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Cleaning silver bars...

DolanDolan Posts: 129
in Precious Metals
...I just bought a few Engelhard bars yesterday, and some of them have this "gunk" on them that needs to go. It's quite nasty. Do I just use what people would use on coins (acetone)?

Would a silver dip actually lower the premium/harm the patina like it does on silver coins?

Just making sure I'm not missing anything!
Regards,
Dolan

Comments

  • MeltdownMeltdown Posts: 8,789 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Acetone & q-tip should work just fine. A dip will kill the luster a bit and won't remove "gunk", only tarnish.

    Click on this link to see my ebay listings.

  • PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 46,111 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Acetone & q-tip should work just fine. A dip will kill the luster a bit and won't remove "gunk", only tarnish. >>



    This. Or, if you don't have actone handy, a soak in hot water with a detergent like Dawn may work.

    Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
    "Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
    "Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire

  • gsa1fangsa1fan Posts: 5,566 ✭✭✭
    I use dial soap & tooth paste on the bars. A soft natural bristle finger nail brush.
    Avid collector of GSA's.
  • Steve27Steve27 Posts: 13,274 ✭✭✭
    It depends on the type of gunk you're trying to remove; got any pics?
    "It's far easier to fight for principles, than to live up to them." Adlai Stevenson
  • OPAOPA Posts: 17,119 ✭✭✭✭✭
    TarnX soaked cotton balls & applied to your chunk of silver, rinse & pat dry with a cotton tee shirt, will take care of it. Not recommended for use on coins though.
    "Bongo drive 1984 Lincoln that looks like old coin dug from ground."
  • tneigtneig Posts: 1,505 ✭✭✭
    Rough Bullion Silver:
    I tried acetone for tarnish and toning and "rough and dirty" silver, but didn't have much success, so I generally do a quick dip out of pure convenience, and sometimes try to clean an individual spot, but then that spot looks cleaned. I can appreciate acetone to remove contaminates that may affect the surface but it never really "cleaned" much for me. If its
    already nasty, I dip it, but as quickly as possible for that item. I dip and swish it which helps do the job if just a second to a few seconds then rinse quick.

    Unless the bullion item has some special rarer value to it, then that's a different thing, which may take special care or better left as is.

    My 90% bullion stuff (after picked through) is all cleaned.

    Oh, and rinse very thoroughly, sometimes a soap rinse too, and let dry 24 hours before storing.
    COA
  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Acetone will not remove tarnish....just organic 'gunk' - and it is great for that. Cheers, RickO
  • originalisbestoriginalisbest Posts: 5,917 ✭✭✭✭
    There's zero reason to clean 90% bulk stuff. That is, unless you want to actively reduce its attractiveness and value to potential buyers.
  • DolanDolan Posts: 129
    Thanks for everyone's reply. By "gunk," I'm talking about this tiny, dull, sticky substance that collects around the rims of the silver bar. It's definitely not toning, and I wouldn't bother trying to remove toning anyway.

    I put the bar in acetone over night, and that removed 70% of it. I might consider doing a very, very quick dip just to remove the remaining 30%.

    And no, I don't clean my 90% silver coins image

    Regards,
    Dolan
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