A Trusted Friend in a Complicated World

23 Things You Should Be Cleaning with a Toothbrush

Most of us clean using sponges, cloths, dusters, vacuums, etc., but sometimes your most effective tool is sitting right in your bathroom.

clean with toothbrush
Jupiterimages/Getty Images

Unusual cleaning hacks

You might be tempted to go for the regular cleaning products when there’s a mess or a spill, but sometimes the most useful item is the most unexpected—and the most ordinary. From these uses for coffee filters that don’t involve coffee to the massive amount of household uses for vinegar, household staples can have some seriously great cleaning uses. Who knew the handy toothbrush can be used to tackle carpet stains? Read on for several more toothbrush uses that don’t involve oral hygiene. Plus, find out some handy uses for toothpaste that also don’t have anything to do with your teeth.

Cleaning home with green cleaning products
heshphoto/Getty Images

Use as all-purpose cleaners

Don’t throw out your old toothbrushes. Instead, use them to clean a host of diverse items and small or hard-to-reach areas and crevices. Use a toothbrush to clean artificial flowers and plants, costume jewelry, combs, shower tracks, and toilet hinges. Also clean baseboards (if you don’t have your Baseboard Buddy handy), can-opener blades, and the seams on shoes where the leather meets the sole.

Close-Up Of Gas Stove Burners
Adrian Rosu/Eyeem/Getty Images

Stovetops

Ashlee Edie, cleaning expert at Handy, says the coarse bristles and size of a toothbrush make them perfect for cleaning stubborn, hard-to-reach places in the home like stovetops. “Grime can quickly build up on stoves,” Edie says. “Apply some dishwashing liquid to a toothbrush and use small circular motions to buff away the dirt.” Make sure to rinse and wipe clean with a cloth.

Close up of a bathtub filling with water
harmpeti/Getty Images

Faucets

What’s that goo hiding behind and around the base of your faucet? “Mildew and bacteria can grow on faucets so use a toothbrush, with a mixture of soap and water, to thoroughly clean these,” recommends Edie.

RELATED: 45 Uses for Aluminum Foil

Dirty carpet
Techa Tungateja/Getty Images

Upholstery and carpet stains

A toothbrush can be used to tackle small but stubborn stains on carpets and upholstery. To remove those deep stains, try using a soft-bristled nylon toothbrush, dabbing it gently to work in the stain-removing agent (vinegar, for example, or one of these homemade carpet cleaners). “Apply some stain remover to the spot and use a toothbrush to apply pressure to the stain,” Edie advises. “Scrub in circular motions to loosen the stain and repeat until it is gone.”

RELATED: How to Remove Almost Every Type of Stain

Box of colorful crayons
D. Sharon Pruitt Pink Sherbet Photography/Getty Images

Removing crayon from the wall

“If the kids have been using the walls as a canvas again, a quick tip to remove crayon marks is to load a toothbrush with some shaving foam or toothpaste, apply to the crayon marks, and buff them away. Then, simply wipe the surface with a paper towel,” offers Edie.

ventilation
suzyco/Getty Images

Hair dryer, car, and bathroom vents

Lint and dust get stuck in anything that moves air—which includes hair dryers, car vents, and even the bathroom vent. Have you ever looked up at your bathroom vent? They are usually loaded with dust. Make sure the vent is off or disconnected then remove the cover. Take outside to gently brush off or if it’s caked on you can clean it in your sink with a damp toothbrush. For a hair dryer, make sure it’s unplugged from the outlet and gently use a dry toothbrush to remove dust. Same for your car vents.

Refrigerator With Fruits And Vegetables
AndreyPopov/Getty Images

Refrigerator

Using a toothbrush to get into your fridge’s plastic shelves with grooves is the best way to clean those hard-to-reach areas, says Diane Regalbuto, a housecleaning expert and owner of Betty Likes to Clean in Philadelphia and South Jersey. The same goes for the rubber seal between the door and the main part of the fridge where dust, grime, and crumbs can gather.

Kitchen sink
Bill Oxford/Getty Images

Garbage disposal

Think your garbage disposal is an uncleanable realm? Well, a toothbrush can at least help you clean part of it! The Family Handyman recommends using a toothbrush to clean the splash guard, where food often builds up. Lift up each flap individually and give it a scrubbing.

