If you’re like most people, you probably have a tube or two of toothpaste hidden in a medicine cabinet in your bathroom or displayed on the counter and you probably only use it for brushing your teeth, right? Well, like most people – you’re missing out.
Toothpaste is obviously important for keeping our noshers healthy and it gives us good breath, but it’s far more functional and multi-purposeful than you would have ever thought.
Take a moment to scroll through these 40 awesome alternative uses for toothpaste – you’ll thank us later.
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1) It’s a miracle worker for fingernails and toenails
Do you ever find that your fingernails or toenails are looking a bit dull and sorta lifeless? It can happen. But toothpaste can instantly give your nails a glowing boost! All you need to do is apply a bit of toothpaste to your nails, give them a goof buff, then rinse with water. They’ll be absolutely gleaming!
Silver is a gorgeous metal but the only downside to that is that it can become tarnished over time. Having a drawer full of tarnished silverware isn’t the best way to impress your guests at the dinner party. Quickly polish them up with a bit of toothpaste! Use an old toothbrush with some water and toothpaste and scrub away. The best part? Unlike other silver polishers, it’s non-toxic!
When driving in the dark, it’s so important to have properly functioning headlights in perfect condition. Ensuring your headlights stay clean and fog-free will make sure you’re illuminating the road ahead. To keep them looking like new, just use a soft, wet cloth and some toothpaste and buff the headlight. Simply rinse with water and you’re good to go.
Piano keys can get dirty very quickly. After all, you need to touch it and all the keys to play! And if you’re an avid player? It’s a constant battle to keep them clean. To have those ivories sparkling like they day it was made, just use toothpaste, water, and a toothbrush. You won’t believe how white they get!
For the first few days after buying a brand new, white pair of sneakers, we tend to watch where we step, make sure no one steps on our toes, and quickly scrub off any blemishes the moment we see them. A couple weeks later? They’re getting grimier and dirtier by the minute. If you find that your white tennis shoes aren’t so white any more, try giving them a polish with toothpaste.
The entire purpose of goggles is to be able to see underwater while wearing them, so if they’re fogged up or dirty – they’re practically useless! Using your finger, some toothpaste, and some water – you can clean them right up, leaving them free from fog and chemical build-up from chlorinated pools.
Spilling a glass of red wine can feel like your world is coming to an end. How on earth are you going to get that out? You guessed it – toothpaste! Pat down the stained area (if it’s still wet) with a dry cloth. Scrub the area using toothpaste then rinse with water. The stain-fighting agents used to clean your teeth with do the same with the red wine stain.
After months or years of ironing, everyone knows how nasty the plate on the bottom can get over time. Toothpaste is the perfect cleaning agent for the job. First, make sure the iron is off! Then give it a scrub with some toothpaste using an old toothbrush – toothpaste has the perfect amount of abrasion to get rid of any gunk.
Have you noticed your diamond ring doesn’t seem to have the sparkle that it once had? Wearing your ring day in and day out takes its toll on the jewelry and cause it to look a bit lackluster. Instead of buying expensive jewelry cleaner, just scrub with some toothpaste and it will look like it did the day you bought it.
Baby bottles can smell like soured milk over time, even after you’ve cleaned them. Thankfully, toothpaste can get rid of that nasty odor and have the bottles smelling clean and minty fresh. Pour in some warm water, add a bit of toothpaste, give it a good shake, then rinse! For a more intense clean, you can, of course, use a toothbrush or bottle brush.
Just like the goggle de-fogging hack we mentioned earlier, the same works for bathroom mirrors (or any mirror for that matter!). Instead of getting out the shower and wiping the fog from your mirror with the side of your palm, try this toothpaste trick. Just spread a thin layer of paste on the mirror and wipe it clean. Next time you hop out of a steamy shower, you’ll have a perfectly clear mirror!
Chrome can be found all over and around our homes. From decorative drawer pulls to kitchen appliances – chrome is everywhere. When it’s sparkling, it’s gorgeous! But when it’s dingy and dull? Not so much. Just give your chrome a good buff with a soft cloth and some toothpaste and you’ll see your reflection in it once again.
