Posted June 2, 2011 by Sunny Subramanian
Are you a soda/coffee/tea drinker (guilty, kinda guilty and guilty) lookin’ for a quick and easy way to whiten up those used-to-be pearly whites? 
peta2 to the rescue!
The magical ingredient in today’s DIY beauty blend is strawberry (have you noticed our fruity theme on the peta2 blog?). Strawberries contain malic acid which helps remove tooth discoloration. Add a little baking soda into the mix (as a buffer), and BAM—you’ve got yourself a natural tooth whitener! It’s fast, it’s cheap, and it’s super easy to whip together.
What you’ll need:
Mash the strawberry and mix it in with the baking soda. Apply the mixture to your teeth using your toothbrush and leave it on for about 5 minutes. Then, brush your teeth for realsies (with your favorite cruelty-free toothpaste), and rinse. Voila! Enjoy your newly white teeth—now that’s worth smiling about!
peta2 Street Team Coordinator + lover of vegan food, cats, animal rights, Dawson's Creek, and Harry Potter.
Hello! My name is Nina, and I am a musician-in-training, and I play 7 instruments. I am a liberal, an LGBT activist, avid reader, composer, singer, and poi spinner. I am vegan, and a strong supporter of animal rights.
Born and raised in Mexico. I love vegan food and animals!
I was born in Canada and love peta2. I table every month and meet new people:older and younger. I love music and play the recorder. I'm a 6 year spelling bee champion. Again I love peta2!
I have always lived in Los Angeles but my family and I went to Mexico for my parents wedding. So we came back to LA. I don't like LA but were here already what can I do unless I move out and find my own housing. I have always liked animals and it was til I was like about 14 when I learned about tests they do on animals and I began to explore animal cruelty because I was interested it in it. I have watched videos that just broke my heart so that's why today I'm doing all I can to not buy anything that has harmed an animal and I'm vegetarian .
I'm tall, I love sewing, fashion and the environment, also I'm vegetarian (wannabe vegan.) Obviously, I love animals! :)
4 days ago
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is there any way to whiten teeth with braces?
2 days ago
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This should work with braces, although you could check with your orthodontist first!
201 days ago
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It’s rally just that easy? I’ve done teeth whitening in calgary but it was with the baking soda. This seems so much better!
230 days ago
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We’re a bunch of volunteers and opening a brand new scheme in our community. Your site provided us with useful information to work on. You’ve performed a formidable activity and our entire group shall be thankful to you.
486 days ago
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I often heard about this method of teeth whitening but i never tried it but what can happen.I think i will try it to see what results i get.Until now i used alta white teeth whitening whit very good result but i will try this month this method whit Strawberries and baking soda to see what happens:)
580 days ago
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Is this bad for your enamel ??
. I’d like some super white teeth, mine aren’t too bad, but I do like coffee and soda! I need something cruelty AND enamel safe! 
. Any actual cruelty free products I can use that won’t harm my teeth?
617 days ago
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Everything’s better when you do it yourself right?
Not only is it less expensive you can do whenever you feel you need it at home!
There are many advantages to home tooth whitening compared to professional whitening. First of all, it is easier to do than scheduling regular appointments with a dentist. This is perfect for people who are on the go, just make it part of your daily routine.
662 days ago
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I couldn’t hack it for the full 5mins, and neither could my boyfriend. The taste is just *barf* lol.
673 days ago
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i have to try this! if i can let strawberries ripen enough before i eat them
693 days ago
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Strawberries also eat the enamel off of your teeth.
693 days ago
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I tried strawberries for a couple of times, but it doesn’t work well for me.
696 days ago
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I tried this but my teeth didn’t get as white as I expected them to. Do you have to use the entire mixture? And do you think if I do this once a month it will be okay?
697 days ago
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This sounds great! Just BE CAREFUL with this stuff- do not use too often or you may damage your teeth! Also, people with sensitive gums/ teeth (like me), I’m sorry to say, just because it’s natural doesn’t mean it’ll hurt any less than the chemically stuff (trust me!)
