around to wash, but I spend it before it has a chance to get dirty. Interestingly, my dad is not alone when it comes to cleaning coins. In fact, there are several how-to books on the correct method of cleaning copper pennies and other precious coins.
The most basic method of cleaning coins is to fill a bowl with boiling water. Next, pour in a teaspoon of liquid dish detergent and stir to create a few bubbles. Then, drop the coins into the soapy water and let them soak for 10 minutes or so. If the water is still very hot, pull the coins out of the water using a spoon so you don’t get burned. Once the coins have cooled, rub them gently with your fingers to eliminate any stubborn debris, such as mud or salt. Next, you will need to rinse the coins with distilled water, so they don’t get hard water spots. You can do this by pouring the water into a bowl and dipping the coins for about five seconds each. Finally, remove the coins and let them air dry on a soft towel.
If your coins have stubborn stains that aren’t eliminated during the first treatment, repeat the procedure using rubbing alcohol instead of boiling water.