We all know that toothpaste serves a very rudimentary purpose, although, most of us are unaware of the numerous additional uses that toothpaste can serve other than just tooth brushing.
1. Reducing the effect of bug bites
Just apply a dab of toothpaste on the affected area and let it sit till it dries. Toothpaste comprises Menthol, which is a very effective natural pain reliever. It reduces the burning sensation around the affected area immediately and also helps with the swelling due to its anti-inflammatory properties. And the Baking Soda, present in most of the toothpaste, is a strong alkaline. It neutralizes the effect of the acid reactions due to the sting, hence relieving itching.
2. Relief from burns
Toothpaste helps in burns by giving your skin prompt cooling and relief. They cannot be completely relied upon for curing a burn, and should not be applied to a wounded burn or cuts. Although, they work wonders for comforting your skin burnt due to steam or hot stove and sunburns.
3. Treating foot blisters
Somewhere where everything has failed you; toothpaste is great for treating foot blisters too. They start acting as soon as they are applied and provide great relief while also drying out the blisters. You should keep in mind that toothpaste is for external use only as they contain chemicals which you will never want to get into your open wounds. Read more here.
4. Remove Stains from Clothes and Carpets
Rub the fabric’s stained area with an abrasive brush and some toothpaste on it, then rinse as usual and you’ll see the stain gone. Just be precautious not to use a whitening toothpaste to avert bleaching of the fabric.
5. Get Rid of Greasy Stains
It is excellent for cleaning as well as getting rid of the deposited greases from the walls, furniture, clothes etc. Read more here.
6. Water stains from faucets
Easy as that to remove the most displeasing stains in the world! The next time you’re brushing, just rub a bit of your toothpaste on the faucet with a cloth and wash it off. The results will surely overwhelm you!
7. Polish Jewelry
You can use toothpaste to polish your gold, silver, diamond ornaments and make them shiny as new. One can use toothpaste on any type of jewelry except for pearls. Take toothpaste on a brush to scrub the jewelry, then use a slightly damp cloth to wipe it.
8. Make Metals Shine
Hard to reach corners of aluminum windows, bathroom doors can be easily cleaned up by using a sponge with some toothpaste on it. Moreover, musical instruments, door knobs, display articles, cutlery, tools, anything that’s made out of a metal can easily be shined up using this toothpaste technique.
9. As a defogger
Like they work on metals, toothpaste also shine up the mirrors quite well. Take toothpaste on a cloth and rub the fogged mirror/headlights/goggles, and wash them. Not only will this defog the mirror surface, but also prevent it from getting hazed in future again. Moreover, from plastic garden furniture to kitchen countertops, toothpaste can work as a great alternative for expensive cleaning detergents for almost all other articles.
10. Clean Iron
Making sure that it is unplugged and cooled, just apply a generous amount of toothpaste on the base of your iron and clean it with a damp cloth. You’ll forthwith see a great change in its appearance and work.
11. Make your Phone Shine like New
With the similar technique as above, little scratches from your phone screen can be easily cleared by using toothpaste.
12. Remove Scratches from CD/DVD
Aren’t you fed up with the scratches that a CD/DVD acquire over a period of time? Well, there’s a very simple way to heal those too, toothpaste it!
13. Remove Shoe Scuffs
Yes, this works perfectly fine on ‘leather’ shoes without damaging them in any way.
In fact, besides getting rid of the scuffs, this cleansing will also give them a more lustrous appearance. Check WikiHow to learn how to do it.
14. Clean Heating Appliances
All heating devices’ plates get weary and rough after regular use. May it be hair straighteners, curling irons, heat plates for electric stoves etc. Use toothpaste on any worn out metal surface, and you’ll have a brand new one.
15. Sticking posters up the wall
That’s right; toothpaste is a great substitute for adhesives as well. Just apply some of it on the paper that you want to stick, and put it up. The plus point of using this method for sticking posters is that you can remove it very easily and it won’t leave a trace or ruin the wall. Ironically, you can also use them for removing ‘gum’ stuck on a surface. Cover the chewing gum with toothpaste and wait for it to completely dry. It hardens the gum with itself, therefore it’ll be incredibly easier to remove the gum after using toothpaste on it.
16. Get Rid of Odors From bottles, sink, and drains
Milk bottles develop a sour-milk smell in them after some uses. Put in some toothpaste and rub and clean the bottle, it’ll not only eliminate the odor of milk but also leave a minty smell in the bottle. Do the same with a sink, it’ll kill the odors as it goes down the drain too.
17. As a hand-wash
If your hands smell like the kitchen or have any kind of other stubborn odor on them, wash them with toothpaste. This will leave your hands amazingly fresh and odorless.
18. Nourishing nails
Toothpaste works on toenails and fingernails like it does on teeth. Clean your nails with a brush and toothpaste. This will whiten them while making them stronger and shinier.
19. Keeping hair in position
You can use a gel-base toothpaste as an alternative for hair gels, especially if you want to use hair gel on a kid. It has contents similar to that of a hair gel and therefore is good to go for if you run out of hair gel.
20. Cleaning dye patches after hair dyeing
Apply toothpaste on the dyed skin and rub it with a cotton pad. The stains will be instantly removed from your skin.
21. Whitening teeth
Not like it normally would on regular brushing. To whiten your teeth, add one part of Baking Soda to two parts of any regular white toothpaste. Brush your teeth with this Baking Soda toothpaste for about 2 minutes twice a day. You’ll see a remarkable difference in a week.
