Toothpaste comes in handy, but not only for preventing cavities. Here are 7 useful ways to use your toothpaste outside the bathroom.
1. Get Rid of Scratches on CDs or DVDs
Instead of throwing away marked-up CDs or DVDs, rub non-gel toothpaste over the scratches. Then rinse with warm water. You may need to try it again if there are multiple scratches, but after your toothpaste trick, the DVDs and CDs should work as good as new.
2. Hang Up Posters
Squeeze out a little toothpaste to each corner and edge of the poster, and then stick it up on the wall. It will adhere like tape. When it’s time to remove it, it will easily come off with no holes or stains left behind.
3. Wipe off Crayon and other Marks from the Walls
If you have colorful crayon drawings or scuffs on your walls, just open some toothpaste, squeeze it on the wall and scrub with a rag or brush. Then rinse off the toothpaste. The gentle abrasive in toothpaste just takes off the stains, not the paint, so you will be left with a fresh, clean wall.
4. Car Air Freshener
All you need is toothpaste and a paper towel to refresh your car. Squeeze some into the middle of a paper towel, fold it up, and hide the towel under the seat. As time passes, the toothpaste will release the fresh, minty clean fragrance everyone loves. Replace it whenever the scent starts to fade.
5. Remove Water Rings from Tables
Don’t have worry about those water glass stains on your beautiful table anymore. Just put some toothpaste on the rings, and use a soft cloth to wipe them away. Use a damp cloth to take off the toothpaste, and you are left with a stain-free, polished table once again.
6. Pimple Popper
If you need your red, glowing pimple gone by morning, try putting some toothpaste on it at night, and when you wake up your zit will have disappeared. Make sure to use basic white toothpaste without whitening since the hydrogen peroxide may harm sensitive skin.
7. Deodorize Hands
After chopping onions or garlic or using a strong-scented cleaning product, the smell remains on your hands long after you’ve finished cutting or cleaning. When this happens, rub some toothpaste into your soap while washing your hands to remove those lingering smells—just like brushing your teeth would remove odors from your mouth.
For the 7 secret uses of toothpaste above, avoid toothpaste with fancy flavors, colors, and gels. Use white, non-gel tooth paste you can pick up even at the dollar store.
Lakeway Center for Cosmetic and General Dentistry wants to remind you to first of all use your toothpaste to clean your teeth twice a day and then use it in any other helpful way. Have you ever used your toothpaste other than for cleaning your teeth?