Cleaning vs washing

If you have done any research into coins you will have heard DONT CLEAN YOUR COINS from everyone. However there is a big difference between cleaning your coin with a harmful chemical or polishing your coin with an abrasive to return the luster and washing your coin to remove dirt and debris from the surface. A light rub with a cotton swab and 100% acetone can remove a ton of grime and not damage your coin. I have seen several coins washed with acetone and sent to grading companies to be returned with a straight grade and no issue.

I understand the caution of not washing coins completely. I feel that whatever someone is comfortable with is what they should stick to. Even tho scientifically I know Acetone does not normally react chemically with base metals, being an organic compound which is why it is useful for as a solvent for cleaning oil and grease paint from tools and machinery, I still will not use it on high value coins and will send them to be “restored” by a grading company if they require it. Although I have read and heard that most grading companies actually use acetone in their restorations especially to remove PVC damage. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0013468601003590 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/49661222_Precipitation_of_dispersed_silver_particles_using_acetone_as_reducing_agent

I guess everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I do NOT recommend using ANY kind of chemical on coins you intend to keep. If it works for you that’s great, in my 30+ years of collecting I have learned from other experts that cleaning your coins is not recommended. Chemical reactions can take place over time. Using a lint free cloth lightly helps remove some loose dirt but that’s as far as I go with my coins.

Conserv from Amazon works well too