I've never tried toothpaste on walls either, but I did once use it to polish up some tarnished silver jewelry. Worked pretty well, but I got nervous halfway through—couldn't stop worrying if it'd scratch or damage the metal somehow. Anyone else feel anxious trying these hacks?
"Worked pretty well, but I got nervous halfway through—couldn't stop worrying if it'd scratch or damage the metal somehow."
I totally get that anxiety. I once tried toothpaste to clean my retainer because someone said it would freshen it up. Halfway through scrubbing, I panicked thinking it might weaken the plastic or something. Ended up rinsing it off immediately and googling for an hour afterward... Turns out toothpaste can actually scratch retainers. Lesson learned, I guess. Anyone else had a similar scare?
Anyone else had a similar scare?
I feel you on that anxiety. Had a similar moment when I tried using toothpaste to polish out some scratches on my glasses lenses. Halfway through, I started freaking out—what if it messes up the coating or something? Rinsed them off immediately and spent the next 30 mins reading horror stories online about ruined lenses, lol. Thankfully, mine were fine, but now I'm way more cautious. Did you manage to salvage your retainer after that scare?
"Did you manage to salvage your retainer after that scare?"
Glad your glasses survived! Toothpaste can be surprisingly abrasive, especially on coatings. As for retainers, they're usually pretty resilient, but it's best to stick with gentle cleaning methods—lukewarm water and mild soap or retainer cleaner tablets work great. Toothpaste might scratch or dull the plastic over time. Had a friend who learned that the hard way... luckily replacements aren't too pricey, but prevention's always better.
Interesting points about toothpaste abrasiveness—I honestly hadn't considered that before. I recently got my first retainer and I've been a bit paranoid about cleaning it correctly. The orthodontist mentioned retainer tablets, but I haven't tried them yet. Do they really make a noticeable difference compared to just mild soap and water? I'm also curious if anyone's found other unexpected household items safe enough for cleaning retainers without causing damage. I've seen some people mention diluted vinegar solutions online, but I'm hesitant to experiment without more info... Has anyone tried that method personally? I'd hate to accidentally damage mine by trying something too harsh or abrasive.
