12 Genius Uses for Toothpaste
By Sarah
B. Weir, Shine Senior Writer/Healthy Living
Toothpaste: your new favorite household
product. There's one cheap product everybody owns (or should own!) that
has a bunch of clever uses around the house: toothpaste. It contains mild
abrasives and detergents mixed with creamy thickening agents that keep your
teeth clean and bright. We tried it and found that those same ingredients can
help you MacGyver solutions to a number of messes without resorting to
expensive specialized products that just end up in a cluttered pile under your
kitchen sink. Don't use colored toothpaste or gels for any of the following
tasks because they could leave stains. Grab a plain old tube of white — it just
might become your new favorite home care product.
1. Polish jewelry. Apply a thin film of
toothpaste to dull stones or tarnished metal with a soft toothbrush or cloth.
Polish gently, rinse with water, and dry. If the tarnishing is heavy, apply a
thicker coat and let it sit for an hour. Do not
use toothpaste on pearls,
turquoise, vintage Bakelite, or vintage rhinestones, which have softer surfaces
and might get scratched.
2. Remove carpet stains. Scrub stains with a toothbrush and
toothpaste. Blot with a damp cloth. Be sure to test a small section of carpet
to make sure the dye doesn't come off.
3. Clean up scratched DVDs and CDs. Gently dab a small
amount of toothpaste on the scratch with a cloth and buff from the
center
of the disk outward toward the rim. Rinse with water and dry with a
microfiber cloth.
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4. Spiff up sneakers. If the rubber soles of your favorite
kicks are getting scuffed, scrub them with toothpaste using a toothbrush or
nailbrush. Ditto for white leather shoes. Be sure to do a patch test with white
canvas.
5. Banish water rings on furniture. Oops, you forgot to use
a coaster.
Gently
buff away the water ring with a small dab of toothpaste and a soft,
slightly damp cloth. You may have to repeat the process a couple of times but
don't use too much pressure and over scrub. Test on antique wood to make sure
you don't damage the finish.
6. Clean the inside of grimy water bottles, baby bottles, and
thermoses. We try to be green and reuse bottles, but what about when
they get all gross with mysterious and unappetizing scum? Scrub with a narrow
bottle brush and toothpaste, and rinse thoroughly with hot water.
7. Defog.
Rub
a small amount of toothpaste around the inside of goggles or a diving mask
and rinse thoroughly. Do not use on goggles with special coatings such as
anti-glare treatments.
8. Lift collar stains. Tackle those ugly gray stains around
the collars of shirts with toothpaste and a toothbrush. Rinse and launder.
9. Scrub your nails. Manicures are great until the colored
polish comes off and your nails look dingy and discolored. If your nails are
stained and yellow, scrub with toothpaste applied to a nailbrush to regain
their glow.
10. Patch small holes in walls. Fill thumbtack holes in drywall
with a little smear of toothpaste. Smooth over the filled hole with a piece of
cardboard such as a playing card. Repeat if toothpaste shrinks when it dries.
11. Deodorize your hands. Wash your hands with a squirt of
toothpaste if you have been cutting garlic or onions. Do not use toothpaste on
burns or on your face to clear up pimples. Despite old wives' tales and
Internet advice on the efficacy of toothpaste and skin care, it contains
detergents, menthol, and possible
allergens,
all of which could be irritants.
12. Polish the faucet. A quick
toothpaste scrub gets your chrome bathroom accessories
shiny again. Just don't overdo it —
chrome
plate can get worn away over time.
While toothpaste is gentler than a traditional cleaning scrub like Comet, it
typically contains about 50 percent abrasive materials. With all this
inspiration, it may be tempting to run around with an industrial-sized tube
scrubbing stains and scuffs with abandon, but start with small patches and dab,
rub, and buff with a light touch.
image © joshya – fotolia.com
