Cleaning Antique Ivory

How to Clean and Protect Your Antique Ivory Treasures

Antique ivory sometimes requires cleaning, and antique ivory requires special care in order to remain in good condition. Don't let this stop you from collecting items made from antique ivory. Caring for and cleaning antique ivory isn’t very difficult. Cleaning and caring for antique ivory is actually very easy if you follow the guidelines necessary in order to keep your antique ivory clean and in good condition. The following antique ivory care and cleaning instructions will help you keep your antique ivory treasures looking beautiful for many years to come.

Before Handling Antique Ivory

Ivory is very porous, and the porous characteristic of ivory means that antique ivory will absorb the naturally occurring oils from your hands. Antique ivory will also absorb moisture and dirt. Clean white untreated cotton gloves should be worn while handling antique ivory.

Don’t use fabric softeners when drying white cotton gloves used for handling antique ivory. Remnants of fabric softener will contaminate the gloves, and it could be transferred to your antique ivory pieces. Wash white cotton gloves used for handling antique ivory in mild laundry detergent, rinse the gloves well, and air-dry the gloves or dry them in a dryer on a low setting without fabric softener.

Discolored Antique Ivory

Ivory deepens in color with age, and antique ivory has a beautiful patina that gives antique ivory a lovely and unique characteristic. If your antique ivory has darkened or yellowed due to age, don’t try to lighten it. The color of antique ivory is often used as an indicator of age, and the patina protects the ivory. Darkening is a natural part of the aging process of ivory, and it adds to the unique beauty of antique ivory.

Dusty Antique Ivory

Even with the best of care, everything eventually becomes dusty, even items displayed within a case or cabinet. Antique ivory can be dusted using a soft paintbrush such as a fine-tip sable hair artist’s brush. A fine-tip brush will enable you to reach crevices and indentations where dust can gather on antique ivory pieces.