Here’s a couple of tid-bits I found on this method:
Whitening Teeth with Strawberries
It is not advisable to brush your teeth with strawberries. The sugar and acid in the strawberry will harm your teeth more than it will help.
When you eat an acidic fruit such as strawberry (or any other healthy but acidic food such as yoghurt) it is advised that you wait at least 20 min to brush your teeth since the acid softens the enamel and you may brush some enamel away if you brush immediately. After 20 minutes the saliva will have broken down or ‘buffered’ the acid on the teeth, making it OK to brush and floss.
Whitening Teeth with Baking Soda
Baking Soda won’t bleach your teeth, but it will help get plaque off and make them shine. BE WARNED that Baking Soda is an abrasive and if you use it too much, the enamel on your teeth will get damaged.
527 days ago
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Hey Zebrina,
I would imagine that its ok to use a toothbrush to apply the strawberry/baking soda paste as the acid hasn’t been in contact with your teeth before that point. As long as you haven’t eaten or drunk anything acidic before this.
However I do agree with not using the toothpaste to brush off the strawberry paste – though it seems health.com also suggests brushing. Yourorganicgardeningblog.com has an interesting alternative.
They suggest rinsing the paste off with a cup of water mixed with baking soda and cream of tarta (1 teaspoon of each). Then brush your teeth with your toothpaste 20-30 minutes after.
This is the first time I’ve heard about strawberry’s and baking soda so I’m quite interested to see if it works. Thank’s to Sunny for posting this artile.
Nate
699 days ago
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Strawberry and baking soda whiten teeth, this I must try
699 days ago
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Nice! Thats a really good thing to know! I’ll definitely try it out.
702 days ago
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I just tried this & it burnt my gums so bad! Didn’t really get the results I wanted.
703 days ago
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Good idea, let’s put acid on our teeth to make them whiter. Who cares about cavities?
702 days ago
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Hahaha Vanilla most of the foods you eat every day are acidic to some degree anyway…What are you gonna do quit eating to protect your teeth?
703 days ago
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AH a better tasting way to whiten your teeth! How “refreshing”
Thank you!
705 days ago
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This is actually really, really bad for your teeth. The strawberries have a lot of acid in them, so this method will actually strip the enamel off your teeth. No bueno.
705 days ago
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Neat idea! I’m going to try this in between professional whitening. Thanks for sharing.
http://www.sothisisarmylife.blogspot.com
706 days ago
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Off to buy groceries at the farmers market
707 days ago
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thats cool
714 days ago
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There is something about baking soda that just seriously grosses me out. I just tried this and I couldn’t help but spit it out! It was very awkward to keep in my mouth too. Afterwards my lips kinda hurt and were prune-y. I really had some high hopes for this! I still suggest you try it because everyone is different and you might get better results!
720 days ago
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I really want to try this but how well does it work? Like is it really noticeable after or will it take a few times to get my teeth WAY whiter?
721 days ago
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ooo this is very cool! I’ve tried DIY teeth whitening with only baking soda and it worked very well for me; adding a strawberry to it just seems like fun!
I didn’t know strawberries aided in teeth-whitening. This is great! Thanks for the recipe! 
<3
723 days ago
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Wow!!! strawberries and baking soda as teeth whitener, I’ll definitely be trying this out. Thanks for the tip.
728 days ago
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How often do you have to whiten? can’t wait to try it!
729 days ago
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I think this actually worked for me! Thanks. But yes, do this only occassionally so as to not ruin your enamel and those with sensitive gums beware.
729 days ago
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IT DOES WORK! AMAZING
729 days ago
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i tried this…and i didn’t see much of a change, how many times do we have to try this before we start seeing results? and i heard baking soda is bad for your teeth so how often can we use this without ruining our enamel?
720 days ago
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Baking soda is actual a base in most toothpastes so it won’t harm your teeth. Don’t worry about it!
703 days ago
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yeah it does hurt your teeth to an extent.. it can break down the enamel on your teeth making your teeth sensitive, and you cant get back that lost enamel… It is safe to do it once in a while but i wouldn’t suggest doing it every day.
and yes baking soda is in toothpaste but a small safe amount, there are some toothpastes with too much baking soda so you have to watch out.
