One of the most abrasive mediums for cleaning silver coins, yet certainly most efficient at removing tarnish, is baking soda. It's also one of the cheapest items most of us have in our kitchens, making it quite convenient for many people who want to clean their silver coins.

One of the most common ways of using baking soda to clean silver coins is to mix it with just enough water to turn the white, powdery substance into a stiff paste that can be rubbed into the surface of the coin by hand or finger. The baking soda is used for scouring out dirt and tarnish from crevices on the coin (such as areas in and around designs and around lettering). Then, it is rinsed away with clean, tepid water before the coin is pat dry with a soft cloth.

While many toothpastes are slightly less abrasive than baking soda, this common oral-hygiene product is popular in coin cleaning circles. This is because it is effective for cleaning silver coins – while also leaving them minty fresh. And though toothpaste is generally more expensive than baking soda, typical tube-dispensed toothpastes are ready for action, with no mixing required.

The toothpaste is rubbed onto the coin until the offending dirt, tarnish, or other surface imperfections are removed or softened in appearance before being rinsed clean under water and pat dry with a soft cloth.

Moving on from the physically abrasive to the chemically acidic, we present lemon juice – a sort of miracle household agent with a fresh scent that zests up food and can clean just about anything. Following suit, lemon juice is frequently used for cleaning silver coins, eating away dirt and tarnish.

The problem with lemon juice is that while it may not necessarily leave behind the deep scratches and striations left in the wake of a harsh cleaning by baking soda or toothpaste, the acid does eat away a thin outer layer of metal from the coin – in part how the cleaning effect is achieved.

Still, lemon juice is swift at cleaning, especially when used as a bath (in a non-corrosive vessel) in which the silver coin sits for a few minutes at a time between rinsings with water. The cleaning efficacy of the lemon juice is sometimes enhanced by mixing salt or baking soda into the wash. The coin should be rinsed clean with tepid water after it is bathed in lemon juice and pat dry with a soft cloth.

Another common kitchen product swoops into clean silver coins! Like lemon juice, white vinegar is used far and wide not just as a cooking agent but also as a cleaner, thanks to its acidic chemical makeup and tendency to neutralize odors (even if vinegar is itself a bit odiferous). White vinegar is sometimes used without any additive as a bath for cleaning silver coins. This can be quite effective for removing tarnish or grit (though in doing so the acidic medium does eat away at the metal on the coin).

Baking soda is frequently added to white vinegar to make the silver coin cleaner even more potent. Though, there is a word of warning: baking soda and vinegar, when mixed, creates a rather bubbly carbon-dioxide reaction – the type used to create science-fair volcanoes.

A controversy among controversies is the use of silver dip in numismatics. Some who otherwise oppose cleaning coins will look more leniently toward forgiving the use of silver dips because they can be somewhat less abrasive or caustic than some of the other agents listed above.

Yet, purists will say that any cleaning – or dipping – of a coin is still an artificial alteration and should be avoided. Cautionary folks will warn that silver dips can still be caustic and/or abrasive and, if used too overzealously, will not only damage the silver coin, but also give it a falsely bright appearance, potentially rendering it uncollectible.

Silver dips vary in strength and application, and, if employed, should be used only per the instructions on its packaging.