Alex O'Brien
Home & Garden

10 surprising uses for dental floss

When we think of dental floss, teeth, tooth care and general dental hygiene are the things that immediately spring to mind. Did you know, however, that the humble dental floss has a whole range of other uses? Read on to find out more.

  1. Secure suitcases – To avoid a “suitcase opening in transit” incident, tie a string of floss between the zippers on your case to prevent them sliding open.
  2. Help your garden grow – Stake tomatoes or other top-heavy plants with a few strands of floss. It’s amazingly strong and isn’t impacted by the weather.
  3. Separate precious memories – Pages of a favourite photo album stuck together? Floss to the rescue! Slip a piece between the pictures and gently move back and forth to separate without damage.
  4. Prevent baking crumbles – Even with baking paper, biscuits and slices can still sometimes stick to the tray. A piece of floss slid underneath your baked goods can help separate them from the tray so that they can be moved to a cooling rack or plate.
  5. Keep clothes in place – If your silk or delicate clothes have a habit of slipping of their hangers, floss is your new best friend. Wrap it around the tops of wire or plastic hangers for a non-slip surface at a fraction of the cost of fancier hangers.
  6. Get crafty – If you’ve got a craft box for your grandkids, a packet of floss won’t go astray. String often frays after heavy use and wire isn’t ideal for small children. Floss is the perfect alternative for art activities and other games like threading.
  7. Up your dessert game – Floss makes the perfect cutting tool for cake and other soft foods, allowing you to cut perfect slices without crumbling.
  8. Clean your keyboard – You’ve probably heard that computer keyboards harbour a whole range of germs. Floss is designed to clean out small crevices and thus makes the perfect tool to remove gunk and crumbs from between your keys.
  9. Hang ornaments – Whether it’s during the festive season or another special occasion, floss makes the perfect hook for your favourite decorations.
  10. Prevent fraying – Stop a rope or stranded cord from fraying by binding the ends with floss to stop them unraveling.

Have you ever used floss around the house? Tell us your secrets in the comments below.

Related links:

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Tags:
tricks, home, cleaning, dental, floss