Written by Angela Reviewed by Daniel

10 Genius Toothpaste Home Hacks You’ll Wish You Knew Sooner

We all use toothpaste for cleaning our teeth but did you know it can be used for many household cleaning chores as well. Toothpastes are formulated to remove plaque buildup from your teeth.

Turns out, the toothpaste that fights plaque is also a secret cleaning superhero! Who knew your bathroom staple had such a resume? This might seem like it’s out there but trust me, these hacks really work.

Before You Get To Spreading Toothpaste All Around Your Home…

person putting toothpaste on a toothbrush

While you can use toothpaste to clean your home if you don’t have any alternative cleaners, it needs to be a particular type of toothpaste. When it comes to using toothpaste as a cleaner, I’m referring to regular white toothpaste.

Not gel toothpaste, charcoal toothpaste, coloured toothpaste (for children) or whitening toothpaste. Basically, if your toothpaste could star in a TV commercial, it’s not the one for this job!

This is because some or all of the ingredients can cause staining or other difficult to remove damage. This is particularly true of whitening products which can cause an irreversible bleaching effect.

So, now that I’ve cleared that up, let’s get on with using toothpaste to clean your home.

What Can You Clean With Toothpaste?

Here are 10 great ways to clean your home using toothpaste;

1.Getting Rid Of Crayon & Marker Stains (from walls to wow: erasing crayon chaos)

If you have some budding artists at home that love using crayons or marker pens you’re going to love this hack. Accidents happen, if your child has accidentally put marker pen or crayon marks on walls, floors, wooden floorboards or furniture or other hard surfaces, you can remove them with toothpaste.

Apply a small blob of toothpaste to the affected area using your finger then rub it in using a damp microfibre cloth. This will remove the stain and leave the area as clean as it was before the mark appeared.

But remember to use another damp cloth to remove the toothpaste as it can cause its own stains.

2. Clean Your Iron’s Soleplate

Over time, the soleplate of your iron can develop a buildup of dirt, calcium deposits, starch or burn marks. Apply some toothpaste onto the cold soleplate with a dry cloth.

Buff the affected area to remove all of the stains, then clean with a damp cloth.

3. Clean Your Hot Hair Styling Tools (say goodbye to gunk)

Any hot tools you use to style your hair like flat irons, hot combs and curling irons can get a sticky buildup over time. Apply toothpaste onto the item using a dry cloth and rub away all of that oily residue and dead skin.

Then use a damp cloth to wipe all of the toothpaste and gunk away. Always allow the styling tool to completely dry before reusing.

4. Get Rid Of Soap Scum

Your bathroom can get covered in soap scum in a really short time. I’m talking about sinks, taps, shower screens and shower cubicles. To clean it all away all you need is a small blob of toothpaste on a damp microfibre cloth.

Use a gentle pressure to scrub away all of that soap scum from the surfaces in your bathroom. Then rinse the cloth and wipe away all of the remaining soap scum along with the toothpaste residue.

Once you’re happy with the level of cleanliness, be sure to dry the area well.

5. Clean Tea & Coffee Stains From Cups & Mugs

Toothpaste is designed to remove tea and coffee stains from our teeth so why not use it to remove those same stains from our cups and mugs? Just use a wet sponge to apply toothpaste to the affected areas and scrub away all of those unsightly stains.

Once all of the stains have gone, rinse the cups and mugs properly to remove any toothpaste, no one likes minty fresh coffee!

6. Remove Scuffs From Lino Floors

If your lino looks all scuffed or scratched it’s not a good look. To clear it all you need to do is rub some toothpaste into the lino using a dry cloth.

Use a circular buffing motion until all of the scuffs and scratches are gone. Then rinse using a damp cloth to remove any remaining toothpaste residue.

7. Stop Mirrors From Fogging Up

It can be really annoying when you get out of the shower and the bathroom mirror is fogged up so bad that you can’t see your reflection. To prevent this from happening, simply rub a small amount of toothpaste onto the mirror and wipe it off just before taking a shower.

It will prevent the steamy fog from sticking to the mirror.

8. Prevent Carpet Stains

If you accidentally spill food or drink onto your carpet, reach for the toothpaste immediately. Squirt a big blob on the stain and allow it to completely dry.

Once you’re sure it’s all dry, use a warm damp cloth to wipe the toothpaste away. Then vacuum the area to remove any remaining mess.

