7 Wonders Of Toothpaste – unusual uses you may never have heard about before

Toothpaste is an everyday essential, it can be found in every home and it is used every day (twice I day I would hope), but there is so much more to it than just a cleaner of teeth.

A few weeks ago I picked up some old silver spoons at the car boot sale; they were lovely but very dirty and discoloured… Guess what I used to clean them? Yes, you are right, toothpaste. This gave me an idea… a selection of all known to me uses for the wonder that is toothpaste.

So here you go… my selection of 7 toothpaste wonders.

Metal Cleaner

Just as stated above it works wonders on silver, gold, brass or any other kind of dirty metal for that matter. Simply use a cloth or the soft side of a sponge, wet it, apply some toothpaste and rub it in for a bit. You will see the dirt removed in no time.

First Aid

Burns and bites can be treated with toothpaste. It is especially effective on mosquito’s bites as these are extremely itchy. Just pop a small amount of toothpaste onto the affected area and you will feel the relief within a few minutes. The same applies to burns, a little toothpaste can stop burns from blistering (just remember I am talking about minor burns which do not involve an open wound).

Beauty Routine

Due to its ingredients toothpaste can be used in many ways to help us with our every day beauty routine.
First of all it works as a perfect hand cleaner. It will help to get rid of unwanted smells like garlic or onion, but this isn’t all… it also works as a finger nail cleaner. Have you ever gone gardening and forgot to put gloves on… if you did, you know how hard it is to wash your nails afterwards. The next time you are in this situation simply rub them with toothpaste and it will be much easier to get them back to their full glory.
Secondly it can help to reduce facial blemishes. It helps spots dry out so just put a small amount of toothpaste onto the affected area and leave overnight.

General Cleaner

Dirty shoes, irons, carpet or clothes stains or even crayon stains on painted walls can be treated with toothpaste. Simply treat affected, stained area with a damp cloth and a bit of toothpaste; repeat if needed. It really works great on scratched leather shoes, coats, handbags etc; it minimises the marks leaving the leather looking much better. It also works perfectly on the dirty soles of trainers; it can bring those whites back to life.

Anti-Scratch Remedy

CD and DVDs get scratched like everything else. A bit of toothpaste magic can help. It also works well on car headlights or bikes for that matter. Scratched headlight give less light so treating them with toothpaste every now and then can be highly beneficial. It will also work on your smartphone screen or a tablet if you are not protecting it with a screen protector.

Stinky Smell Removal

Every parent knows that baby bottles after repeated use develop a sour-milk smell, which simply doesn’t want to go away. Rub some toothpaste inside the bottle and pop it into dishwasher. It will remove the smell and leave your bottle smelling nice and fresh yet again.

Defogger

This is perfect for any goggles – skiing, swimming and diving… it will work all the same. Simply rub a small portion of toothpaste into each lens, rub gently, rinse and… No more foggy goggles!

That’s it. This is my list of unusual uses for toothpaste.

I just want to add that standard, ordinary, old-fashioned toothpaste works best. You really don’t want any triple colours malarkey or a whitening type (this can leave bleach marks on fabrics) or anything with scrubbing particles inside of it… just use a cheap white, smooth toothpaste.

Also do not scrub like a mad man (or woman). Use it in a gentle manner with a soft damp cloth. It is much better to repeat the process if needed than over scrub and leave unwanted marks.

Did you ever use toothpaste in any of these ways?

And if you know of any other uses for it, please share.

Your Gums are for Life, so look after them! #ORALBLoveYourGums Challenge

Your gums are for life and many of us simply forget about this important truth. Yes, our teeth are very important too, but when worst comes to the worst we can replace them… we cannot replace our gums. So what to do in order to protect our gums?

Look after your teeth and at the same time you will protect your gums against gum diseases. Simple!

Following a correct daily routine of oral hygiene will help keep healthy gums for longer. Healthy teeth and gums are very important – they make you feel younger and more attractive and are also key components in our ability to eat or speak. Taking care of our mouth is beneficial to our whole body.

So how do you effectively protect your gums?

Toothbrush

A correct toothbrush is a must. If you have sensitive gums you need to have a softer toothbrush to reduce any further damage to your gums and discomfort while brushing. You may want to look into an electric toothbrushes especially the ones with a round rotating head, they should ease any pain you might feel and will gently massage your gums whilst cleaning your teeth. But the correct toothbrush is not everything – we cannot forget about replacing our toothbrush! There is nothing worse than trying to clean our teeth with a filthy 6 months old toothbrush… yes, I know it still looks fine… but believe me it is not! It is recommended that you replace your toothbrush every 2 months or as soon as you see any colour lines fading (if you have a toothbrush with a marker, which will show you when its time is up).

Oral-B helping to save your irreplaceables!

Toothpaste

If you think you might have gum problems already it is advised to use a toothpaste which doesn’t contain too many abrasive ingredients (maybe pick a standard non-whitening toothpaste or for an even better choice – pick a toothpaste which was design specifically for protecting gums like Oral B Pro Expert Premium Gum Protector 🙂)

Floss

Most of us do not floss, we say we do, in most cases we even want to do it but we don’t… we forget, we have no time or simply do not think about it… Flossing is the best way to clean the spaces between our teeth, which is crucial in order to maintain healthy teeth and gums. As important as flossing is, it is also very important to do it right. Incorrect flossing might potentially do more harm than good and damage our gums. So before you run to the bathroom in a panic because you were not aware how important flossing is, please make sure you know how to floss!

Mouthwash

Mouthwash can be pain free and, depending on the flavour you buy, can even be pleasant to taste. It helps to clean all these tiny little spaces where your toothbrush or even floss cannot reach. A mouthwash should be your best friend. It is easy to use and it only takes 30 sec for its effect to take place.

A visit to the dentist

Most of us don’t like or are even scared of the dentist. I don’t like them, Mark hates them and I do not know even one person who is a big fan of them but they are important and simply because we don’t like them we shouldn’t avoid them. Visiting your dentist at least once every 6 months for a routine check up is every bit as important as a correct toothbrush or toothpaste or even flossing. A dentist can detect any changes and fix small problems before they become a real problem. So from now on – love your dentist.

So, to sum it up – brush your teeth at least twice a day (ideally after every meal but this might be impossible to achieve) using the correct and hopefully fairly new toothbrush and a good toothpaste – floss – use mouthwash and make friends with your dentist.

This post is an entry for BritMums’ #ORALBLoveYourGums Challenge  sponsored by Oral-B, promoting healthy gums – something especially important for pregnant women. Get tips and advice on www.oralb-loveyourgums.com.