7 Creative Everyday Uses For Toothpaste

Most of us only remove our toothpaste bottle from the medicine cabinet twice a day when brushing our teeth – at least hopefully!

Although it may seem unnecessary to turn to the tube for anything other than oral hygiene, toothpaste can be used for a variety of other things including curing common ailments, household cleaning, and skincare issues.

If you find yourself in any of the following quandaries, consider these seven creative uses for toothpaste:

1. Clear Up Acne

Putting toothpaste on a blemish can help dry out the skin and get rid of an unwanted pimple. However, look for varieties that are not flavored, as those give the best results and diminish the chances of any unwanted reactions.

skin photo

2. Relieve Irritation and Itchiness

If you have any bug bites, sores, or blisters, you can use toothpaste to help alleviate any discomfort. Toothpaste contains ingredients such as baking soda and menthol, which can help soothe inflammation.

mosquito bite photo
Photo by John Tann

3. Eradicate Smells

If you’ve been cooking with any pungent foods such as garlic, onions, or fish, you can rub some toothpaste on your hands to eliminate any smells. Moisturize your hands with lotion afterwards if the toothpaste dries out your skin.

garlic photo

4. Remove Stains

Using toothpaste is a great way to remove stains in anything from clothing to carpet. Lightly scrub the stain with toothpaste and a damp cloth, or it can also be used on a firm bristle brush and rubbed off. Be careful with whitening toothpaste, as it may bleach the fabric.

carpet stain photo
Photo by garann

5. Polish Silver

Brighten up your silver and brass jewelry with just a bit of toothpaste. Just rub it on like soap, and wipe off like a paper towel. Tartar control toothpaste is said to work best, since it contains the most hydrated silica.

silver photo

6. Clean Your Iron

If your iron contains any crust or residue, you can wipe it off using some toothpaste and a damp cloth. Just make sure your iron is unplugged and cool before cleaning.

iron photo

7. Spruce Up Shoes

Got any dirty sneakers? Use an old toothbrush and some toothpaste to scrub the dirt of your shoes. This works especially well for shoes with tarnished white soles, as the toothpaste does a great job of freshening them up.

sneakers photo

Photo by mauren veras

What creative uses do you have for toothpaste? Share them with us on our Facebook page!

Home, Life
, ,

Related posts

Method All Purpsoe Cleaner, Shark Vacuum, and Clorox spray cleaner
Experts told us the cleaning tools they can't live without
Best cleaning products
15 Amazon cleaning tools that'll make life so much simpler
19 gifts that will help a messy person get more organized
Shower curtain
How to clean a shower curtain and liner to remove mildew and stains

About the Author
Carina Wolff
Carina is a health and wellness journalist based in Los Angeles. When she’s not writing, doing yoga, or exploring mountains and beaches, she spends her time cooking and creating recipes for her healthy food blog, Kale Me Maybe. Carina is also an ongoing writer for Bustle, Reader's Digest, FabFitFun, and more.

From our partners