How to Clean Pennies with Lemon Juice

A favorite Science/Practical Life activity for children in preschool and kindergarten is cleaning pennies. Try this experiment with lemon juice.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Tray and small bowls
• Lemon or lemon juice
• Cotton swabs
• Dirty pennies
• Paper towels
• Sponge for clean-up

1. Set up a tray to contain the activity. Gather dirty pennies in a bowl. Squeeze a lemon slice into a small cup or bowl, or pour in some purchased lemon juice. Just a few drops is all you will need for the pennies. Put some cotton swabs into another small bowl or basket.

2. Dip one end of a cotton swab into the lemon juice. Rub at one side of the penny until it is shiny, using more lemon juice and clean swabs as necessary.

3. Repeat on the other side of the penny.

4. The pennies will be sticky after you clean them, so do a quick rinse in water, then dry them with a paper towel.

5. Your hands will be filthy and sticky, as well. Wash them well with soap and water.

6. Appropriately discard of the cotton swabs. Clean up the tray and the work area with a soapy sponge. Replenish supplies as needed.

Tips & Warnings

• Set this up on a tray for a ready-made activity in the classroom.
• Experiment with other cleaners on the pennies, such as white vinegar and water. Which one works the best?
• Hypothesize about other items around the classroom or house that could be cleaned with lemon juice. Try it and see if it works!

Resources

• How to Clean Pennies with White Vinegar