Can you polish silver with toothpaste

Toothpaste can damage your diamonds, gemstones, gold and silver. Metals such as gold and silver are softer, so toothpaste can actually scratch damage your gold and silver jewellery. Not to mention, the chemicals in the flavour oils used in toothpaste are corrosive to metal. Some gemstones have a hardness a slightly higher on the Mohs scale, but they can still get surface abrasions if toothpaste is used to clean them. Yes No. Log in Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers.

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Understand that while toothpaste is great for cleaning silver jewelry, it can damage silver as well. These same particles can scratch silver up as well. In particular, you should avoid using toothpaste on sterling silver, highly-polished silver, or anything that is silver-plated. These items are very soft and can be easily damaged by the toothpaste. The best way to clean these delicate items is to buff them with a silver polishing cloth.

Make sure that the patina is not intentional. Some jewelers intentionally "age" their pieces to make them look more rustic. Consider taking fragile or antique pieces to a professional cleaner. Choose a plain, solid-colored toothpaste with no baking soda, tartar control, or whitening agents.

These "extras" are too abrasive and can scratch your jewelry. Dampen the silver with some water. This will help soften the toothpaste and make it easier to spread. You can dampen jewelry by squirting it with some water in a spray bottle, or by dipping it into a bowl filled with water. Avoid working over a sink; if you drop the jewelry, you may lose it down the drain. Apply a small amount of toothpaste to the jewelry. Start with a pea-sized amount—smaller if you are cleaning something tiny, such as a post earring.

You can use your finger, a sponge, a paper towel, or even a q-tip to apply the toothpaste. Rub the jewelry gently with a damp tissue, paper towel, or q-tip. Use a light touch so that you don't accidentally scratch the silver. Use tissues and paper towels for larger items, such as bracelets, and q-tips for small items, such as earring hooks. If you are cleaning a necklace chain, run the chain through a folded paper towel. Use caution around gemstones, especially around amber, emeralds, lapis, and turquoise.

These tend to be very soft, and can easily be scratched up by toothpaste. This is a good thing; it is the tarnish coming off the jewelry. Use a soft moisten cloth to clean the softer silvers or delicate jewelry gently. Make the silver wet then add a little of toothpaste. Rub it lightly with the moistened fabric until it is polished.

Add a little more toothpaste if the fabric turns dark with tarnish and continue rubbing. Wash the dark toothpaste foam from your silver necklace, then rinse the cloth and start all over again.

Get a toothbrush and slowly scrub the silver jewelry for the stubborn tarnish or parts that are hard to reach. You can use an old worn toothbrush or merely buy a soft-bristled toothbrush or baby toothbrush to prevent scratching. Rinse off the polished silver necklace or whatever jewelry it is in warm water then dry with a soft towel.