Distiled water-how fresh?

[Paul D3]

I am taking my first steps in becoming an "advanced" coin cleaner. I have a batch in distilled water with a generous dose of water softner. Is it advantageous to change the water often, even if it hasn't discolored much? If so, how often? The target dirt on my coins has a concrete type consistancy.

[CzarMike]

Dont leave your coins in DW + Detergent for too long or it will start to remove some of the more delicate patinas. And as for changing the water I would change if you see discoloration or after 2 weeks.

[Paul D3]

Thanks CzarMike
I am not using detergent but Water softner salt cubes--
Paul

[Jaimelai]

Why would you add water softner salt cubes to your distilled water?

Just wondering.

Joe

[Paul D3]

It may do little good Joe, but I thought that the cubes would have an affinity for the stuff on the coins, helping the distilled water which already does. Also I see on other posts that others use them, among many other things such as descalers.

[Jaimelai]

I've tried different mixes in the past, like adding Calgon or TSP or CRL, but now I use distilled water only, scrubbing and changing the water twice weekly.  Some coins I do boil first in sodium sesquate if I see soft blue-green "fuzz" (suspect BD) or if they are overly crusty.   Usually just the distilled water alone is enough for me as it will remove soft "chalky" patinas if you are not carefull.  I've tried olive oil soaks, but not too successfully  (ended up sacraficing the virgin oil to my salads - I'll use "more experienced" olive oil next time).  And some, such as blank flans, I send to the dark-side and zap them (I have found some interesting coins that way including one that I would have sworn was a rock). 

Interesting to hear how the salted distilled water works.

Joe

[SC]

Eeek!!  Usually the terms salt and coin mix like the terms lion and raw steak.

Maybe one of the more chemically minded members will add something but I would be very worried about even a "water softening" salt......

Shawn

[Paul D3]

True the word salt sounds scary. "SALT" the common NaCl of the dinnertable would destroy coins fast, especialy base metal. Genericaly, the word salt is used for any metal-nonmetal compound which includes much of the substance of coin patina. I will lok up the ingrediance of my water softner and post it here. So far, after 2 weeks, the softner has helped dislodge dirt and incrustation but hasn't hurt the coin fabric. However, I am watching it very very closely

[Paul D3]

My package of water softner has no list of ingrediance. Since several experianced cleaners have recomended against it I will discontinue it. I just changed my water and the coins ae unhurt.

[Jaimelai]

Water conditioner salts are mainly NaCl (98 to 99%) for rock salt, 85% for "solar" salts.   I wouldn't think that they would be to healthy for the coins.   

[Robert_Brenchley]

Not only that, but they won't help clean the coin. The idea is to have water which will dissolve calcium carbonate, which often holds the crud together. Soft water or distilled water is what you need, as it doesn't have anything in solution already.

[Paul D3]

Thanks everyone, I sure don't want NaCl around my base metal coins! How about descalers (specific brands?)? Also, I have access to lab DI water. Would that be much of an improvment over ordinary distilled water, or only a slight improvment?

[Jaimelai]

Distilled is a little better than DI water - I have my own lab with DI on tap, but I still go out and purchase distilled water for my coins.   I might switch to DI for those soft chalky patinas though, as I have dissolved several with just distilled alone. 

[Robert_Brenchley]

What's the pH of your tapwater? If it's low, you won't need DW.

[Paul D3]

DW is cheap enough. I imagine my water is basic since it is very hard to the taste and leaves scale on surfaces. I could test it just in case--

[Robert_Brenchley]

If it tastes bad and leaves scale than it's hard, and you definitely need DW. Where I live now, I get hard water straight from the Welsh Mountains, and as the pipes are in a reasonable state now, it's OK as it comes. When I first moved to Birmingham, water came out orange with all the rust from ancient Victorian pipes, but they were replaced a year or so later.