DOES OLIVE OIL REALLY CLEAN COINS?

[Da Yooper]

I have heard that olive oil cleans coins but haven't tried it. If so how do you use it. I know dumb question but I have ruined some coins using other cleaning methods.

 

[John-Edmonton]

You know.....everybody says it is supposed to work well. I have had coins soaking in it for weeks, with absolutely no difference. I quit using it years ago. I clean my copper coins with a toothbrush and toothpaste. My silver goes into my ultrasonic cleaner. I do put a light layer of oil on my copper coins and wipe it off before I put it in the 2 x 2's. For difficult copper coins, I put them in hydrogen peroxide for 24 hours..

 

[Uncle Willy]

I hear hot peroxide works.

Bill

 

[Graw]

n/t

 

[awhitster]

I had one of those Roman coins in it for months with zero results.

 

[Parkit]

My best luck with olive oil is using it to LOOSEN the crud on silver coins prior to electrolyis. I think that's the main benefit, the olive oil slowly soaks into whatever crud is on the coin and makes it easier to get clean with other methods such as tumbling, electrolysis, soaking in peroxide or whatever. I've never had a coin actually come clean just from soaking in the olive oil, and I have a tiny aluminum religious medal that's been soaking for months in the stuff with no effect. Time to trash it I guess.

Steve

 

[John 'n' W.Va]

After I soak them in peroxide, I then soak mine in mineral oil. The oil penetrates the metal and gives it a good shine. I had a coin dealer tell me it was OK to put mineral oil on them. The coins I post are not as nice as after the post when I soak them longer in mineral oil. The IH I posted last really looks beautiful now.

 

[kickback]

I have been using olive oil to clean up cruddy wheat pennies.It works but it takes a while.I soak them in a small plastic bottle with a screw on lid.I rest the bottle on it's side so the coin touchs the olive oil on both sides.I let them soak a minimum of 4 weeks,then check them.I scrub off any crud with a brush and dish soap.I then return them to the olive oil if they need more.I had a really cruddy wheatie that took 8 weeks but it came out beautiful.It has a nice patina on it.I ruined some real nice wheaties soaking them in ketchup.

 

[marcomo]

Olive oil helps, but it takes a long time and really darkens copper unattractively IMO.

 

[pedrod]

ELECTROLYSIS - ELECTROLYSIS - ELECTROLYSIS

I heard it gives off poisonous gas so I do it in the garage with the fan going and the garage door open. I cleaned my first Indian Head penny 1906 with it and it helped a lot.

http://gometaldetecting.com/electrolysis_cleaning.htm

Worked for me!

I attached a picture of my first try