RELATED: How Often You Should Replace Your Toothbrush

Lifehack; Cleaning Dirty Keyboard with Toothbrush.
LeventKonuk/Getty Images

Computer keyboards

Computer keyboards are typically dusty and may even have crumbs or other debris lurking around the keys. A clean, soft, dry toothbrush is perfect to clean these areas. Unplug the keyboard from the computer or, if it’s a laptop, unplug the laptop. Turn the keyboard onto its side and gently brush around the keys into a trashcan or sink. Do not use any type of water or liquid to clean a keyboard.

wood blind shade curtain and shadow
tarnrit/Getty Images

Blinds

If you’ve ever tried to clean blinds, you know that they can get incredibly dusty. Toothbrushes are great for cleaning the nooks and crannies in slatted blinds, as well as mechanisms like curtain tracks.

A deep cleaner making the sink shine
bmcent1/Getty Images

Sink edges and drains

Regalbuto recommends using a toothbrush to clean undermounted sinks where the counter goes over the edge of the sink. A lot of gunk and mildew can get up in that area. The same goes for the sink overflow drain, usually a series of small holes opposite the spigot. A toothbrush with cleaner is the perfect tool to clean that area.

RELATED: How You Can Clean a Stainless Steel Sink

Toaster Oven
SweetyMommy/Getty Images

Toaster oven

Have you looked at your toaster oven lately? It’s probably full of crumbs and burnt-on junk. Regalbuto recommends a toothbrush for cleaning these areas. First unplug the oven and use a dry toothbrush to get the crumbs out and then clean the grill in the sink with soap and water. Rinse and thoroughly dry.

Full frame of Grater utensil
Douglas Sacha/Getty Images

Brush your cheese grater

Give the teeth of a cheese grater a good brushing with an old toothbrush before you wash the grater or put it in the dishwasher. This will make it easier to wash and will prevent clogs in your dishwasher drain by getting rid of bits of cheese or any other item you may have grated.

RELATED: Surprising Things You Can Clean in the Dishwasher

Cleaning bathroom tiles and grout
Dave Endsor/Getty Images

Grout

“To keep grout in between tiles looking fresh, use a toothbrush to scrub a solution of bleach and water along the grout to remove any stains,” Edie says. Remember to rinse when finished.

Ear of Fresh Corn
Richard T. Nowitz/Getty Images

Clean silk from ears of corn

Before cooking shucked corn, take an old toothbrush and gently rub down the ear to brush away the remaining clingy strands of silk. Then you won’t have to brush them out from between your teeth after you eat the corn!

Waffle in waffle maker from above
Brett Holmes Photography/Getty Images

Clean and oil your waffle iron

A clean, soft toothbrush is just the right utensil to clean crumbs and burned batter from the nooks and crannies of a waffle iron. Use it to spread oil evenly on the waffle iron surface before the next use too.

Close-Up Of Woman With Hair Dye
Suwit Nimjitt/EyeEm/Getty Images

Apply hair dye

Dyeing your hair at home? Use an old toothbrush as an applicator. It’s the perfect size and it will keep the mess to a minimum.

Kitchen
Caziopeia/Getty Images

Clean gunk from appliances

Dip an old toothbrush in soapy water and use it to clean between appliance knobs and buttons, and raised-letter nameplates.

Man during manicure in spa
Igor Alecsander/Getty Images

Scrub under your nails

It can sometimes be hard to remove the dirt and grime that builds up under your nails. Pump some soap onto an old toothbrush and use it to scrub your nails clean.

Close-up of a woman with windswept hair
irinamunteanu/Getty Images

Tame flyaway hairs

Spray hairspray on a toothbrush that you don’t use and comb back the small hairs that always get in your face. This simple trick will give you a more put-together and clean hairstyle.

Coffee machine preparing two cups of coffee
Westend61/Getty Images

Brush away espresso

If you’re a fan of espresso, you’re also familiar with how finely ground Italy’s favorite coffee is. To keep it from clogging up the filter screen on your espresso maker, scrub the screen gently after each use with a soft toothbrush. If any bits remain, remove them with a straight pin.

RELATED: Uses for Household Staples You Already Own

Juicer and carrot juice. Fruits in background
simpson33/Getty Images

De-pulp your juicer

It’s easy to forget that electric juicers are traps for all manner of fruit (and therefore, food) particles. Keep it clean as a whistle to prevent bacteria buildup (and illness!) by cleaning it thoroughly: disassemble it, wipe out the pulp and discard it, and fill your kitchen sink with hot, soapy water. Soak everything but the motor casing for ten minutes, remove the pieces from the sink, and scrub with a soft toothbrush. Dry well, reassemble, and juice for all you’re worth!

mushrooms being washed in sink
carlp778/Getty Images

Clean your veggies

Use a soft-bristled toothbrush to clean mushrooms and other sensitive vegetables before cooking. A medium- or hard-bristled brush is more suitable for potatoes.

Source:

  • Ashlee Edie, cleaning expert at Handy