21 Brilliant Hacks for Dental Floss You’ll Start Using All the Time
Updated: Nov. 13, 2020The strength and stretchiness of dental floss make it a great tool around the home.
Every editorial product is independently selected, though we may be compensated or receive an affiliate commission if you buy something through our links. Ratings and prices are accurate and items are in stock as of time of publication.
Dental floss isn’t just for keeping your teeth and gums clean. Floss can be used for more projects around the house than you may have expected. From hanging art to quick fixes, cleaning and kitchen uses, make sure you pocket this little dentist freebie to make your life at home so much easier. Check out these other truly extraordinary uses for household staples you already own.
Hang home accents
Floss is strong and stretchy, making it a great option when you’re hanging accessories around the house. Plus, unlike braided wire, it won’t ruin the paint on the wall behind. Try attaching floss to not-too-heavy paintings, frames, and more. Check out more incredible uses for things you would normally toss.
Slide off fresh cookies
There’s a way to take warm cookies off a baking tray without turning them into a crumbled mess—no need to wait for them to cool. Just slide a piece of floss under your baked goods to keep them from sticking, then slide them gently off. Dental floss isn’t the only hygene item with secrets–this is why toothpaste is always mint.
Remove a ring
When your fingers swell during the day, sliding off a ring can turn into a tough job. To remove your jewelry easily, wrap floss from the ring up to your fingertip. The wrapping will make your digit smaller without cutting off circulation. See more household items that you had no idea were reusable.
Dry clothes
Run out of space to air dry your clothes? A piece of dental floss can act as a clothing line in a pinch. Tie it around two stable objects like a shower head or curtain rod and hang your soggy clothes. The floss will be strong enough to hold wet garments. If a missing iron is your problem, read these de-wrinkling solutions.
Slice cake
Cutting cake with dental floss will give you a straight, mess-free slice that can be impossible with a knife. Just take a piece wider than your cake, and hold it tightly as you press it into your baked masterpiece to create a clean slice. See this inventive way you can use sugar (besides making a cake) around the house.
Remove photos from albums
Photographs have a frustrating tendency to stick to the transparent pages in a photo album, putting them at risk for damage when you want to take them out. Get your hands on the picture without ruining it by sliding a piece of floss in the page to separate the photo from it. Or try a toothpick. Don’t miss these other clever uses for toothpicks that have nothing to do with picking teeth.
String jewelry
When your favorite necklace breaks, quickly restring it with a piece of dental floss. You can also let your kids thread beads and macaroni through floss for homemade jewelry. Learn how you can also clean your jewelry at home with these household staples.
Clean tight spaces
The dust between keyboard keys or in furniture details can be tough to attack. Wrap floss around your fingers like you would for your teeth, then guide it into tight spaces to lift away dirt and dust.
Cut soft cheese
Soft cheeses like goat cheese can turn into a mushed mess if you try to cut slices with a knife. Get neat pieces by guiding a piece of floss down the cheese—it works even better than a cheese cutter. Food also has some alternative uses besides just eating. Check out these extraordinary uses for ordinary foods.
Support plants
Climbing plants like to grow upward. Put a wooden dowel in the soil that they can wrap around, then keep them from breaking off by tying around a bit of dental floss. You can also grow your plants right in a container you already own.
Create decorations
Use floss as the string on banners, popcorn strings, and floral garlands instead of investing in specialty craft supplies.
Silence annoying drips
If a dripping faucet is giving you a headache, remedy the noise with floss until you have a chance to fix the leak for good. Tie floss around the faucet head, making sure the other end of the string is guided into the drain. The drops of water will slide quietly down the floss instead of thudding into the sink below. Don’t miss these other hacks for eliminating the annoying noises in your home.
Make a hair tie
If you can’t get your hands on a hair tie but need to put your hair up, look for a piece of dental floss. Tie it around your ponytail, and you won’t have to worry about your tresses falling into your eyes.
Start a fire
Waxed floss is flammable, making it a useful tool during your next bonfire. Wrap it around kindling, then light it up to get your flame going.
Bind food for cooking
Making a roast, but no cooking twine to be found? Wrap your meat with a piece of unflavored floss instead. Just be sure to pick unwaxed floss, which won’t melt or burn in the oven. Check out more extraordinary kitchen uses for household objects.
Sew a button
Floss is more durable than your typical thread, so use it for coat buttons that never seem to stay in place. It’s also a quick fix if you need to make any clothes repairs on the fly. Here are more simple ways to make you clothes look expensive.
Hang Christmas ornaments
If you run out of hooks when setting up your Christmas tree, head to your medicine cabinet for dental floss and use it to tie up your ornaments. Don’t miss these cheap DIY Christmas decorations.
Fix glasses
If you lose track of the screw attaching your eyeglasses’ arm to the front frame, no need to walk around blind. Simply thread a piece of floss through the screw hole, tie it into a knot to stabilize, and snip off the extra floss. It’s not a permanent fix, but it will keep you going until you can buy a new screw.
Catch fish
String a piece of floss through your fishing rod in place of fishing line, or use a safety pin as a DIY way to catch some fish. As a bonus, the empty floss box makes a handy storage container for worms and other bait. Next, see the brilliant uses for safety pins you’ll wish you knew all along.
Sources: onegoodthingbyjillee.com, thisoldhouse.com, mommysavers.com