November 18, 2020

24 uses for a toothbrush
We all hopefully know what a toothbrush is, and how this little bathroom tool is most commonly used. But before you go to throw your old toothbrush away – stop. It’s not just limited for cleaning teeth, and chances are, it’s still got enough life left in it to be used for a whole host of tasks around your home.

Stay tuned for our top tips for alternative uses of your old toothbrush.

1. Clean kitchen appliances

Toothbrushes are small and nifty enough to get into all the gaps in your appliances. Scrub out all the toast crumbs from your toaster using your used toothbrush. Other appliances with hard to reach places include microwaves and coffee machines.

2. Remove clothes stains

We’ve all had bad experiences with trying to get persistent stains out of our clothes. Luckily, there’s nothing a bit of toothbrush-scrubbing can’t get rid of. Apply a stain remover on the stain and gently scrub with your used toothbrush until the mark is gone.

3. Clean your chopping board

Chopping boards are particularly easy to clean when they have a depression around the edge that you can’t get your washing-up sponge into. A simple solution for making sure chopping boards are bacteria-free is to use a toothbrush. 


Once you start cleaning your chopping board with your used toothbrush, you'll never use anything else! Unlike a wipe, it gets deep into any crevice.

4. Clean grout grime off tiles

No matter how careful you are, you're bound to end up with some dirt, mould and grime in the joints between your bathroom tiles. A toothbrush works great to clean excess grime from grout joints, especially for the skinny joints between mosaic tiles. 


Just combine baking soda and water to make a paste and dunk your used toothbrush in it. Use it to clear out the gunk, repeating if necessary. This works like a charm and leaves your tiles gleaming.

5. Brush your eyebrows

Beauty and grooming tools can be so pricey these days, and who really wants to pay anything for an eyebrow comb? If you want an easy way to neaten up your eyebrows every morning, just give your used toothbrush a wash and re-use it as an eyebrow brush. 


It may also work as a moustache comb, providing you don’t have too much facial hair.

6. Clean your fingernails

There’s nothing more frustrating than getting dirt up your fingernails that just won’t come out, no matter how much scrubbing you do with soap. If nothing seems to work, try brushing out that dirt with your toothbrush. 


Put a little soap and water on the brush and you’re all set. You’ll essentially be giving yourself a nice little manicure treatment, too.

7. Scrub those tricky spots around the taps

Whether in your kitchen or bathroom, taps and faucets are prone to a build-up of grime in their cracks and crevices. An old toothbrush is perfect for tackling those hard to reach corners around your sink areas. Just wet the area with white vinegar and get stuck in.

8. Apply hair dye

Some home hair dye kits are better than others. If your hair dyeing kit didn’t come with a handy little separating comb, don’t stress – just apply your hair dye using a toothbrush. 


For quick touch-ups to grey or roots, you can keep things even simpler by applying mascara to a toothbrush and brushing into your desired areas. This will help blend the colour into your hair better than a flimsy mascara wand.

9. Remove crayon marks on the wall

If you’ve got kids, you’ll know the struggle of cleaning up after their mess. Sometimes, children can get a little too creative, and their artwork “accidentally” makes it onto their bedroom walls. 


Don’t worry, though, if they’ve used crayons, the marks won’t be permanent. Just use shaving cream and a used toothbrush to remove crayon marks in no time at all.

10. Remove dirt and dust from toys

Kid’s dolls and toys are a haven for dirt and dust, which means there’s a high chance your child’s favourite possession is ridden with bacteria. If you think a cycle in the washing machine might be too traumatic for the object in question, a used toothbrush is perfect for getting in there and wiping away any nastiness so your little ones can play happily.

11. Add it to your kids’ art supplies

A used toothbrush can work wonders when it comes to adding texture to paintings, clay, and whatever invention your child is getting busy with today. Encourage them to make pretty creations using used toothbrushes as paintbrushes or engrave cute patterns into clay or Play-doh. It’s a guaranteed recipe for hours of fun.

12. Add it to your toolbox

It’s not just your kids who can use an old toothbrush for applying and spreading various art materials. Old toothbrushes are great for gluing and avoiding a mess, so why not add one to your DIY kit to use as a glue-spreader? 


You can use a toothbrush to apply glue to boards for edge-gluing. There’s no need to fuss around spreading glue with your fingers or chips of wood. The soft bristles of an old toothbrush apply glue evenly and quickly.

13. Clean your hairbrush

Here’s something that you’ve probably never considered before: you can clean your favourite hair brush with a toothbrush. Hair brushes can become quite dirty over time, even if you can’t see the dirt with your own eyes. 


