# A silver cleaning method ala heloise?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-silver-cleaning-method-ala-heloise/139337>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 28, 2002, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-silver-cleaning-method-ala-heloise/139337 "2002-11-28T14:00:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2002, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-silver-cleaning-method-ala-heloise/139337/21 "2002-11-30T15:57:12Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by handy \*  
> “Rub with toothpaste.”
> 
> Isn’t that a little too abrasive?

It’s not too abrasive for teeth. 🙂 Just get plain white toothpaste, like Pepsodent or something, not all the fancy tartar-removing, etc. stuff.

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**Author:** ![chula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a4c791/32.png) [@chula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chula)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-silver-cleaning-method-ala-heloise/139337/22 "2002-12-02T07:29:33Z")

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I just saw it and was paying attention because I had seen this thread. **Another Primate** has it right. The only thing I wanted to add is that he said you can use it on any kind of silver except jewelry that has “antique elements” (or something like that), including stones.

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-silver-cleaning-method-ala-heloise/139337/23 "2002-12-02T08:57:19Z")

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When I was a kid it was ‘Bath salts’ crystals (which I think are a mixture of Salt and Bicarb or something) that we would use for this method.  
I will never try it again; I tried ‘cleaning’ my mother’s expensive silver pendant and it ruined it - leaving it pitted and destroying some of the delicate enamelling.

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**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-silver-cleaning-method-ala-heloise/139337/24 "2002-12-02T15:34:05Z")

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Why not just use silver cleaning stuff from the store & be safe?

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