How to Clean Gold Coins - Tips to Avoid Damaging Your Coins

How to Clean Gold Coins - Tips to Avoid Damaging Your Coins
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Christina_Goldman]Christina Goldman

Cleaning gold coins is not recommended and is better left to the professionals. Improper cleaning can damage the coin, adversely affecting the grading and therefore lowering the value of the coins.

That said, if you still want to attempt to clean your gold coins yourself, here are some tips on how to do it properly.

 What to avoid:


When attempting to clean gold coins, never use an abrasive cleanser such as Brasso. Using an abrasive cleanser can easily scratch the surface of the coins. Gold is a very soft metal and is easily scratched, even when cleaning with a very soft cloth.
  Never rub or wipe dry your gold coins after cleaning them. This, too, can add tiny scratches to the surface of the coin. If you must dry your coins after cleaning them, dab them gently or air dry using a hairdryer.

 The Proper Way To Clean Gold Coins

The best way to clean gold coins is to soak them for a few moments in warm, soapy water. Use one tablespoon of a very mild dish washing liquid per pint of water. Always clean your coins in a plastic container with distilled water. Tap water contains minerals that could potentially leave spots of the surface of the coins. Allow the coins to air dry on a soft cloth. Do not allow the edges of the coins to touch as this could also result in scratching.

Most professional use an ultrasonic tank. Ultrasonic tanks clean gold coins by very gently vibrating them in soapy water. The cleaning method used by ultrasonic tanks can be compared to boiling coins in soapy water. The boiling action of the water is replaced by sound waves.

Getting Rid of Stains

Stains can be removed using a solvent such as nail polish remover. Rust stains can be removed using any liquid containing acid such as vinegar or lemon juice.

My best advice to you is not to clean gold coins. Improper cleaning can leave small scratches or spots and lower a coin's value by as much as 90 percent. Collectors and dealers want to own coins in their original state of preservation and condition. Once improperly cleaned, a coin cannot be uncleaned!

Now that you know the proper way to clean gold coins, visit http://bullionbargains.com/ for great deals and selection on all types of [http://bullionbargains.com/Gold-and-Silver-Bullion/Gold-Bullion]silver and gold bullion coins.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Clean-Gold-Coins---Tips-to-Avoid-Damaging-Your-Coins&id=1302443] How to Clean Gold Coins - Tips to Avoid Damaging Your Coins

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