Toothpaste is often praised for its versatility as a common household item with numerous DIY cleaning uses. It can indeed be a handy solution for various tasks, such as polishing fixtures or eliminating foul food odors from hands. The convenience of having toothpaste readily available in most homes makes it an appealing choice for quick cleaning fixes. However, it’s essential to be aware that toothpaste is not suitable for cleaning everything.
Despite its usefulness, toothpaste, like baking soda, does have its limitations in the cleaning department. Its mildly abrasive properties can potentially cause scratching on certain materials, making it unsuitable for some cleaning tasks. Here are a few surprising items that you should avoid cleaning with toothpaste.
Don’t Clean Anything with This Type of Toothpaste
When you come across cleaning tips or hacks that involve using toothpaste, it’s crucial to ensure that the toothpaste you use is the standard white variety. Avoid using gel toothpaste, charcoal toothpaste, colored toothpastes designed for children, or whitening toothpastes for any cleaning tasks. These specialized toothpaste types may contain dyes and/or whitening agents that can cause irreversible damage to certain surfaces or materials.
It is particularly important to double-check that the toothpaste is not a whitening formula, as the active ingredients in these products can have a bleaching effect on anything that has been treated with dye. To prevent unintended consequences, stick to using regular white toothpaste for cleaning purposes.
4 Items to Skip When Cleaning with Toothpaste
Soft, Lustrous Gemstones
Opals, pearls, and other soft, lustrous gemstones should never be cleaned with toothpaste. Toothpaste falls within the 3 to 4 range on the Mohs Hardness Scale, which measures a mineral’s resistance to scratching. Opals have a higher hardness ranking than toothpaste, but due to the stone’s delicate luster, using toothpaste for cleaning should be avoided. The micro-scratches caused by toothpaste can dull the gemstone’s luminous appearance.
Gold Jewelry
Gold has a hardness of 2.5 to 3 on the Mohs scale and should not be cleaned with toothpaste or any abrasive cleaner or tool. Using toothpaste on gold jewelry can lead to scratches, leaving the metal looking dull.
Silver Jewelry and Servingware
Similar to gold, silver has a hardness of 2.5 to 3 on the Mohs scale and should not be polished with toothpaste. Toothpaste’s abrasiveness can scratch the soft metal. Additionally, the oils found in toothpaste can be corrosive to metal, making it essential to use proper silver polish instead of toothpaste when cleaning silver items.
Diamonds and Hard Gemstones
Even though diamonds and other hard gemstones like rubies and sapphires have higher hardness ratings on the Mohs scale than toothpaste, they should not be cleaned with it. Toothpaste can cause surface abrasions that dull the appearance of the stones. Moreover, since many gemstones are set in metals like gold or silver, it’s best to avoid cleaning precious jewelry with toothpaste to prevent scratching both the metal and the gems.