Toothbrushes are essential for keeping our teeth clean, but did you know they can do so much more? From household hacks to beauty tricks, these everyday tools have a surprising range of uses beyond brushing your teeth.
Here are 22 creative and unexpected ways to put your toothbrush to work around the house and beyond.
1. Clean Your Fingernails
Dirt and grime can easily accumulate under your fingernails, especially after gardening or other hands-on tasks. A toothbrush is the perfect tool for scrubbing under your nails, reaching where regular handwashing might miss, and giving you a quick and easy manicure fix.
2. Polish Silverware
Restore the shine to tarnished silverware by scrubbing it with a toothbrush and a paste made from baking soda. The fine bristles help get into intricate designs and crevices, effectively removing tarnish and leaving your silverware gleaming.
3. Remove Mud From Zippers
If your jacket or other garments have mud caked around the zippers, use a toothbrush to clean out the dirt. The toothbrush’s bristles can reach into the zipper’s small crevices, ensuring smooth operation and preventing future jams.
4. Exfoliate Your Scalp
Promote healthier scalp and hair by gently brushing your scalp with a toothbrush. The bristles help exfoliate dead skin cells and stimulate circulation, leading to a healthier scalp and potentially improved hair growth.
5. Freshen Up Your Car’s Air Vents
Clean the dust and dirt that accumulates in your car’s air vents by using a toothbrush. The bristles can reach into the slats of the vents, helping to improve air quality and maintain a fresh-smelling car interior.
6. Clean Your Phone’s Charging Port
Keep your phone’s charging port functioning properly by carefully brushing out lint and dirt with a toothbrush. This simple maintenance task helps prevent charging issues and ensures a stable connection.
7. Brighten Up Grout Lines
Make your grout lines look fresh and clean by scrubbing them with a toothbrush and a mixture of baking soda and vinegar. This technique helps remove discoloration and grime, restoring the bright appearance of your tiled surfaces.
8. Fix Scratched DVDs or CDs
Improve playback of minor scratches on DVDs or CDs by gently polishing the surface with a toothbrush. The toothbrush can help smooth out imperfections, allowing your discs to play more reliably.
9. Apply Hair Color Precisely
For detailed and precise hair color application, especially at the roots, a toothbrush can be an invaluable tool. It allows for targeted application, minimizing mess and achieving the desired color effect.
10. Touch Up Grout Color
For those tiny imperfections in grout, use a toothbrush dipped in grout colorant to carefully touch up the spots that need attention. This technique helps maintain a uniform grout color and enhances the overall appearance of your tiling.
11. Remove Sand From Crevices
After a day at the beach, use a toothbrush to brush sand out of small crevices in your bags, shoes, or other items. The toothbrush’s bristles are effective at reaching into tight spaces where sand tends to accumulate.
12. Detail Clean Your Blender
Ensure your blender is thoroughly cleaned by using a toothbrush to scrub around the blades and other hard-to-reach areas. This approach helps remove residue and build-up that a regular sponge might miss, keeping your blender hygienic and ready for use.
13. De-Pill Sweaters
Remove annoying fabric pills from your sweaters by gently brushing the surface with a toothbrush. This method helps to smooth out your garments and restore their original appearance, keeping them looking new and well-maintained.
14. Clean Cheese Graters
Remove stubborn bits of cheese stuck in the tiny holes of your cheese grater by using a toothbrush. The bristles can clean out the remnants effectively, ensuring your grater remains in top condition for your next culinary endeavor.
15. Clean Vegetables
Thoroughly scrub root vegetables like potatoes and carrots with a toothbrush to remove dirt and debris. The toothbrush’s bristles can reach into crevices and ensure a clean surface, making your vegetables ready for cooking or consumption.
16. Defrizz Flyaway Hairs
Tame stubborn flyaway hairs by spraying a toothbrush with hairspray and gently brushing them down. This technique provides a quick and effective way to smooth out those little unruly strands without making your hair look stiff or unnatural.
17. Texturize Paintings
Create intriguing textures in your artwork by brushing paint onto the canvas with a toothbrush. The unique bristle patterns allow for varied and interesting textural effects, adding depth and character to your paintings.
18. Apply Glitter To Crafts
Achieve an even and precise glitter application on your craft projects by using a toothbrush. Its bristles help distribute glitter in a controlled manner, ensuring a sparkling finish without the mess of trying to sprinkle it by hand.
19. Restore Your Old Sneakers
Revitalize your worn-out sneakers by using a toothbrush to scrub away accumulated dirt and grime, particularly focusing on those hard-to-reach seams and edges that other cleaning tools might miss. This method helps breathe new life into your favorite footwear, making them look fresher and more presentable.