729 days ago
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does it have to be ripe? can the strawberry be frozen?
730 days ago
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I’m amazed on how fast this worked. How many times should I do this?
731 days ago
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i’m excited… but strawberries are biologically a vegetable… ya dig?
729 days ago
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erm, no. if anything the strawberry itself is a flower and the seeds are the fruit, but let’s be real – it’s a fruit and everyone calls it that.
732 days ago
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The size of the brackets of braces could hardly be described as “microscopic.”
732 days ago
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DONT DO THIS IF YOU HAVE SENSITIVE GUMS! IT HURTS!
732 days ago
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Ooh, yay.
Hope this works.
Home alone with nothing to do but go a shade whiter!
732 days ago
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If you add lemon to the mix it works even better
736 days ago
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works so good, =)
738 days ago
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Are there any warnings with this one???? Like shouldn’t use it more than a certain amount of times in a month or something????? Isn’t baking soda bad for ur teeth???
728 days ago
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Baking Soda will not hurt your teeth. It is used as a base to make tooth paste.
740 days ago
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i’m definitely trying that(: thanks
740 days ago
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Could you use baking powder as a substitute?
739 days ago
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Why not. Baking powder has baking soda in it
741 days ago
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I suppose it can’t hurt to try. Sounds tasty
741 days ago
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This worked so awsome!!
741 days ago
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thanx! im gonna try that! i luv strawberries
741 days ago
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How cool is that!? Thanks for the advice!
744 days ago
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This sounds great! I going to try it but a quick question before hand, what does it taste like? And how well does it work? Just curious, i’m gonna do it in about 2 hours so if someone could reply before then, it would be really appreciated!
744 days ago
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I got a little nervous when I read this one.
I’ve heard that the reason strawberries whiten your teeth is that they strip away your enamel. So in the short term you’d get whiter teeth, but in the long term you’d be harming your teeth, as well as exposing the dentin beneath your enamel (which is yellow, not white).
Does anyone know anything about this? I’m not 100% sure if it’s true.
That being said, I’ve also heard that it’s okay to do only once in a while, as long as you brush really carefully afterwards so you don’t damage too much of your enamel.
729 days ago
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yeah fruits contain acid which wears down your enamel…
745 days ago
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haha I’m doing it now! xP it doesnt stay on my teeth though to i just mush it around for 5 minutes?
746 days ago
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EVERYONE NEEDS TO TRY THIS!
746 days ago
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I just got my friends to try it and now they are psyched!!!
746 days ago
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OMG…i just tried it and it ACTUALLY works!!!!!!!!!
746 days ago
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LOL…I just bought baking powder instead of baking soda…back to the store.
746 days ago
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Ok…going to go buy strawberries and baking soda.
746 days ago
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I’m gonna try it…I hope it works…should I?
746 days ago
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I’m thinking about trying it…
747 days ago
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I’ll do this when my strawberries in my garden have grown
748 days ago
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OMG!!!! It works!!!! I mean I didn’t doubt it or anything but I just did it and I am really impressed with the results. Oh and just to let everyone know, the baking soda makes it a little salty and fizzy/bubbly.
748 days ago
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Totally going to try this. I just got engaged and want to make super sure I look awesome for the wedding, and I was just thinking that I need to find a way to whiten my teeth today
748 days ago
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definitely gonna try this. i love my tea and coffee!
748 days ago
1
Cool!
748 days ago
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first comment… i always heard strawberries helped to whiten teeth. plus it probably helps to make it taste better. yummy, strawberries!!! thanks sunny!
748 days ago
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I love your DIY beauty stuff!
748 days ago
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I want to try this but does it work if you have braces?
747 days ago
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yes it does it actully helps but you dont want to whiten your teeth too much whille you have braces because theres going to be microscopic squares from your braces on your teeth that are discolored
726 days ago
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Microscopic means you can only see it through a microscope.
I believe you may be looking for the word ‘minuscule’.
705 days ago
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Or just ‘small squares’