Yellowed ivory

Is the any way to bleach ivory that has turned somewhat yellow?
any help would be appreciated. Thanks Bob in Kansas

   Is there any way to bleach ivory that has turned somewhat
yellow? any help would be appreciated.  Thanks Bob in Kansas

G’day; try a dilute solution of hydrogen peroxide (sold in
supermarkets at around 10%) of about 1-2% with a few drops of
ammonia. leave it for 5 - 10 minutes then rinse of thoroughly and
dry. It will eventually go yellow again given time, though for
that is the nature of ivory. Cheers, John Burgess
@John_Burgess2 in sunny Mapua NZ in the autumn.

Is the any way to bleach ivory that has turned somewhat yellow?
any help would be appreciated.  Thanks Bob in Kansas

Robert, Try using toothpaste, its the old fashioned way to clean
piano keys. Rub a bit into the ivory with a damp cloth, and then
polish off. The new whitening formulas might be interesting. If
that fails, I find that running over the surface of the material
lightly with a pale pink,(super fine), silicone wheel removes
blemishes, at least from the fossil ivory that I use. Lisa,(geez!
its going to rain again this weekend, it’ll wreck my wisterias),in
oh so sodden Topanga,CA

Is the any way to bleach ivory that has turned somewhat yellow?
any help would be appreciated. Thanks Bob in Kansas

Hi Bob,

Ivory is tooth material and probably can be bleached BUT much of
its mystery and age is enhanced by its ‘ivory’ yellow color. Be
careful not to let it get too dry or it will split/crack.

Regards,
Skip
Skip Meister
NRA Endowment and
Instructor
@Skip_Meister
03/27/9802:44:00

   Is the any way to bleach ivory that has turned somewhat
yellow? any help would be appreciated.  Thanks Bob in Kansas

According to an old household hints book I have you can use half a
lemon rubbed in some salt and then rub with a soft cloth dipped in
lukewarm water. Also ivory turns yellow if stored in the dark. Susan

i have not tried,but you might want to try using the whitening
toothpast,it sounds ridiculous but for all you know it might work
(dont apply with toothbrush,use somthing softer like a soft UNUSED
rag!)

Sincerely:Matthew Johnson

The lemon and salt treatment might be risky… Ivory is about
70% calcium carbonate/30% collagen. I’d be very cautious about
using anything acidic to clean it. If you do try the lemon, I
recommend that you wipe the ivory down after treatment with a
dilute solution of baking soda and water. -Pete-
@Peter_B_Steiner