Toothpaste is a glorious and inexpensive sink or ceramic cleaner. Simply squirt a bit of toothpaste into your sink and scrub gently with a sponge or old toothpaste. Dirt, soap scum, and any other grime will come right off and your bathroom will smell minty fresh!
Little children, aren’t they wonderful? Full of light and curiousity! Until you walk into your living room to find that they’ve discovered how fun coloring on the walls is! Thankfully, toothpaste is your best friend in this situation. With a little elbow grease, toothpaste, and an old toothbrush, your walls will show no trace of their creative exploration.
If you wear lipstick, then you probably know the horror of mistakenly putting your lipstick on before you put your shirt or dress on. It’s almost inevitable that somehow, some way, a bit of lipstick will end up on your garment. Don’t fret! Break out that handy old toothbrush and toothpaste and scrub the stain out then rinse thoroughly with water.
If you haven’t caught on yet – toothpaste is incredible and removing stains from a multitude of surfaces. Ink stains are yet another stain that toothpaste can help remove. Who knew an old toothbrush and some toothpaste would get used so often?
One of the biggest peeves I can think of is when someone sets a drink directly on a wood coffee table when there are coasters available. How barbaric can you be?! Before you go into a panic about the watermark left of your table, just rub a bit of toothpaste over it and wipe away. Crisis averted.
Waking up to find a giant, unsightly red pimple on your face is not a great start to the day. Apply a little toothpaste to the area, let sit for 15-20 minutes (or overnight if you can), then rinse off. The toothpaste will dry out the pimple and reduce the redness as well, making it less noticeable.
Are you a frequent beachgoer? If your local beach is prone to beach tar, then you know how difficult it can be to remove it from the bottom of your feet. Toothpaste makes the sticky substance super easier to remove. Just rub a bit of paste on your feet, rinse off with water, and the tar should come right off.
After cooking with foods that have potent odors, like garlic or fish, it can leave a not-so-pleasant odor on your hands. Sometimes, soap can do the trick! But if it just doesn’t seem to work, try toothpaste. Use a bit of paste just as you would hand soap and your hands will smell fresh, minty, and clean.
We are touching or holding our cell phones constantly throughout the day. So, it’s no wonder that they get oiley and scratched if you don’t have a screen protector. Toothpaste can help clean your screen and get rid of small scratches. Just rub a bit into the screen then wipe clean with a moist cloth. Be sure not to use too much water!
Leather can become scuffed quite easily and although there are cleaners out there that are specifically for leather – toothpaste works just as well. Dab a bit of paste onto the scuff and buff away with a soft cloth. Wipe any excess off with a damp cloth. Make sure that the toothpaste is not for whitening and doesn’t have any bleaching agents in it.
If you have linoleum flooring in your home, then you know that black shoe soles and linoleum don’t mix. A slight skid of the foot and you’re left with a black scuff mark on your floor that isn’t very appealing to look at. Scrub scuff marks with toothpaste until it’s gone and wipe away any excess.
According to the Coupon Sherpa, “apply some elbow grease, a brush and a mixture of toothpaste and water on your outdoor furniture. Use a teeth-whitening paste on white furniture for the perfect shine.” Is toothpaste at the top of your next shopping list yet?
Known to be a bit of a klutz? This hack will be a godsend for you! If you have a bruise, apply a mixture of toothpaste and lotion to the area and wrap with a bandage before you go to bed. Wash off in the morning and continue this routine until the bruise is gone. Bruises that would usually take a couple weeks to fade will be gone in a few days!
Itchy bug bites are the worst! If you’ve found that you’ve acquired an ant or mosquito bite and it’s driving you crazy – reach for the toothpaste. Apply a dab to the bite to help soothe and cool the skin. The same works for soothing a painful bee sting.
Were you a little too hasty when grabbing that hot pan from the oven? Or maybe you spilled some of that boiling sauce on your skin. Toothpaste can help relieve the pain that comes from minor kitchen burns. First, plunge the hand or area under cold running water to skin, pat dry and apply a non-gel toothpaste to the burn. Once the stinging or burning sensation is gone, apply some aloe vera.
If you find yourself in a pinch and you’re out of hair gel, toothpaste can be a handy substitute. The Coupon Sherpa says, “toothpaste contains the same water-soluble polymers found in many hair gels. In a pinch, it can serve the same purpose (if you don’t mind smelling minty). Toothpaste also is a great stick-um for baby barrettes.”
