19 handy uses for toothpaste that have nothing to do with your teeth
<h2>Remove scuffs from shoes</h2>
<p>A little toothpaste does an amazing job of removing scuffs from leather shoes. Just squirt a dab on the scuffed area and rub with a soft cloth. Wipe clean with a damp cloth. The leather will look like new.</p>
<h2>Clean your piano keys</h2>
<p>Has tickling the ivories left them a bit dingy? Clean them up with toothpaste and a toothbrush, then wipe them down with a damp cloth. Makes sense, since ivory is essentially elephant teeth. However, toothpaste will work just as well on modern pianos that usually have keys covered with plastic rather than real ivory.</p>
<h2>Clean your sneakers</h2>
<p>Want to clean and whiten the rubber part of your sneakers? Get out the non-gel toothpaste and an old toothbrush. After scrubbing, clean off the toothpaste with a damp cloth.</p>
<h2>Clean your clothes iron</h2>
<p>The mild abrasive in non-gel toothpaste is just the ticket for scrubbing the gunk off the bottom plate of your clothes iron. Apply the toothpaste to the cool iron, scrub with a rag, then rinse clean.</p>
<h2>Polish a diamond ring</h2>
<p>Put a little toothpaste on an old toothbrush and use it to make your diamond ring sparkle instead of your teeth. Clean off the residue with a damp cloth.</p>
<h2>Deodorise baby bottles</h2>
<p>Baby bottles inevitably pick up a sour-milk smell. Toothpaste will remove the odour in a jiffy. Just put some on your bottle brush and scrub away. Be sure to rinse thoroughly.</p>
<h2>Prevent fogged goggles</h2>
<p>Whether you are doing woodworking or going skiing or scuba diving, nothing is more frustrating (and sometimes dangerous) than fogged goggles. Prevent the problem by coating the goggles with toothpaste and then wiping them off.</p>
<h2>Prevent bathroom mirrors from fogging</h2>
<p>Ouch! You cut yourself shaving and it’s no wonder – you can’t see your face clearly in that fogged-up bathroom mirror. Next time, coat the mirror with non-gel toothpaste and wipe it off before you get in the shower. When you get out, the mirror won’t be fogged.</p>
<h2>Shine bathroom and kitchen chrome</h2>
<p>They make commercial cleaners with a very fine abrasive designed to shine up chrome, but if you don’t have any handy, the fine abrasive in non-gel toothpaste works just as well. Just smear on the toothpaste and polish with a soft, dry cloth.</p>
<h2>Clean the bathroom sink</h2>
<p>Non-gel toothpaste works as well as anything else to clean the bathroom sink. The tube’s sitting right there, so just squirt some in, scrub with a sponge, and rinse it out. Bonus: the toothpaste will kill any odours emanating from the drain trap.</p>
<h2>Remove crayon from walls</h2>
<p>Did crayon-toting kids get creative on your wall? Roll up your sleeves and grab a tube of non-gel toothpaste and a rag or – better yet – a scrub brush. Squirt the toothpaste on the wall and start scrubbing. The fine abrasive in the toothpaste will rub away the crayon every time. Rinse the wall with water.</p>
<h2>Remove ink or lipstick stains from fabric</h2>
<p>Oh no, a pen opened up in the pocket of your favourite shirt! This may or may not work, depending on the fabric and the ink, but it is certainly worth a try before consigning the shirt to the scrap bin. Put non-gel toothpaste on the stain and rub the fabric vigorously together. Rinse with water. Did some of the ink come out? Great! Repeat the process a few more times until you get rid of all the ink. The same process works for lipstick</p>
<h2>Remove watermarks from furniture</h2>
<p>You leave coasters around. But some people just won’t use them. To get rid of those telltale watermark rings left by sweating beverages, gently rub some non-gel toothpaste on the wood with a soft cloth. Then wipe it off with a damp cloth and let it dry before applying furniture polish.</p>
<h2>Clear up pimples</h2>
<p>Dab a bit of non-gel, non-whitening toothpaste on the offending spot, and it should be dried up by morning. The toothpaste dehydrates the pimple and absorbs the oil. This remedy works best on pimples that have come to a head. Caution: this remedy may be irritating to sensitive skin.</p>
<h2>Clean smells from hands</h2>
<p>The ingredients in toothpaste that deodorise your mouth will work on your hands as well. If you’ve gotten into something stinky, wash your hands with toothpaste, and they’ll smell great.</p>
<h2>Stop bug bites from itching</h2>
<p>Put toothpaste on your bug bite to keep it from itching. Dab a dime-sized amount onto your bug bite. This method also helps to cool down burns on your skin.</p>
<h2>Remove a stain from the carpet</h2>
<p>Rub toothpaste into the stain on the carpet with a toothbrush or sponge. Rinse with water and repeat until the stain comes up.</p>
<h2>Clean your foggy headlights</h2>
<p>Make the headlights on your car shine like new. Put toothpaste onto a sponge and scrub your headlight in circular motions. Wipe the toothpaste off with a damp cloth.</p>
<h2>Remove small scratches from your phone screen</h2>
<p>Rub toothpaste on the front or back of your phone (wherever there are scratches). The toothpaste will work to reduce the look of the scratches and make your phone screen look much better.</p>
<p><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p>
<p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/food-home-garden/diy-tips/19-handy-uses-for-toothpaste-that-have-nothing-to-do-with-your-teeth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>. </em></p>
