16 Genius Toothpaste Hacks That'll Give You A Cleaner Home

Toothpaste can be a helpful tool beyond just cleaning your teeth. Typically comprised of ingredients like baking soda, abrasive particles, or peroxide, toothpaste has the properties of a basic cleaner, making it an excellent and affordable alternative to other household cleaners. While we wouldn't recommend swapping out your all-purpose cleaning spray for toothpaste, the toiletry essential can be the key to spot cleaning hard-to-remove stains. From removing soap scum to polishing utensils, there are many toothpaste hacks that can give you a cleaner home.

While you can use any type of toothpaste for these hacks, it's typically recommended to opt for one that's non-gel and non-whitening. Whitening versions can contain bleach that could stain your items. To use the toothpaste as a cleaning agent, you can apply and scrub with your finger or with an extra toothbrush to get into any small nooks. 

If you've noticed a few small scratches on your window panes, cabinet doors, or other glass objects around the house, you can use toothpaste to make them look good as new. Using one that's baking soda-based and non-gel, dab a small portion of toothpaste onto the scratch with a soft rag. Wipe the product into the scratch until it's fully removed.

Believe it or not, even the bottom of your clothing iron needs cleaning. First, make sure the iron is turned off and unplugged. If your iron has some grime building up on its base, you can use a small dollop of toothpaste to remove it completely. Use a cloth to rub in the paste and scrub off the gunk. Finally, you can wipe it clean with a wet cloth.

Get rid of that pesky soap scum building up in your shower, bathtub, sink, or showerhead by using a small portion of toothpaste. Using a wet rag, dab your toothpaste onto the soap scum and rub the product in. After you've let it dry for about 10 minutes, you can rinse it off with water and dry it with a cloth.

If you have food containers, bottles, or other plastic items that might have a funky smell or residual food stain, you can easily clean and deodorize them with toothpaste. The next time you take on one of these containers, use your non-gel toothpaste instead of dish soap. With ingredients like baking soda, zinc citrate, and chlorine dioxide, toothpaste can help neutralize these unwanted smells.

Despite its many runs through the dishwasher, your favorite mug still has those pesky brown stains at the bottom from your morning coffee. If you want a quick and simple way to get rid of these, rub toothpaste into the cup with a damp cloth until the marks are completely gone. Give the mug a rinse and repeat if necessary.

Believe it or not, there is a way to get rid of those crayon drawings that somehow ended up on your wall. All you need is a small drop of toothpaste and a wet cloth, which you can use to gently rub away the colorful marks. The crayon should come right off. Wipe the area down with a wet cloth afterwards to fully remove.

You set your cup down on the coffee table. Next thing you know, the condensation has left a bright circular stain on the wood. Fortunately, you can keep your mugs stain-free with a genius toothpaste hack, eradicating these pesky marks forever. Rub a small amount of non-gel toothpaste on the stain, and it should slowly come off. Be gentle, as you don't want to disturb the rest of the wood.

If the keys of your grand piano have started to look a little off-white and faded due to excessive use or aging, you can easily remedy this on your own. Whether your piano's keys are made from ivory or plastic, this hack should still work. Taking toothpaste to the yellowing keys, you can gently scrub the product in using a soft toothbrush or a soft cloth. The keys should look good as new.

If you can't remember the last time you polished your silverware, that means it might be time for you to give your utensils a thorough clean and polish. You can use small amounts of toothpaste and a soft cloth to rub on each item, bringing the sparkle back to your silverware in just a few seconds. Make sure to use a non-gel, basic white toothpaste.

You probably didn't know that toothpaste could do this to mirrors, but it even works as a de-fog solution. If you want to prevent your bathroom mirrors and glass shower doors from fogging up after a long, hot shower, try rubbing a generous amount of toothpaste onto the glass while there is condensation on the surface. Then, wipe it dry with a soft cloth. Ideally, this move will also prevent your glass from future shower fog.

Copper and brass are those materials that you have to polish to keep their shine. While you can always make your own copper and brass polish, an even easier method simply involves a tube of toothpaste. Thanks to its abrasive properties, toothpaste, along with the help of a microfiber cloth or old toothbrush, can make your copper and brass kitchen supplies and appliances shine just like they used to. Simply rub a small portion onto the copper or brass and then rinse with hot water.

If you've noticed a few scuffs on your leather belongings, whether that be a pair of shoes or an armchair, have no fear. Using a wet cloth, rub a small dab of toothpaste into the scuff to remove it. When choosing a toothpaste for this, opt for a non-gel, non-whitening version, as otherwise you may stain the rest of the leather.

While cleaning the buildup from our fridge seals isn't the most pleasant cleaning chore, toothpaste makes the process much easier. With all of the food and dirt that can build up in those crevices, you need something small and powerful to dig it out. Add a drop of toothpaste to an old toothbrush and clean inside the seals to remove the grime.

If you get annoyed by the hard water stains that appear on your metal sink fixtures, you can use fluoride toothpaste to get them sparkling clean. Add a pea-sized drop of toothpaste to the white blotchy stains and rub gently with a cloth or old toothbrush to remove. After rinsing the affected areas with water, grab a dry cloth to dry and finally polish.

If you've spilled coffee, ink, or lipstick on your carpet, don't worry. You have the solution hiding right in your bathroom. Simply rub a generous amount of non-gel, non-whitening toothpaste onto the affected area and allow it to dry for about ten minutes. Finally, you can wipe and rinse the area with a lukewarm wet cloth to fully remove the stain.

If your shower grout has been looking a little worse for wear these days, you might want to grab a tube of toothpaste to brighten it up. Using a plain non-gel toothpaste, scrub the product into your stained grout with an old toothbrush. After a few scrubs, the stain should have greatly receded, if not gone. Rinse with water and reapply again if needed.