Toothpaste: it whitens, brightens, deodorizes, removes stains, and restores and protects enamel. But toothpaste cleaning capabilities work wonders on many things besides our
teeth. The same ingredients that help polish our pearly whites can also soothe some common ailments, make household items sparkle, and even get rid of stains and pungent smells. Try out these fifteen tricks with a white, non-gel toothpaste (unless
otherwise noted), and watch that cavity-fighting, breath-freshening tube of wonder work its magic.
Relieve irritation from bug bites, sores, and blisters. These skin irritations all tend to weep and, in the case of bug bites, often itch. Apply a drop of toothpaste to a bug bite or insect sting to stop the itching and decrease any swelling. When applied to sores or blisters, it dries them up, thus allowing the wound to heal faster. Its best when used overnight.
Soothe a stinging burn. For minor burns that dont involve an open wound, toothpaste can deliver temporary cooling relief. Apply it delicately to the affected area immediately
after a burn develops; it temporarily relieves the sting and prevents the wound from weeping or opening.
Decrease the size of a facial blemish. Want to speed up the healing of a zit? Apply a tiny dot of toothpaste to the affected area at night before bed. Wash it off in the morning.
Clean up your fingernails. Our teeth are made of enamel, and toothpaste is good for them, so it stands to reason that toothpaste would also be good for our fingernails. For cleaner, shinier, and stronger nails, simply scrub the underneath and tops of fingernails with a toothbrush and toothpaste.
Keep hair in place. Gel toothpastes contain the same water-soluble polymers that many hair gels are made of. If youre looking to style and hold an extreme hair creation,
try gel toothpaste as your go-to product if you?re out of regular hair gel. (This is also a great trick for making baby barrettes stay in place.)
Scrub away stinky smells. Garlic, fish, onion, and other ungent foods can permeate the skin cells on our hands. Scrubbing ands and fingertips briefly with toothpaste removes all traces f smelly odors.
Remove stains. Toothpaste can make tough stains on both lothing and carpets disappear. For clothes, apply toothpaste irectly to the stain and rub briskly until the spot is gone, hen wash as usual. (Note that using a whitening toothpaste on olors can sometimes bleach the fabric.) For carpet stains, pply toothpaste to the stain and scrub it with an abrasive rush, then rinse immediately.
Spruce up dirty shoes. This tactic works great on running hoes or scuffed-up leather shoes. As with carpet stains, apply oothpaste directly to the dirty or scuffed area, then scrub with brush and wipe clean.
Remove crayon stains on painted walls. Rub a damp cloth with oothpaste gently on the marked-up wall and watch the Crayola arks disappear.
Make silver jewelry and other silver pieces sparkle. Rub oothpaste onto jewelry and leave overnight. Wipe clean with a oft cloth in the morning. Make diamonds shine by giving them a gentle scrub using a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a little water.
Rinse thoroughly to remove all traces of toothpaste. Do not usethis method on pearls, as it will damage their finish.
- Remove scratches on DVDs and CDs. This remedy has been used
with mixed success rates, but it seems to work fairly well on
shallow scratches and smudges. Apply a thin coating of toothpaste
to the disc and rub gently, then rinse clean.
- Tidy up piano keys before tickling them. Piano keys retain
oil from the skin, which then attracts dust and dirt. Clean away
grime gently with a damp, lint-free cloth and toothpaste; after
rubbing in the toothpaste, wipe the keys clean with a second
lint-free cloth.
- Deodorize baby bottles. If baby bottles develop a sour-milk
smell, a good cleaning with some toothpaste and a bottle scrubber
will clean away residue and deodorize. Always make sure to rinse
well.
- Remove the burned crust on irons. For those of you who still
use an iron, you may find that after time, the plate of the iron
develops a burned crust. The silica in toothpaste gently grinds
away this rusty-looking layer.
- Defog goggles. Scuba divers, swimmers, and triathletes may
already know about this handy little trick: Rub a small spot of
toothpaste into each lens of your goggles, then rinse thoroughly,
and voila! There?ll be no need to ever buy expensive
defogger gels again. Avoid rubbing too vigorously, though, as the
abrasive ingredients in toothpaste could scratch the lenses.
