You already know that toothpaste is a must when it comes to your oral health. And since you and your family are all brushing at least twice a day (right?), you likely have a lot of the minty stuff around. Did you know that your go-to teeth-cleaner can double as, well, a whole lot of other things? In fact, toothpaste (the non-gel kind) may come in handy a lot more often than you’d think.
- Freshen your hands: If you’ve been chopping onions or garlic, it’s tough to get the smell off your hands. Rub some toothpaste on them and the natural deodorant will leave them smelling great.
- Clear your skin: It’s a little-known fact that pimples hate toothpaste. Dab it on a zit and it’ll dry it up in no time.
- Remove stains from clothing: While it’s not a surefire remedy, toothpaste can definitely help draw many stains from fabrics, including ink, lipstick and wine. May as well try it before scrapping your favorite blouse!
- Get rid or watermarks: If non-coaster users have left watermarks on your furniture, eradicate them with toothpaste! Just rub it in and then wipe it off with a damp cloth.
- Clean your sneakers: You know that rubber part of your sneakers that always gets dirty? Grab a toothbrush (an old one!) and brush off scuffs and stains using your toothpaste.
- Polish jewelry: Believe it or not, diamonds and other gemstones can sparkle brighter with a little help from your toothpaste.
- Get gunk off the iron: You know that gunk that doesn’t ever seem to leave your clothing iron? Apply some toothpaste to your (cool!) iron and scrub with an old dishrag. Then rinse it clean!
- Deodorize bottles: After a while, baby bottles tend to smell permanently of old sour milk. Freshen them up by scrubbing them with toothpaste.
- Get the crayon off the walls: We’ve all been there, but you can undo damage done by artistic toddlers by applying some toothpaste and using a rag or scrub brush to gently remove the markings.
- Shine up the bathroom: As long as you’ve got your toothpaste in the bathroom, use it to clean! The stuff does wonders on the bathroom sink and even on chrome faucets and fixtures.