How do you guys and gals clean your clad finds so you can spend them? nothing fancy, just something I can find around the house. Thanks in advace!! HH everyone!
I have a cheap tumbler I bought at the flea market for 5 bucks..I did use it but didn't hold many coins at one time.. I got the idea to stuff the coins in a sock and put it in the washing machine..Darn thing worked pretty good...Oh, I did it while my wife was at Wal Mart..
For 5c,10c,25c, and the occaisonal half I use the cheapest vinegar available with a liberal dose of salt. It will go from being black to gray in about 30 minutes. I did $40 in dug quarters this weekend. I used up about 1 quart of vinegar, and about 1/4 a round box of salt in 3 different batches to clean up 160+ quarters. I put the coins in a quart jar, and turned it every few minutes to make sure the coins got even exposure. Don't mix copper or zinc pennies in with your silver, it will turn everything pink, OMG! The coins come out a dull gray that is spendable, but a little polishing would make them blend right in without arousing any curiosity.
I tumble my nickels, dimes & quarters in my rock tumbler, with a little sand & some dawn dish soap. they come out pretty decent & then I take to the bank, cash them in & buy silver coins with it. The pennies I do seperate, they turn the other clad copper color
Oh, I do put about 25% of the money into my granddaughters savings account!
Get about 3-4 lbs of coin done at a time in my old Thumblers Tumbler. Takes 45 mins a load if they're really nasty. Don't care what color they come out, they're going into a coinstar or the kids piggy banks.
I use a Lyman rifle shell cleaner with crushed gravel and vinegar and a little salt, run
for about 1 to 2 hours, rinse with clear water and they turn out good.