Let’s face it, even though some things are only made for certain purposes, you can find more than one use. Toothpaste can really do more than cleaning and deodorizing your teeth. You can use its cleaning power and abrasive texture to clean other things in the house. There are many uses of toothpaste besides whitening, cleaning, and brightening your teeth. From beauty uses to household cleaning, here are 36 surprising uses of toothpaste. 

Medicinal and Therapeutic Uses

1. Treating Stings By Poison Ivy

If you get a sting or a rash as a result of coming into contact with poison ivy, you can smear toothpaste on the affected area to take away the irritation. Just apply gently on the affected area and give it 10 minutes to dry before washing the area with cold, soapy water. If the irritation persists, repeat this process, and the stinging sensation will subside.

2. Clearing Zits and Spot On Your Skin

Most people know this trick, and some might have done or heard it before. If your skin develops zits or spots, wash the area with spots and dry it, then apply toothpaste and allow it to stay on the problem spot overnight. Wash thoroughly in the morning.

3. Removing Gum from Hair

You accidentally found a chewing gum stuck on your hair? Worry not as you can get it out with a little concern. Spread toothpaste over the area it has stuck. Although this will be messy, it will be worthwhile. Toothpaste is intended to break down sugars contained in foods and substances like chewing gum. After some time, you will be able to lift it out effortlessly.

4. Eliminating Nasty odors

After cooking or handling chemicals with a pungent smell, it is easy to be left with smelly hands. Some odors like that of fish, onions, and garlic can make their way into your skin cell, which is why they persist for a long time. You can eliminate them by quickly applying your fingertips and hands with toothpaste.

5. Cleaning Messy Dye Patches

Everyone get those little patches of dye on their skin, especially on their ears. It is nearly impossible to apply dye on your hair without getting patches on your skin, especially if you have long hair. The dye is sometimes hard to clean especially when it has dried up. You can apply little toothpaste to clean up dye patches on your skin and leave your hairline showing well.

6. Burns

If you happen to burn yourself with a hot pan or a stove, run cold tap water on the area to quickly bring down the temperature of the skin. After cooling down, apply non-gel toothpaste to the area until the skin cools permanently and it doesn’t sting anymore. Finally, apply a healing agent on the area.

7. Blemish Cream

Toothpaste draws out infection and reduces redness. Use, plain white toothpaste as it works best. Apply the toothpaste at night, so you don’t walk around during the day with a large, white spot on your face. If you happen to have sensitive skin, use witch hazel and tea tree oil as they also reduce blemishes.

8. Bruises

If you have chronic klutzes, then worry no more as toothpaste is the solution you have been waiting for. Before you head off to bed, apply a mixture of lotion and toothpaste to the bruise and cover it up with an acne Band-Aid so that you don’t soil the sheets. In the morning, wash off the mixture and repeat the process for three nights. The bruises should disappear within a week or two.

9. Bug Bites

To cool your skin and soothe itching brought about by small bug bites and mosquitos, apply toothpaste.  You can also use paste for bee stings but be sure to see a doctor if you start experiencing shortness of breath and any other severe symptoms.

10. Skin Rashes

You can prevent your rashes from itching by applying toothpaste on them to calm down your skin. Avoid applying toothpaste on rashes that have open sores.

Cleaning Uses:

11. Patio Furniture

To clean patio furniture, use a mixture of toothpaste and water, elbow grease, and a brush. For the perfect shine, use a teeth-whitening paste on your white furniture.

12. Piano Keys

Your piano ivories can be discolored because of oil and dirt. You can tidy them up by rubbing each key with a damp, cotton swab patches and a touch of toothpaste. Wipe dry with a clean cloth. This process takes time, but you will like how your piano will look in the end.

13. Linoleum Scuffs

Another use of toothpaste is cleaning scuff marks. Scrub scuff marks using toothpaste and a dry cloth until all the residue is cleaned up. This process works for drywall and floorboards as well.

14. Leather

Put a toothpaste gel on leather scuffs and run in using a soft cloth. Rinse with a damp cloth until all the paste has been cleaned. This process works well on purses, coats, shoes, or anything made of leather. Remember to use toothpaste that has no whitening and bleaching agents.

15. Crayon on Walls

Children like drawing on painted walls and sometimes crayon can be hard to remove. If you find your kid has drawn something on your artifact or wall, don’t panic; gently rub a damp cloth and toothpaste on the drawn area, then rinse with a wet cloth before drying up the area. Make sure you test toothpaste on a small area of your artifact or painted wall, to avoid damaging paint on a large area.

16. Clothing Stains

If your cloth has a stain, you can apply toothpaste directly to the stained area and rub with some water before putting it in the dry cleaner. However, this may not work on all stains or fabrics, but it is quite effective on ink stains and stains on shirt collars. You may need to repeat this process if the stain persists. Use a basic toothpaste that has no bleaching agents.

