Unexpected Uses for your Toothbrush

Every time you go to the dentist, you get to take home a shiny new toothbrush, right? If you’ve started a collection, it’s time to start using them! It’s important to change your toothbrush every six months. Since you should be going in for a dental exam every six months, that means you should start using the new one the day you get it.

And we know some of you get really excited about this process. You get to pick a new color, maybe a new shape or bristle hardness. Go home, take your old toothbrush and WHOOSH… a three-pointer, right into the bathroom trash can while the new toothbrush sits in its new place of reverence on your bathroom counter.

Hold on just a minute though. What else could you do with that old toothbrush that you were so quick to demote to the place where old Q-tips and used tissues live? Disinfect your old toothbrush with some bleach instead and you now have a scruffy … uh. A scruffy… what do you do with it exactly? Wipe that look of disdain off of your face, you bleached it, after all. The possibilities are endless!

Bathroom Duty

The most obvious option is to keep it in your bathroom, but under the sink instead of on top the counter. Scrub around bathtub drains and fixtures. We’re not just talking hard water stains, folks. These areas are notorious for housing mold and other bacteria that never quite go away without proper scouring. Refrain from using it on your toilet though unless you’re going to immediately throw it away.

Floors

Grimy grout and baseboards will never seem so bright as after they’ve been scrubbed with your handy old toothbrush. While this back-breaking labor is never something anyone looks forward to, it goes by faster when you’ve got the right tools. Just be careful about what chemicals you use on your wooden baseboards. We’re getting the grime off here, not taking the paint off.

Vent Cleaning

You change your air filter every month, right? Wait… no? Vent cleaning and flossing seem like related activities.

Dr. Ernst: “You floss every day, right?”

You: “Uh… maybe.. once a month?”

Your Landlord: “You change the air filter every month, right?”

You: “Uh… maybe.. once a year?”

Anyways, next month when you change your air filter, give the metal vent a good dusting with your old toothbrush. It’ll help keep your air pure and your filter clean (since you’ll be using it for longer than only a month, most likely).