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Sweetpea.com
Toothpaste: it whitens, brightens, deodorizes, removes
stains, and restores and protects enamel. But toothpaste’s cleaning
capabilities work wonders on many things besides our teeth. The same ingredients
that help polish our pearly whites can also soothe some common ailments,
make household items sparkle, and even get rid of stains and pungent smells.
Try out these fifteen tricks with a white, non-gel toothpaste (unless otherwise
noted), and watch that cavity-fighting, breath-freshening tube of wonder
work its magic.
1. Relieve irritation from bug bites, sores, and blisters. These skin
irritations all tend to weep and, in the case of bug bites, often itch.
Apply a drop of toothpaste to a bug bite or insect sting to stop the itching
and decrease any swelling. When applied to sores or blisters, it dries
them up, thus allowing the wound to heal faster. It’s best when used overnight.
2. Soothe a stinging burn. For minor burns that don’t involve an open
wound, toothpaste can deliver temporary cooling relief. Apply it delicately
to the affected area immediately after a burn develops; it temporarily
relieves the sting and prevents the wound from weeping or opening.
3. Decrease the size of a facial blemish. Want to speed up the healing
of a zit? Apply a tiny dot of toothpaste to the affected area at night
before bed. Wash it off in the morning.
4. Clean up your fingernails. Our teeth are made of enamel, and toothpaste
is good for them, so it stands to reason that toothpaste would also be
good for our fingernails. For cleaner, shinier, and stronger nails, simply
scrub the underneath and tops of fingernails with a toothbrush and toothpaste.
5. Keep hair in place. Gel toothpastes contain the same water-soluble
polymers that many hair gels are made of. If you’re looking to style and
hold an extreme hair creation, try gel toothpaste as your go-to product
if you’re out of regular hair gel. (This is also a great trick for making
baby barrettes stay in place.)
6. Scrub away stinky smells. Garlic, fish, onion, and other pungent
foods can permeate the skin cells on our hands. Scrubbing hands and fingertips
briefly with toothpaste removes all traces of smelly odors
stains.
7.Toothpaste can make tough stains on both clothing and carpets disappear.
For clothes, apply toothpaste directly to the stain and rub briskly until
the spot is gone, then wash as usual. (Note that using a whitening toothpaste
on colors can sometimes bleach the fabric.) For carpet
stains, apply toothpaste to the stain and scrub it with an abrasive
brush, then rinse immediately.
8.This tactic works great on running shoes or scuffed-up leather shoes.
As with carpet stains, apply toothpaste directly to the dirty or scuffed
area, then scrub with a brush and wipe clean
9. Remove crayon stains on painted walls. Rub a damp cloth with toothpaste
gently on the marked-up wall and watch the Crayola marks disappear
10. Make silver jewelry and other silver pieces sparkle. Rub toothpaste
onto jewelry and leave overnight. Wipe clean with a soft cloth in the morning.
Make diamonds shine by giving them a gentle scrub using a toothbrush, toothpaste,
and a little water. Rinse thoroughly to remove all traces of toothpaste.
Do not use this method on pearls, as it will damage their finish.
11.Remove scratches on DVDs and CDs. This remedy has been used with
mixed success rates, but it seems to work fairly well on shallow scratches
and smudges. Apply a thin coating of toothpaste to the disc and rub gently,
then rinse clean.
12. Tidy up piano keys before tickling them. Piano keys retain oil
from the skin, which then attracts dust and dirt. Clean away grime gently
with a damp, lint-free cloth and toothpaste; after rubbing in the toothpaste,
wipe the keys clean with a second lint-free cloth.
13. Deodorize baby bottles. If baby bottles develop a sour-milk smell,
a good cleaning with some toothpaste and a bottle scrubber will clean away
residue and deodorize. Always make sure to rinse well.
14. Remove the burned crust on irons. For those of you who still use
an iron, you may find that after time, the plate of the iron develops a
burned crust. The silica in toothpaste gently grinds away this rusty-looking
layer.
Defog goggles. Scuba divers, swimmers, and triathletes may already
know about this handy little trick: Rub a small spot of toothpaste into
each lens of your goggles, then rinse thoroughly, and voila! There’ll be
no need to ever buy expensive defogger gels again. Avoid rubbing too vigorously,
though, as the abrasive ingredients in toothpaste could scratch the lenses
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