diana_king•23d agoMost Upvoted

Back in 2015, I asked a forum for the best way to clean an old coin and got a wild answer

I found a grimy 1923 penny and someone told me to soak it in ketchup overnight. I tried it in my kitchen in Austin, and it actually worked way better than I expected, taking off the tarnish without hurting the metal. Has anyone else tried weird home tricks for cleaning old stuff that actually paid off?

3 comments

3 Comments

perry.jessica23d ago

Ketchup, seriously? What else have you cleaned with it?

oliviahenderson23d ago

Used to think it was just for fries until I saw my mom polish her copper pots with it. The acid in the tomatoes cuts right through the tarnish. She cleaned her old brass door knocker the same way. Makes you wonder what other kitchen stuff works like that, right?

jennifer_mitchell5317d ago

Yeah the "acid in the tomatoes" thing is real. I read somewhere that people use plain old white vinegar to clean coffee makers and get rid of hard water stains. It's basically the same idea, using the acid to break stuff down. My aunt swears by using lemon juice and salt to clean her cutting boards. Makes the whole kitchen smell fresh too.