Changed my mind about cleaning old coppers with distilled water only

I spent like 6 hours scrubbing a 1798 large cent with just distilled water and a soft brush and got almost nowhere. The dirt was baked on hard from being in wet ground near an old farmhouse in upstate New York. Finally caved and tried a 5 second soak in a 50/50 mix of distilled water and white vinegar, then rinsed it immediately. The details popped right out without ruining the patina. Anyone else find that the "pure water only" crowd is maybe a bit too strict?

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troy_owens1mo agoTop Commenter

Used to swear by distilled water only. This post changed my mind completely.