Katrina Piggy Bank

[LaKASkill]

My daughter told me today that she had found her piggy bank in a pile of stuff salvaged from Hurricane Katrina. I took a look and sure enough, a clear plastic piggy bank full of coin and some cash. Without hesitation I split the thing opened with a box cutter and as I'm pouring the coin out onto a plastic bag, out comes a bunch of Katrina Mold (white and powdery). HOW COULD I BE SO STUPID, I thought to myself. Everything we had in that pile had all been cleaned after the storm, except this piggy bank. I immediately stop and run to the kitchen to put on gloves and a face mask then take my efforts out doors.

I began to rinse the coin with water and Dawn scrubbing as I go, I noticed it was not cleaning the mold off.

What do I do to kill the mold and make these coins safe for handling?

 

[lostcauses]

Try bleach or vinegar. By themselves, do not mix chemicals. Possibly by itself, ammonia. Again by itself, straight salt rubbing them as you go.

Some anti fungal in the drug store might work also. Rinse well after any trys. Do not mix chemicals.

 

[Montana Jim]

bleach outta kill what ever it is... then dump it all in a coinstar.

 

[Tank69]

wish I knew something other than a good bleach soak....just be careful an let us know how things turn out .

 

[Nick A]

Is it really mold or decomposing zinc pennies? I'm looking at the picture and it looks more like decomposing zinc pennies to me. Agree with others. Rinse or soak overnight in a 50% bleach solution and there should be no mold issues (if there were any).

 

[Texas Gld]

My daughter told me today that she had found her piggy bank in a pile of stuff salvaged from Hurricane Katrina. I took a look and sure enough, a clear plastic piggy bank full of coin and some cash. Without hesitation I split the thing opened with a box cutter and as I'm pouring the coin out onto a plastic bag, out comes a bunch of Katrina Mold (white and powdery). HOW COULD I BE SO STUPID, I thought to myself. Everything we had in that pile had all been cleaned after the storm, except this piggy bank. I immediately stop and run to the kitchen to put on gloves and a face mask then take my efforts out doors.

I began to rinse the coin with water and Dawn scrubbing as I go, I noticed it was not cleaning the mold off.

What do I do to kill the mold and make these coins safe for handling?

Vinegar will change the color of SOME of the coins.Suggestion:

Call the CDC it,s Free! The kids are not!

 

[LaKASkill]

Thank you all for your replies. I will do the 50/50 bleach solution and see how it goes. I am sure it will do the trick.

 

[Boomer-1]

Bleach is a good start, vinegar will clean the coins nicely, and Lysol will kill the molds and fungus that bleach wont.