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Your toothbrush has diligently kept your oral hygiene in check for the past three months, and now it’s time to retire it from its usual duties. However, before you toss it aside, it’s worth noting that your old toothbrush can still find some useful roles around the house.
Here are 15 practical and somewhat unconventional ways to breathe new life into your retired toothbrush.
1. Clean Grout Lines
Cleaning grout lines can often present a challenge. However, using an old toothbrush can simplify the process. Mix baking soda and water to create a paste, and then apply this paste to the grout lines on your kitchen or bathroom tiles using your old toothbrush. This method is highly effective and will leave your tiles looking great.
2. Make Your Jewelry Shine
Old toothbrushes are handy tools for cleaning jewelry. Their bristles are well-suited for getting into tight spots, ensuring your beloved ring, necklace, or bracelet remains beautiful and free from rust. By softly brushing with your preferred jewelry cleaner, your retired toothbrush can effectively remove dirt from those small spaces that are hard to reach.
3. Polish Metal
Much like cleaning jewelry, an old toothbrush can also be useful for polishing various types of metal and tools. Metal objects often collect dirt and residue in their nooks and crannies, but you can utilize a toothbrush to give them a polished appearance. To achieve this, just use the old toothbrush with baking soda and water and scrub away to eliminate dirt and oil stains.
4. Clean Small Kitchen Appliances
Turn your toothbrush into a versatile cleaning sidekick for small appliances. Use it as a crumb catcher for your toaster or a meticulous blade cleaner for your blender. Give your kitchen tools the attention they deserve
5. Scrub the Soles of Your Shoes
Give your shoe soles a good scrape with an old toothbrush. Whether it’s mud or something even stickier, this trick works wonders, especially for those hard-to-reach spots between the treads.
6. Dust Your Keyboard Off
Keyboards endure a lot, from persistent typing and labor they receive on a daily basis. If you are annoyed by the accumulation of dust and grime around the edges of your keys, then you can use an old toothbrush to clean the spaces between your keys. Just glide the toothbrush between the keys and tilt the keyboard at an angle while brushing.
7. Remove Crayon Marks from Walls
For those with kids, dealing with crayon marks on walls is a familiar situation. If you’ve encountered this issue, using an old toothbrush and shaving cream happens to be a practical and efficient method for removing crayon marks from the wall.
8. Clean Your Shoes
Cleaning your shoes isn’t always as straightforward as tossing them in the washing machine. Maintaining the quality of your footwear might require a bit more attention. When dirt and mud become trapped in the soles of your shoes, using a toothbrush is a practical approach to loosen and remove it.
9. Clean Stains on the Carpet
When dealing with a stubborn stain on your carpet, grab your trusty spot cleaner and an old toothbrush. Apply the spot cleaner generously, and then put some elbow grease into it. Gently scrub the area with the toothbrush to ensure you lift all those pesky stains
10. Polish Your Faucets
Sink faucets may lose their initial shine and collect grime over time. A reliable tool for cleaning around and behind your faucets is an old toothbrush. Use the old toothbrush along with soap and water to eliminate build-up in areas where the faucet’s base meets the sink, as well as around the handles.
11. Spot Treat Your Clothes
Spot-treat your stained clothes with an old toothbrush. To address a stain, apply a stain remover to the area and gently scrub with the old toothbrush until the stain lifts. Be cautious not to scrub too vigorously, as this could damage the fabric.
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12. Clean Your Garbage Disposal
Take an old toothbrush and dip it into a grease cutting kitchen cleaner like Dawn dish soap. Use the old toothbrush and clean the splash guard of your garbage disposal. Scrub away any residue and grime, then rinse thoroughly with water.
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13. Apply Hair Product
An old toothbrush can serve as a tool to apply hair products like hair gel. It’s particularly handy for managing the edges of your hair, allowing for a more uniform application of the product across these finer strands compared to using your fingers.
14. Clean Your Nails
After a day of gardening or cleaning, you might find dirt trapped under your nails. To clean it out, simply use a toothbrush with a bit of soap and water, and you’re all set.
15. Scrub the Crevices of the Baseboards
Baseboards can be tricky to clean, especially in tight spaces. A regular cloth might not do the job effectively. That’s where an old toothbrush can be useful. Take an old toothbrush and use it to gently brush along the top of the baseboard, removing any built-up dirt and dust.
Tamara White is the creator and founder of The Thrifty Apartment, a home decor and DIY blog that focuses on affordable and budget-friendly home decorating ideas and projects. Tamara documents her home improvement journey, love of thrifting, tips for space optimization, and creating beautiful spaces.