Does Coke Clean Coins? (Effects, Facts + More)

Many brands of cleaners can claim to clean tarnish and dirt off items like coins, but many household food items can easily clean your coins as well, including Coca-Cola.

You may be wondering if Coke can clean coins. I checked the facts, and here is what I discovered!

Does Coke Clean Coins?

Coke is a highly acidic carbonated drink that has excellent coin cleaning properties. Each serving of Coke contains 2.8 parts of phosphoric acid, which is highly effective in dissolving stains, grime, and tarnishing off coins. You only need to soak your coin in Coke for 5-15 minutes to see desired results. 

Are you eager to learn more about Coke and its coin-cleaning properties? Keep on reading to find out more!

Why Is Coke A Good Way To Clean Coins?

If you do not have any metal coin polish, a can of Coca-Cola will do the trick. Coke is known to be high in the acidity scale, which makes Coke a good coin cleaner.

Coke’s formula is made from 2.8 parts of phosphoric acid, which is equal to about 17 milligrams of phosphoric acid per 100 milligrams, and phosphoric acid is found in most cleaning products.

Not only is Coke a popular soda, but Coke also doubles as an effective household hack that can remove grime, scum, and debris from your items, including coins.

How Long Does It Take Coke To Clean Coins?

Coke is highly acidic, which means that 5 minutes is enough time to clean off common stains on your coins.

However, you can soak coins in Coke for a maximum of 15 minutes if the dirt does not come off after 5 minutes.

After 15 minutes, rinse your coin in running water well then pat dry with a soft cloth or let the coin air dry.

Does Diet Coke Clean Coins?

Diet Coke can also clean coins because the only difference between regular coke and Diet Coke is that Diet Coke does not contain sugar.

Moreover, Diet Coke still contains phosphoric acid, meaning Diet Coke can effectively clean coins.

Aside from the regular phosphoric acid that every Coke variety has, Diet Coke also has citric acid in the formula, meaning Diet Coke can clean coins better than regular Coke.

Note that citric acid is also a common ingredient in home cleaning products because citric acid has antibacterial properties.

Does Coke Zero Clean Coins?

Does Coke Zero Clean Coins? 

Similar to Diet Coke, Coke Zero also contains no sugar and Coke Zero can efficiently clean coins.

Coke Zero also contains phosphoric acid, which is the main active acid ingredient. However, what makes Coke Zero stand out is the absence of sugar in the formula.

Because Coke Zero has no sugar, it will be easier to rinse and dry your coins after soaking them in Coke Zero because there will be no sticky residue.

Does Coke Clean Old Coins?

Coke can restore old coins to their best-quality shape if the steps are done correctly.

Note that old coins are delicate and will need extra care and attention when removing stains from old coins.

First, verify what kind of vintage coin you have by looking over the date and mintmark of the metal bit if possible.

You can then rinse the coin in running water, but do not rub the coin with any other tools because old coins are susceptible to scratching.

After washing, soak the coin in a bowl of Coke for 5 minutes. Leave the coin for another 15 minutes if the coin is still dirty then rinse the coin.

During the soaking process, it is best to never mix the coins because the coins can have different compositions that may cause discoloration.

Put the coin on a flat, covered surface and then brush the coin gently with a soft-bristled brush, only brushing the affected areas.

To check if the coin is clean, look at the coin using a magnifying glass and use a toothpick to carefully chip off any extra dirt.\

Lastly, rinse the coin once more with running water and pat dry with a soft cloth, being sure to never rub the coin while rinsing and drying.

Do Coke Clean Copper Coins?

Copper coins are one of the best coins to clean with Coke because copper reacts with phosphoric acid better than other minerals.

In this chemical reaction, the phosphoric acid breaks down the copper-oxygen bonds in the coin, exposing a fresh layer of copper in the process.

Therefore, your coin will be practically brand new after soaking a copper coin in Coke for around 15 minutes.

However, you can only soak copper coins for about 15 minutes because any longer than that can damage coins.

Do Coke Clean Silver Coins?

Coke can clean dirt off silver coins and any kind of coin with a metal finish. Due to the phosphoric acid present in Coke’s formula, Coke can dissolve debris, stains, and tarnish from coins.

Can Coke Damage Coins When Cleaning Them?

If you leave your coin for too long in Coke, Coke can cause corrosive damage to the coin.

Remember that Coke is highly acidic and is capable of stripping off the outer layer of metal on your coin.

For instance, Patina is a protective varnish that every coin has, and Patina will dissolve in Coke if the coin soaks in Coke for too long.

Read our related articles to learn more about if Coke owns Pepsi, if Coke can clean toilets, and if Coke can clean silver.

Conclusion

Coke is an excellent product to clean silver, gold, and copper coins, and Coke can restore coins to an acceptable degree.

However, you should soak your coins in Coke for 5-15 minutes to avoid damaging your coins.

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