Get rid of any nasty bacteria by removing the hair out of the brush by pulling it up and loosening it with your used toothbrush.

14. Clean jewellery

If you own a delicate necklace or bracelet with lots of awkward twists and turn, a slightly damp toothbrush is perfect for cleaning it. First, soak your jewellery in a solution of warm water and dishwashing soap for about 20 to 40 minutes, then gently brush it with a very soft toothbrush, and finish by rinsing it under warm running water. 


The bristles of your toothbrush fit in between those tricky areas and will keep your favourite necklace or bracelet clean and rust-free.

15. Revive your velcro

The small hooks on velcro are amazing at sticking to one another - but they also attract a whole host of unwanted things, like hairs and lint. If your velcro isn’t as effective anymore, try brushing out the hairs and bits of dirt with the strong bristles in your toothbrush. Add a bit of water if you’re still struggling.

16. Clean the vent in your hairdryer

When was the last time you cleaned out your hairdryer vent? Probably never. 


It’s not exactly on the top of most people’s list of weekly chores, but it’s an important job nevertheless. If your hairdryer’s vent is looking dusty and dirty, give it a deep clean with a used toothbrush regularly to keep it from clogging up and potentially becoming dangerous.

17. Clean your computer keyboard

Keyboards can be so frustrating to clean – but it’s not an impossible task. Get yours back to looking its best with a used toothbrush, which you can use to clean grease and dirt from the tiny gaps in between the keys. 


All you’ll need is an old toothbrush and a solution of alcohol and water. If you need a bit of extra help cleaning the actual keys, a good tip is to use an eraser to remove those tougher smudges.

18. Clean out your fish tank

Just like us, fish need to live in a clean, fresh environment to thrive. You’ll need to clean out your fish tank regularly, but there’s no need to purchase an expensive fish tank cleaning tool for the job. Just grab your old toothbrush to clean the walls of the tank or the fish ‘furniture’.

19. Dust blinds & window screens

A toothbrush is an incredibly useful tool when it comes to cleaning the delicate blinds in your home. It’s particularly handy for cleaning fiddly bits in slatted blinds or even curtain rings or tracks, which can easily get dusty or grungy. 


Just slide your toothbrush across to get rid of dust, and work it into the smaller gaps and crevices.

20. Clean carpet stains

Just like an old toothbrush can be used to clean stains on clothes, it can also clean those troublesome spots on your carpet. Simply apply your favourite cleaning agent, leave it to sit for a few minutes, and scrub at the spot with a toothbrush. The stain should lift in no time.

21. Clean your shoes

When dirt and mud get stuck in the soles of your shoes, loosen it up and prepare to rinse it off with your old toothbrush. All you’ll need to do is create a solution made from a teaspoon of laundry detergent mixed with a cup of water. 


Dip your old toothbrush into the solution and scrub straight onto your shoes. You can use this formula on the fabric, mesh, and rubber areas of your shoes, but don’t use it on foam or leather, as it could stain.

22. Scrub your skirting boards

Skirting boards can be difficult to clean for a number of reasons. For a start, they’re far from in a convenient location for cleaning, and then, when you do get down on your hands and knees with a rag, it often seems to leave a lot of dirt behind. 


You’ll have a far easier time by approaching the job with a toothbrush. Make broad and smooth strokes across the top of your skirting board to loosen up the dirt and debris. You can either clean with soapy water or without, depending on how difficult the dirt is.

23. Deep clean your toilet

It seems like no matter how hard you try, you can never get the whole area of your toilet clean. It’s a grim place to clean, but a toothbrush should cut down how long you spend on the job. Toothbrushes are particularly good for cleaning those hard-to-get areas, like the hinges on your toilet seat.

24. Clean your bike chains

If you’re often out on your bike, you’ll know just how dirty your chains can become over time. While it’s easy enough to give your bike a rinse, those chains are tougher to clean. Something you may never have thought to use before is an old toothbrush. 


You can keep your chains squeaky clean by getting right in there and cleaning out any dirt to avoid rusting.

Conclusion

Who’d have thought there would be so many possible uses for an old toothbrush? If yours is starting to become pretty useless for cleaning your teeth, it’s definitely worth recycling it for other purposes in your home. 

Just make sure you don’t store it anywhere near your actual toothbrushes – it would be terrible to confuse the two!

About the author

Tim Russell

I am passionate about health and wellbeing and have writing for over 10 years on the subject. I have a BSc Hons Degree and undertake vigorous research to help people improve their lives and live more a healthy and happy life.

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