How to Polish Silver (Toothpaste Method)

Last Updated: November 28, 2022

There are plenty of commercial products out there that can clean silver. But why spend a bunch of money on a product you don’t need if some cheap old toothpaste can get the job done no problem? In this article, we’ll break down how you can polish silver with some regular toothpaste.

Steps

1
Wet the Silver item in water.
2
Apply a small amount of fluoride toothpaste on the silver.^{[1]
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3
Rub the toothpaste into the silver slowly keeping it wet.^{[2]
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4
Rub till toothpaste takes an almost black appearance.
5
Let sit for about 2 minutes.
6
Wash away the toothpaste.^{[3]
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7
The silver will show immediate improvement.
8
If there is a lot of tarnish, repeat process.
9
Dry with a cloth, rubbing till silver shines.

Community Q&A

Question

Does the toothpaste scratch the silver?

Ditzydoodle

Community Answer

Not at all. It is perfectly safe and does a fabulous job for less money than silver polish.
Question

Does toothpaste really damage silver?

Ditzydoodle

Community Answer

No, it is a wonderful silver polish. All you do is rub it on with a sponge and wipe it off with a paper towel. It does a wonderful job and is far less expensive than silver polish.

Warnings

Do not use abrasive sponges or cleaning wool etc.

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Do not use to remove tarnish from Antique silver.

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This method is not recommended for valuable silver.

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Do not use if you are not sure that the metal is silver.

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