This works for upholstery as well, so any food or drink spillage on your couch or easy chair can be treated in the same way.

9. Get Rid Of Water Rings

If you have any water ring stains on wooden furniture it looks unsightly and can be difficult to remove. Not any more…All you need is toothpaste and bicarbonate of soda.

Mix the two together and apply directly to the watermarks using a damp cloth. This might not work the first or second time, but if you keep on reapplying the mixture, eventually the water ring will disappear.

Then apply a good wood polish to finish the job.

10. Clean Grout

If the grout in your kitchen or bathroom is tired and dirty, you can refresh it with your trusty tube of toothpaste. Simply apply the toothpaste using an old toothbrush (not the one you clean your teeth with, gross!), and scrub until the grout is clean.

This one is the exception to the rule, it’s OK to use whitening toothpaste for this one. Because the whitening agent will help to brighten the grout lines.

Bonus Tips

That’s 10 incredibly genius hacks using toothpaste as a household cleaner. But the magic doesn’t stop there, here’s some more;

Clean Food Containers

Sometimes strongly coloured foods like spaghetti bolognese or burritos can leave food containers stained and smelling bad. To save all the hard work of scrubbing them out, simply apply an even layer of toothpaste all over the affected area and leave to work its magic overnight.

The following morning just wash with soapy water and the stains will be gone and your container will smell fresh again.

Get Jewellery Clean

Toothpaste can be used to get your jewellery sparkling once again. You need to use a different method depending on the type of jewellery.

Silver Jewellery

For silver jewellery that is in need of a clean, just dab some toothpaste onto it using your finger. Wipe any excess toothpaste away, then rinse with water and dry with a cloth.

Gold Jewellery

For gold jewellery you need to dilute the toothpaste with a small amount of water to make a smooth paste. Apply to the item and wipe off using water then dry with a cloth.

Natural Stones

If your gold or silver jewellery has natural stones, it’s always best to consult a jeweller before attempting to clean.

Clean Piano Keys

Over time piano keys get dirty from natural oils in your fingers and transfer dirt. Apply toothpaste to an old toothbrush and gently scrub the keys until they look clean again.

Then wipe them using a damp cloth. This works for old ivory keys as well as modern plastic keys.

Get Rid Of Food Smells

If your hands, chopping boards or food containers smell like the food they were touching, you can remove it using toothpaste. Just squeeze some toothpaste onto the chopping board, into the container or onto your hands and wash in the usual way.

You will find all odours gone and your hands, boards and containers smell fresh once again.

Get Scuffs Out Of Shoes

This one works on leather, patent leather and vinyl shoes. If they’re scuffed simply place some toothpaste onto a soft cloth and rub it into the scuff mark.

After rubbing in a circular motion, buff with a clean damp cloth and dry the shoe using a dry soft cloth.

Get Rid Of Scratches From Mobile Phone Screens (smart hacks for smart screens)

If your mobile phone has small scratches on the screen, apply a small blob of toothpaste onto the screen with your finger and use a circular motion to gently buff it.

Then wipe the toothpaste from the screen using a slightly damp cloth.

Polish Copper Pots

Copper cooking pots get tarnished with use, the tarnish can be difficult to remove without a lot of hard work. Not any more, just reach for the toothpaste tube.

Rub toothpaste onto the metal with a dry cloth, using a circular motion and you’ll see the tarnish transferring onto the cloth. Once the copper looks bright again, rinse the pot with hot water and dry using a dry soft cloth.

If the tarnish is really deep set, apply the toothpaste and allow it to work its magic for a few minutes before buffing and rinsing.

Get Your Car’s Headlights Clear (bright ideas for dim headlights)

If the headlights on your car have lost their brightness, you can restore them using toothpaste. Just put a small blob of toothpaste onto a soft damp cloth and rub the headlights in a gentle circular motion.

You should see dirt, squashed insects, tar and any scratches removed. Then use a clean damp cloth to wipe the lights clean.

Over To You

Cleaning doesn’t have to mean endless scrubbing or breaking the bank on fancy products. With a simple tube of toothpaste, you can tackle everything from crayon chaos to scuffed shoes.

These hacks are proof that sometimes the best solutions are hiding in plain sight!

Now it’s your turn, grab a tube of white toothpaste and start experimenting with these genius cleaning tricks.

Have a favourite hack we didn’t mention? Share it in the comments below and let us know your results!

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