How do I get melted crayon off of coins?
I have a jar of coins in my car which I use for tolls, fast-food restaurants, and beggars coming up to the car requesting donations. Usually there’s a around $10 in mixed denominations of coin.
Sometime last summer, in the heat, a grandchild put half a blue crayon into the jar. As crayons do in heat, it melted. And now I have a couple dozen physical coins with a crusty coating of melted crayon. The total dollar amount involved is under $2.00, but I don’t want to throw the coins away.
Is there an effective way of getting the crayon off the coins? Would putting them in a saucepan and boiling them work? Ideas?
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19 Answers
Dump them on a metal cookie sheet and place in the freezer for a few days. The wax crayon will become brittle and should chip off easily.
@cookieman has a good idea, and probably less messy. I’ve done the saucepan thing, it works but is sort of a pain.
Put coins on layer of paper towels on a metal cookie sheet. Pour boiling water over all…the water will melt the wax onto the towels. i have gotten wax off of candle sticks that way often. Careful not to splash.
ingenious ideas, every one of them. If you seal the frozen coins in a closed container and shake them up, the toil involved with scraping might be eliminated.
Would not soaking them in warm soapy water work as well as freezing them?
Water needs to be boiling to remove wax easily; no scraping necessary.
I’d put them on the concrete patio, and pass a lit Bernzomatic torch over them a few times. Poof!
^^ The obrvious first-choice technique. I seem to have misplaced mine. (You getting snow yet?)
I have at least 6! 2 MAPP gas automatics with piezoelectric ignition: one in the barn and one in the garage. 4 standard models of different vintages: one out at the fire pit to start bonfires, one in the barn, one in the basement, and one in the truck.
They are very handy tools. They will burn anything off metal in seconds.
Warning: The MAPP gas unit will melt pennies minted after 1982. They are mostly zinc, not copper.
II found another one with my plumbing stuff in the basement.
For $30.00 I’ll clean them for you. Save you the trouble.
@LuckyGuy – if I had a torch, I would do that. Sadly, I’ve never needed one before. I’m not sure it’s worth the investment.
I’m leaning towards the boiling water option. Freezing seems to require too much patience.
You could also put them on several layers of paper towels or newspapers. Cover all with aluminum foil. Place in 350 degree oven.
Heat melts crayon which soaks into papers.
What is the matter with you people? :-) No torches?! I’ll bet I use the Bernozmatic an average of at least 2x per day. How do you burn your leaves, or start your wood stove, or clean window screens? How do you clear out spider nests, or cob webs in the basement, or fuzz on your kevlar gloves, or…?
Do you have any Pyrodex in any caliber? Or a teaspoon of FFG?
Just a torch? Why not find a military base with a flame thrower? Fun and entertaining.
Good news! I boiled the coins for 45 minutes and they are clean. No more filthy lucre.
On the downside…. my saucepan has a light blue ring around the top. But that’s easier to clean.
(My technique would have taken several minutes only and not damaged any saucepans.)
Keep the wax away from the drain!
~ have the grandchild remove it for you.
45 minutes!
Should have gone the freezer route. +No cleanup time.
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