11 genius ways you can use toothpaste at home besides brushing your teeth

If you studied in a Kenyan boarding school, you probably know some of these hacks. I recall some girls would apply toothpaste on their pimples at night and it actually worked! Basically, the toothpaste dehydrates the pimples and absorbs the oil. This mostly works on those pimples that are just about to pop so next time you have one, try this method. Don’t use whitening toothpaste though as the bleach in it may harm your skin. In that light, I will highlight a couple of other ways that you can use toothpaste to your advantage and I don’t mean anything expensive, just the usual tube you use at home.

1. Cleaning crayon marks on the walls.

There are times when kids decide to get creative and use the wall as their canvas. If you have crayon marks on your walls at home, apply some toothpaste, scrub the marks off and rinse with a damp cloth.

2. Removing stains from clothes.

This may not work on all stains, depending on the type of stain as well as the fabric but it’s definitely worth trying before you decide that you’re never wearing that top again. So, for stains such as lipstick or coffee, apply the toothpaste on the stain, leave it on for a few minutes, scrub the stained part till it begins to disappear then wash the item as usual. Do not use whitening toothpaste though as the bleach may ruin the fabric.

3. Cleaning stained carpets.

You know those days when your clumsy child ends up spilling things on the carpet? Fret not. Just grab your toothpaste, apply it on the stain, scrub off with a brush then rinse with a damp cloth. This may not work on stubborn stains but for stains such as dirt and ink, it definitely will.

4. Removing water marks from furniture.

Some guests just won’t use the coaster provided. Let’s say you’re having a beer on a wooden table and the sweat from it ends up staining the wooden furniture? Grab your toothpaste, rub it on the stain marks then rinse with a damp cloth and the stains will vanish.

5. Removing minor scratches from your cellphone.

As bizarre as it sounds, if your phone has a few scratches, and I don’t mean those cracked screens that look like a dry river! Apply toothpaste with your finger on the screen and rub gently then rinse off with a damp cloth and dry it. Careful not to get your phone wet!

6. Get rid of smells.

So, you’re preparing fish and your hands just won’t stop smelling of fish? No worries, apply toothpaste on your hands and wash them. The toothpaste will remove the bad smell.

7. Clean white sneakers.

Having shoes with a white sole is one thing, maintaining their color though, is another. When the white part of your sneakers gets dirty, use a tooth brush and toothpaste to clean the dirt out then rinse off with a damp cloth.

8. Prevent bug bites from itching.

If a bug has bitten you say while camping in the bundus, apply a little toothpaste on the bite and this will help cool it down. Do not apply toothpaste on open wounds though as that may irritate the skin, more so, whitening toothpastes which contain bleach.

9. Defog mirrors.

I’m I the only one who gets irked when I need to use the mirror in the bathroom while showering, especially when you need to brush or tweeze or shave but the mirror is foggy and you cannot see anything? Well, toothpaste to the rescue. Before you shower, use your toothpaste to defog the mirror, by coating the mirror with your toothpaste then wiping it off. When you start showering, the mirror will not fog.

10. Clean bottles.

Sometimes, bottles and thermoses can be pretty stinky from the milk, right? In fact, that smell is a huge turn off. To have the bottle smelling fresh again instead of using the dish washing soap, use toothpaste to clean the insides of the bottle and then rinse thoroughly and the smell will be gone.

11. Revamp leather shoes.

When your leather shoes get scruff, rub them with toothpaste and they will be as good as new.

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