Do You Know About These Alternative Uses For Dental Hygiene Products?

Did you know that the dental hygiene products sitting in your bathroom cabinet have many alternative uses? That’s right; products like toothpaste, mouthwash, and dental floss have incredible uses that can improve your everyday life. Although dental hygiene products are ultimately used for good oral health, you can also use them in unusual ways beyond brushing your teeth. So, we put together this guide of hacks uses for dental hygiene products that you might not have known otherwise.

Toothpaste:

White, non-gel toothpaste is most effective with many of the cases listed below.

Cleaning Alternative:

• Remove Carpet Stains
  • Got a pesky stain on your carpet? Just apply the fluoride toothpaste to the stain and use a scrub brush to lift the stain out of the carpet. In addition, toothpaste is a good alternative for removing grass stains, makeup, and ink. 
• Headlight Polish
  • Toothpaste works as a great polish for scratched and foggy headlights. It is abrasive enough to lift existing scratches and remove dingy grime from car headlights. Apply a generous amount of toothpaste and use a soft cloth to get that new car shine again. 
• Refresh Kitchen & Bathroom Sinks
  • If you’ve got a dirty and smelly sink, then look no further than your in-home toothpaste. It is a great mild cleaner that works well in sinks and leaves a minty smell in the drain.
• Eliminate Odors
  • Unpleasant odors are quite common throughout a household. Next time you have an odor issue, use toothpaste to deodorize things like baby bottles, food containers, sinks, or even your hands.
• Revive Jewelry
  • Silver, gold, and diamonds can become dingy and dirty after some wear. Apply a small amount of toothpaste on an old toothbrush and scrub away the grime until you get that original sparkle again.
• Brighten Ivory Piano Keys
  • Piano keys collect oil, dirt, and dust very quickly. Use toothpaste and a lint-free cloth to get those ivory keys back.
• Erase Crayon Marks On Walls
  • If you’ve got a creative little one hanging around the house, then it is quite possible they may leave a crayon masterpiece on your drywall. With toothpaste and a little elbow grease, you could remove the unfortunately placed markings.

Medicinal and Therapeutic Uses:

• Acne & Face Blemishes
  • Like many before, unwanted acne and face blemishes can leave you frustrated and insecure. At night before you go to bed, dab a little toothpaste on the blemish and leave overnight. The toothpaste allows it to dry out and help the blemish clear quickly.
• Wrinkles
  • Wrinkles often occur due to a lack of moisture in your skin. Many kinds of toothpaste contain fluoride, glycerin, and menthol and can be beneficial to the skin. These ingredients help preserve moisture in your face and reduce existing wrinkles. 
• Insect Bites & Stings
  • Insect bites and stings can become a nuisance if not attended to quickly. Rub some toothpaste on the affected area to prevent uncomfortable itches.
• Poison Ivy Treatment
  • Much like insect bites and stings, poison ivy can lead to severe irritation and itch if neglected. Gently apply toothpaste to the area to stop the itch and dry out the reaction. 
• Burn Relief
  • If you’ve ever burned yourself on the oven or stovetop, then you know how painful the sensations can be. Lucky for you, you can rinse the burn with cold water and then cover it with toothpaste to treat the burn. 
• Clean & Healthy Nails
  • Toothpaste is a very effective solution to clean your nails while also strengthening them. Take and an old toothbrush with soft bristles and scrub!

Miscellaneous:

• Remove Small Scratches
  • Car headlights, cell phone screens, and CD’s/DVD’s most commonly fall victim to small scratches and scuffs over time. Use toothpaste and a soft cloth to remove these marks.
• Hair Gel
  • Many people are unaware that gel toothpastes have many of the same ingredients as common hair gels. If you’re out of hair gel, then apply a small amount of toothpaste to keep those stray hairs in place.
• Neutralize Skunk Smell
  • Hopefully, you or your pet have never gotten sprayed by a skunk. But, if you find yourself on the wrong end of a skunk, then immediately hop in the shower and rub toothpaste in the exposed areas to soak up the smell.

Mouthwash:

Did you know that mouthwash wasn’t originally created for oral hygiene? Yep, it was originally created as an antiseptic for medical surgeries. Even though it is used today as an oral disinfectant to prevent gum disease, it has many unusual uses that you can take advantage of. 

