Real ivory and bone have porous surfaces that absorb dirt and moisture. Plastic imitations have replaced both in a lot of objects because plastic is both a lot less porous and doesn’t endanger animal life.
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Both natural materials scratch easily; neither can withstand the high
water temperatures used in automatic
dishwashers. So, clean these objects by hand and forget abrasive cleaners and pads — use a very mild
soap solution and a soft cloth,
rinse the object by wiping with a second,
water-moistened cloth, and buff it dry using a third cloth. Avoid using
acid or alkaline cleaners — even fairly gentle ones, such as
baking soda — because these will damage
ivory and bone.
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Ivory: Created on November 3rd, 2009. Last Modified on November 3rd, 2009
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