12 Genius Uses for Toothpaste

 Here’s a cheap product everybody owns (or should own!) that has a bunch of clever uses around the house: toothpaste. It contains mild abrasives and detergents suspended in a creamy gel that keep your teeth clean and bright. Those same ingredients can help you MacGyver a number of messes without resorting to expensive specialized products that just end up in a cluttered pile under your kitchen sink, anyway. Don’t use colored toothpaste or gels for any of these tasks because it could leave stains. Grab a plain, old tube of white-it just might become your new favorite home care product.

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1. Polish jewelry. Apply a thin film of toothpaste to dull stones or tarnished metal with a soft toothbrush or cloth. Polish gently, rinse with water, and dry. If the tarnishing is heavy, apply a thicker coat and let sit for an hour. Do not use toothpaste on pearls, vintage Bakelite, or vintage rhinestones, which have softer surfaces and might get scratched.

2. Remove carpet stains. Scrub stain with a toothbrush and toothpaste. Blot with a damp cloth. Test a small patch first to make sure dye is set.

3. Clean up scratched DVDs and CDs. Gently dab a small amount of toothpaste on the scratch with a cloth and buff from the center of the disk out toward the rim. Rinse with water and dry with a microfiber cloth.

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4. Spiff up sneakers. If the rubber soles of your favorite kicks are getting scuffed, scrub them with toothpaste and a toothbrush or nailbrush. Ditto for white leather shoes. Patch test white canvas.

5. Banish water rings on furniture. Oops, you forgot to use a coaster. Gently buff away the water ring with a small dab of toothpaste and a soft, slightly damp cloth. You may have to repeat the process a couple of times but don’t use too much pressure and over scrub. Spot test on antique wood to make sure you don’t damage the finish.

6. Clean the inside of grimy water bottles, baby bottles, and thermoses. We try to be green and re-use bottles, but what about when they get all funked up with mysterious and unappetizing scum? Scrub with a bottlebrush and toothpaste and rinse thoroughly with hot water.

7. De-Fog Swim Goggles. Rub a small amount of toothpaste around the inside of goggles or diving mask and rinse thoroughly. Do not use on goggles with special coatings such as anti-glare treatments.

8. Lift collar stains. Tackle those ugly, grey stains around the collar of shirts with toothpaste and a toothbrush. Rinse and launder.

9. Scrub your nails. Manicures are great, until the colored polish comes off and your nails look dingy and discolored. If your nails are stained and yellow, scrub with toothpaste applied to a nailbrush to regain their glow.

10. Patch small holes in walls. Fill thumbtack holes in drywall with a little smear of toothpaste. Remove excess with a putty knife or smooth-edged piece of cardboard such as a playing card. Repeat if toothpaste shrinks when it dries.

11. Deodorize your hands. Wash your hands with a squirt of toothpaste if you have been cutting garlic or onions. Do not use toothpaste on burns or on your face to clear up pimples. Despite old wives tales’ and Internet advice on the efficacy of toothpaste and skin care, it contains detergents, menthol, and possible allergens, all of which could be irritants.

12. Polish the faucet. A quick toothpaste scrub gets your chrome bathroom accessories shiny again. Just don’t over do it -chrome plate can get worn away over time.

While toothpaste is gentler than a traditional cleaning scrub like Comet, it typically contains about 50% abrasive materials. With all this inspiration, it may be tempting to run around with an industrial-sized tube from Costco scrubbing stains and scuffs with abandon, but start with small patches and dab, rub, and buff with a light touch.

Source: http://ca.shine.yahoo.com/blogs/at-home/12-genius-uses-toothpaste-190400121.html

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