Cleaning Alternative:

• Hand Sanitizer
  • Alcohol-based mouthwash is a great alternative to hand sanitizer when it is not readily available. 
• Oral & Body Piercing Cleaner
  • Piercings can quickly get infected and require ongoing care. Use oral rinse in these sensitive areas for infection prevention.
• Odor Removal For Laundry
  • Does your washing machine ever have a mildewy or musty smell? Well, that can be a result of undrained water left behind in the machine. You can use colorless mouthwash to not only freshen up the machine but to kill germs too.
• Toothbrush Disinfectant
  • Toothbrushes collect a whole bunch of unwanted germs from your mouth and bathroom. You can easily disinfect your brush by placing it in a cup of mouthwash for 10 minutes to achieve a minty fresh brush. (Don’t forget to get a new toothbrush every 3 to 4 months)
• Toilet Bowl Cleaner
  • Out of toilet bowl cleaner? No worries, pour a generous amount into the bowl, let it sit for a few hours before scrubbing the grime away.

Medicinal and Therapeutic Uses:

• Alleviate The Appearance Of Bruises
  • If you’ve had a knock to your body, then apply some mouthwash to the area immediately to avoid a dark bruise. 
• Minimize Dandruff & Prevent Lice
  • Mouthwash can also be useful in hair care. After shampooing and conditioning your hair, use a half and half mix of water and mouthwash as an antifungal remedy for your dandruff problems. In addition, you can use a mouthwash and vinegar base to fight off lice.
• Feet Soak
  • No one likes smelly or fungal-ridden feet. Soak your feet in mouthwash to get rid of any unwanted smells or fungal infections. 
• Toothaches
  • For a toothache, try dabbing some Listerine on the aching area. This can actually help to numb the pain.

Miscellaneous:

• On-The-Go Deodorant
  • Because antiseptic mouthwash has an anti-bacterial agent, it can double as an on-the-go deodorant.
• Make Floral Arrangements Last Longer
  • It is a shame when floral arrangements begin to wilt away. Mix 1 tablespoon of mouthwash with 4 pints of water to keep your flowers healthier, longer.

Dental Floss:

Cleaning Alternative:

• Clean Hard-To-Reach Places
  • Need to clean something but can’t quite reach it? Dental floss is thin yet strong enough to break down dirt and grime in those small nooks and crannies.

Household Uses:

• Hanging Picture Frames, Decorations, or Ornaments
  • Are you having a tough time hanging small pictures, decorations, or ornaments? Look no further than dental floss. It is a durable alternative that is inexpensive and probably lying around the house. 
• Sewing
  • Dental floss is an excellent sewing alternative. It can go unnoticed, and it is strong enough to hold up.
• Floss As A Knife or Spatula?
  • That’s right! Dental floss makes for an excellent kitchen utensil. If you need to effortlessly cut through a cake or lift cookies off of an oven pan, grab some extra dental floss from your bathroom cabinet.
• Cooking Twine (unflavored)
  • Imagine this. You have prepared a nice roast dinner but forgot to grab cooking twine at the grocery store. No worries, unflavored dental floss is an unmatched alternative for making the best roast dinner. 

Miscellaneous:

• Fishing Line
  • This trick has to be the most unusual use for a dental hygiene product on our guide. A small pack of dental floss can supply the required strength and length for a dependable alternative to fishing line.
• Loosens Rings
  • Don’t panic. If you’ve ever got a ring stuck on your finger, tie dental floss to the ring and wrap it down the length of your finger. Wrapping will compress the swollen tissue on your finger and allow you to slide the ring off.

Save These Tips and Stay Prepared

Who knew these oral hygiene products were so multi-functioning with a host of incredible uses? When in a pinch or emergency, go to the bathroom and try one of these tips out. Most people always have items like toothbrushes, toothpaste, mouthwash, and floss around the house. If not, go stock up! 

Have a trick that you’d like to share? Let us know your alternative uses for dental hygiene products. And while you’re at it, why not schedule your next routine check-up using our easy-to-use online form. The pediatric dentist team at Snodgrass-King in Tennessee will ensure your entire family maintains excellent dental health! Regular trips to the dentist can prevent tooth decay and gum disease.