Soothe a minor closed-skin rash (no open sores) by applying a dab of toothpaste to the affected area and rubbing until it creates a thin layer. The mint will soothe the skin and it will keep the itching at bay.
Glass shower doors are beautiful but they can get dirty and covered in soap scum if you don’t rinse them after every single use. If you find that your shower doors are looking not-so-see-through any more, toothpaste is a great cleaner for that. Dampen a sponge and apply some toothpaste, wipe the glass in a circular motion and rinse clean with water.
With the dawn of Netflix and Hulu, DVDs and CDs are becoming rarities. But many of us still have our coveted DVD collection that we turn to on those rainy nights spent indoors. After watching a DVD for the millionth time, it’s bound to have a scratch or two. Remove minor scratches by applying some toothpaste and rubbing gently. Rinse the paste thoroughly and use a microfiber cloth to dry it. Be sure not to scrub too hard or you could further scratch the disc.
The next time you have a hole left behind in the wall from a nail, grab the ‘poor man’s caulker’ aka toothpaste! Just dab a little bit of paste into the hole and voila! Fixed! If you have painted walls, you can color the toothpaste with a bit of food coloring until you find a good color match. This also works for filling holes in the ceiling from hanging plants or hooks.
Car scratch removers from the hardware or auto store can be quite spendy. Don’t waste your money and use a bit of toothpaste instead. Use a damp sponge to apply some paste to the scratch and scrub gently in a circular motion. Wipe clean with a soft cloth.
Toothbrushes make the perfect tools to clean out a grimy, dirty refrigerator door – especially the nooks and crannies of the ever-neglected seal. And toothpaste just happens to make the perfect cleaner to use with that tool! If you use whitening toothpaste, it can help restore it to the white it once was as well.
“Next time your dog (or cat) gets in a battle with a skunk, wet him down, rub toothpaste into his fur, leave the mixture on for several minutes and rinse thoroughly. Note: this process won’t be easy, but fluoride does soak up a majority of the stench,” Coupon Sherpa says.
Little ones are bound to get gum stuck in their hair at least one time or two in their childhood lives. The old-fashioned method would be to just cut it right out and deal with a bad hair cut for a while, but instead, you could use toothpaste to remove it. Rub toothpaste over the piece of gum stuck in the hair and it will ‘break up’ and become easy to remove.
Nearly identical to the hack we told you about cleaning your clothing iron, the same concept works for hair dryers and curling irons as well. When we use products in our hair like serums and hairspray, the residue can build up on the straightener. To remove it, just rub it clean using a cloth, some water, and toothpaste, of course!
Do you have a musician in the household? If they happen to play an instrument like a trumpet or flute, they can save their money on expensive instrument cleaners and grab the toothpaste from the bathroom instead. Using a soft, microfiber cloth, you can buff the metal instrument to have it shining and sparkling like new.
With all of the food scraps, liquids, and dirt that ends up in our kitchen sink drains, it can end up smelling a bit funky around the sink. Don’t wallow in the stench, try this handy tip – rub some toothpaste around the rim of the drain and let it sit. Once dry, rinse it off – the result should be a minty smelling sink.
Want to know a secret on how to keep your car smelling super nice? Rub some toothpaste on a paper towel and stash it under the seats of your car. When your car heats up from the heater or the sun, the minty smell will be released and your car will smell fabulous.
Did you have any idea that toothpaste was so multi-purposeful and handy? You’ve just been brushing your teeth with it for years and had no clue that there were (at least) 40 other uses for the household staple. Next time you’re buying toothpaste at the store – you might want to consider buying in bulk. You never know what sort of household task it can help with.
If you’re like most people, you probably have a tube or two of toothpaste hidden in a medicine cabinet in your bathroom or displayed on the counter and you probably only use it for brushing your teeth, right? Well, like most people – you’re missing out.
Toothpaste is obviously important for keeping our noshers healthy and it gives us good breath, but it’s far more functional and multi-purposeful than you would have ever thought.
Take a moment to scroll through these 40 awesome alternative uses for toothpaste – you’ll thank us later.