17. Cell Phone Screens

Cell phone screens are susceptible to scratches, and they can get shaggy over time. If your smartphone screen is overly scratched, you can lightly run it with a touch of toothpaste using your finger. Rinse with a damp cloth and dry with a clean cloth. Ensure not to get your phone too wet.

18. Carpet Stains

If toothpaste works on clothes, why not work on carpets? In case of a carpet stain, squeeze toothpaste directly onto it and scrub it using an old toothbrush. Rinse and repeat this process until the stain disappears. For large or stubborn stains such as those caused by vomits from your pets, you might need to vacuum or use a professional carpet-cleaning solution.

19. Baby Bottles

If you forgot to put warm water on your baby bottle after feeding your kid milk, the chances are that it has sour-milk-smell. You can scrub them with warm water and toothpaste mixture. Toss the bottles in your dishwasher or rinse thoroughly.

20. Brass and Silver

Using a soft-bristle toothbrush, scrub lightly with a small amount of toothpaste. Rinse the material and polish it with a soft, dry cloth and then polish it. For heavy-duty grime, apply toothpaste and let it stay overnight. Note: never use toothpaste on pearls as the grit removes the shiny finish.

21. Bathroom Sink

Toothpaste, when rubbed on a bathroom sink, works as well as when you use any other cleanser. Apply a generous amount and scrub it with a brush and your sink will be squeaky clean and deodorized at the same time.

22. Athletic Shoes

If your athletic shoes scuffed soles aren’t getting clean by using detergent, toothpaste will do the trick. Apply toothpaste and rub it with a toothbrush. Wipe out the toothpaste and allow the soles to dry. If the soles are white, use a whitening toothpaste as it will add brightness.

23. Hair gel

Toothpaste has the similar water-soluble polymers as those found in a lot of hair gels. In a nip, it can serve the same purpose; you will have a minty smell though. Toothpaste is also an excellent stick-um for kid barrettes.

24. Diamonds

Toothpaste, when minimally applied, makes a diamond to sparkle. Get rid of any residue by wiping with a damp cloth.

25. Chrome

Most of us are bothered by the water spots found on the bathroom faucets. To get rid of them, apply a small amount of toothpaste, rub it and then rinse. The result will be a clean, no stain faucet.

26. Goggles

There is no need to buy a goggle-defogger gel when you have toothpaste. Just apply a small spot of toothpaste on each lens and rinse well. Rub gently, or else your lenses will lose their abrasive properties.

27. Refrigerator Seals

Use a toothbrush to apply toothpaste on your refrigerator seals to clean them. Toothpaste will whiten those seals while cleaning any dirt on the seals.

28. Auto Scratches

Scratch removers are quite pricey, but toothpaste can hide some minor car damage. Apply a dab of toothpaste to a sponge and circularly rub on the damaged area before wiping with a soft cloth.

29. Nail Holes

If you have unsightly nail holes, toothpaste can be a poor man’s filling agent. If your walls are painted, you can mix your paste with eyeshadow or food coloring to better match the wall. This method works well on holes left by speaker hooks or hanging-plant, especially on textured ceilings.

30. DVDs and CDs

You can remove shallow smudges and scratches from discs by rubbing toothpaste on them gently. Rinse thoroughly and dry with a soft cotton patch. The mild abrasive will even out the playing surface, but applying it in large amount will make things worse. Therefore, make sure you apply gently.

31. Coffee Table Water Rings

This is one of the oldest uses of toothpaste. Simply rub some paste into an irritating ring and wipe dry with a clean cotton cloth. Apply a finishing using a touch of furniture polish or oil. Break out the coasters and ensure they get used.

32. Shower Doors

You can clean your shower doors easily using whitening toothpaste. Smear a bit of paste on a dampen sponge and use it to clean shower doors. Clean your door with circular swipes and rinse thoroughly and they will be clear again.

33. Mirror Defogger

This mostly applies to the gents. Next time you are shaving or brushing teeth in the shower, smear some on the mirror and wipe it dry. This will keep your mirror from fogging. You will be able to see your face clearly.

34. Nails

Use paste to scrub finger and toenails. A whitening toothpaste will remove the yellow or orange tinge created by long-term usage of nail polish thanks to the peroxide in it. Again, don’t apply it gently.

35. Skunk-Spray Deodorizer

Next time your pet battles with a skunk wet him down and rub toothpaste generously into his fur. Leave it to settle for a couple of minutes and rinse thoroughly. Please note that this process will not be easy, but fluoride eliminates most of the stench.

36. Headlights

The scratches and dings on headlight glass diffuse the light making it harder to see. Remove the haze by cleaning the headlight and rub in a blob of paste. Apply a good polishing to even out the glass surface. You can use a buffer or hand.

Wrap Up

Well, there you have them? 36 uses of toothpaste that you can implement. Hopefully, these uses will help save your money and time in the future.