Don’t Throw Away Your Old Toothbrush — It Still Has Plenty Of Uses

30 Uses For Your Old Toothbrush

By Pamella RichardsPublished 3 months ago • 3 min read

Don’t Throw Away Your Old Toothbrush — It Still Has Plenty Of Uses

The first thing I do in the morning is brush my teeth and sharpen my tongue. — Dorothy Parker

It’s been with us since childhood, but how many people realise the versatility of toothbrushes?

During my morning shower, as I was scrubbing my toenails with an old toothbrush, I started to think ‘How many other uses this handy little brush could have?’

Clean fingernails. Old toothbrushes are perfect for cleaning fingernails.

2. Clean your hairbrushes and tangle teasers with toothbrushes.

3. I use my old toothbrushes to clean silver with embossed patterns.

4. I also clean Gold Jewellery. Be careful, too vigorous scrubbing can loosen gemstones. (Never clean pearls with a toothbrush — you will destroy their value!)

5. Clean behind the keys on your computer or laptop keyboard; biscuit and crisp crumbs can build up.

6. A toothbrush is a brilliant tool to gently scrub clothing with stain remover before putting it into the wash. This works on carpets, too!

7. Use toothpaste and an old brush to keep white trainers clean. The rubber around the soles and toecaps can get very grubby. Scrub thoroughly and then wipe away any toothpaste to help keep them looking good as new.

8. A small toothbrush head is perfect for cleaning the grout between bathroom and kitchen tiles. Spray with your usual cleaner, then scrub well with a toothbrush.

9. Clean behind taps and faucets where scourers are difficult to remove the dirt, also use a descaling cleaner for this.

10. Cheese graters can be notoriously difficult to clean, particularly on the inside. A toothbrush with some washing-up liquid can make light work of this job.

11. Unplug your toaster. Make sure it is completely cool, then use a clean, dry toothbrush to rub down the grates and remove any crumbs that may be sticking

12. Clean the plug hole in the sink, bath or shower.

13. Clean the grill slats on your extractor fan.

14. Clean shower heads by soaking them in de-scaler solution, and then scrubbing the head.

15. Deep clean the hinges on your toilet seat. These are notoriously difficult to clean with scouring pads.

16. Toothbrushes are perfect for cleaning tricky bits in slatted blinds or even curtain rings and curtain tracks, which can easily get dusty.

17. Clean the window tracks, scrub dirt from sliding window and door tracks.

18. Your car’s head and tail lights have small crevices in need of a good clean from time to time. Use a toothbrush and soapy water; or, if your headlights are especially dirty, use toothpaste and a toothbrush to remove the grime.

19. Use old toothbrushes as a glue spreader to avoid the mess. Toothbrushes are perfect for edge-gluing. No more spreading glue with your fingers or chips of wood. The soft-but-not-mushy bristles of an old toothbrush apply glue evenly and quickly. One swipe along the edge usually does the trick, coating the surface smoothly and evenly.

20. Skirting Boards can be difficult to clean, as a rag often seems to leave a lot of dirt behind. Using a toothbrush, make broad and smooth strokes across the top of the skirting board. You can either clean with soapy water or without, depending on how dirty the boards are.

21. Cleaning wrought iron railings and gates. Metal items tend to trap dirt and residue, especially in crevices. Use a toothbrush to polish your metals until they look brand new. Use baking soda, water, and a toothbrush to remove old dirt and oil stains.

22. Revive Velcro by cleaning the hairs and lint off the small hooks.

23. Cleaning Bike Chains, scrub grime and dirt off bicycle chains and gears.

24. Bent plastic toothbrushes make excellent bottle washers, especially around the curved edges below the neck. Either use boiling water in a bowl, or cup; or use a cigarette lighter to soften the plastic — and then bend.