Six Awesome, Surprising Uses for Toothpaste
Toothpaste is way more versatile than you think. Anything that can help clean and maintain teeth the way toothpaste does has at least a few more valuable uses, right? Let’s explore a few more things toothpaste can do.
A Little Caution First
Let’s be specific first. When we mean toothpaste, we mean white, non-gel based toothpaste. We don’t suggest using colored or dyed toothpaste for any of the ideas below as they can lead to discoloration to whatever they are applied to.
So don’t use kids flavored toothpaste for any of the following. Use that for your kid’s orthodontic care. It’s quite well suited for the purpose.
Cleaning, Polishing and Removing Stains
Some toothpaste can remove stains from clothes and carpet. You can use a more abrasive brush than you would for your teeth, especially if it doesn’t come out right away. Especially for surfaces like carpets and clothes, toothpaste can be preferable to some harshed household cleaning products that you don’t really want your kids rolling in.
Did the kids draw on the walls with crayons? You can hopefully put the paint or those magic erasers away (did you now that magic erasers are just cut up and lightened foam boards anyway?) and try to scrub the crayon off with some toothpaste and a brush.
Toothpaste also works wonders on chrome faucet fixtures and jewelry. The old school alternative for cleaning your jewelry, including diamonds, is a somewhat stinky ammonia bath. You don’t need to, just try this for one of the many uses for toothpaste, besides orthodontic care.
Better Smells
Toothpaste can certainly be used in orthodontic care to freshen your breath. Toothpaste is also really useful for smelly situations like having handled onions or fish. Scrubs your hands with some toothpaste. The same goes for some plastics like bottles with sour milk or a cutting board after chopping meats or veggies (especially garlic) – scrub on and off some toothpaste and you’ll get a fresh smell.
Keep your preferred scent around your apartment, workplace, or home. Toothpaste also has a natural, pleasant smell that you’ll hardly notice. Just one of the many uses for toothpaste, including orthodontic care.
Restoring Car Headlights
Are your car headlights getting a bit foggy? Use toothpaste with baking soda to refresh the lenses by putting just a fingertip amount on the lens. You will need to scrub it a bit, but the alternative is putting in new lenses or running to the hardware store and purchasing a buffer and a tough cloth.
We suggest using toothpaste with baking soda for the purpose as it adds a bit of grit. Add some turtle wax after to make the results a bit more effective long term.
Itch and Pain Relief
Toothpaste hs a variety of small medical uses besides your teeth. You can use toothpaste to sooth a bug bite or simple burn (like first degree, sunburn, etc). Toothpaste can also help reduce the discomfort from cold sores and pimples because it has the ability to dry them.
Toothpaste might also be easier to encourage kids to treat burns and bug bites. They don’t expect the same toothpaste they use to brush their teeth to be helpful when the mosquitos come biting. Toothpaste can also be more fun and less stinky to apply than other medications.
Defogging Mirrors and Goggles
Toothpaste’s effectiveness isn’t limited to headlights. Toothpaste is also very useful at getting the fog off mirrors and glasses. This is helpful in bathrooms without a fan, as a hot shower or humidity can make mirrors very foggy. You can jump out of the shower and check yourself in the mirror, or even brush your teeth right after without having to wipe it down. This almost qualified as an orthodontic care use for toothpaste.
Filling Nail Holes in Walls
Moving some picture frames, a sign, or a wall mounted TV? You will surely have some nail or screw holes in your walls. Rather than going through the process of putting drywall paste on, you can fill the hole with toothpaste and let it try for it a bit than paint over it. Less mess than using paste and usually easier to find.
Clean Your Shoes
Especially white sneakers! Want to get rid of some mud or grass stains you get from mowing the lawn. Scrub the rubber part with toothpaste, then wipe off any residue with a damp cloth. This also works with the scuffed parts of leather shoes. Use a soft clean then wipe clean with damp and they will look great.
Refresh Your Sink
You don’t need to use harsh chemicals or weird powders to get stains and who knows what else out of your sink. Dab in some toothpaste and scrub with a sponge. This will also get rid of the dreaded sink stink.
Wood and Water
Having a water stain on furniture sucks. Do you need to sand it, or let it dry, or just cover it up. Gently rub on some toothpaste (you might damage the finish if you do it too hard) then apply some furniture polish to protect it again.
Toughen your nails
Fingernails can get gross and weak, especially when gardening or painting. Scrubs some toothpaste on to clean and strengthen. Note that this works only with healthy nails. Don’t try on dry or already broken nails.
Gum from Hair
Ever wonder how to get gum out of a youngster’s hair – or even your own. Toothpaste is designed to break down sugar, just as it does in orthodontic care. This will create a mess, but it’s a better alternative than using substances like peanut butter, which can be more difficult to clean up. Toothpaste is water soluble so simply taking a bath will reduce most of the mess.
CD and DVD Scratches
These are admittedly less common now, but the CDs and DVDs you do have are probably invaluable. Apply a thin layer of toothpaste to the shiny side of a disc and stroke toothpaste into any scratches with your fingers while brushing it towards the outside of the disc. Use circular motions too.