Since coin cleaners frequently soak their coins for days on end this is (I think) why BD is such a big issue with them.
Silver nitrate treatment works, but if you forget about the coins overnight, it can be pretty hard to get the silver plating/traces off of the coin! I have not
had a recurrence of BD on a coin I have treated with silver nitrate. Thanks to daverino for making for making me aware of this method!
FWIW, I live in a humid
area, and am thinking of abandoning cleaning coins in water entirely. A couple of years ago, I purchased several hundred uncleaned coins from a collector who
had tired of coin cleaning. About half the coins
had been pre-soaked in olive oil and the other half were dry. I finished the olive coins with olive oil, and cleaned the rest with distilled water.
Since that time, about 10% of the DW coins have broken out with
bronze disease, even though I dried them at high heat and waxed them, and only a few of the olive oil coins have
had problems. While DW might be easier and less messy, if using it means that I spend more time treating and retreating coins my coins for BD, and less time enjoying my
collection, then goodbye DW.
Before I switch to olive oil, however, I am trying another oil-based product which has been discussed here: Bag Balm. See
thread:
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/board/index.php?topic=67407.msg422373#msg422373 While I have only cleaned a few coins using Bag Balm, I am impressed with it. I smear it on the coins, then come back a day or two later with a bamboo skewer and
pick at the grime. Plus, it makes my
udder hands nice and soft. Has anyone else
had any luck with Bag Balm?
Cliff