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10 Ways to Recycle Your Old Toothbrush

Cherrywood Dental • Oct 30, 2018
You should be trading in your old toothbrush for a new one approximately every 3 months. Before you throw away your used one, consider the benefits it could bring to your life as a nifty little tool to keep around the house.

Here are 10 great ways to recycle your old toothbrush.

Uses For a Toothbrush in the Kitchen

An old toothbrush is the perfect cleaning tool for scrubbing off those pesky crumbs and pieces of food that fall into hard-to-reach places. The next time you’re deep cleaning the kitchen, try using an old toothbrush to help you clean kitchen appliances such as:
  • Toasters
  • Microwaves
  • Coffee machines
  • Other hard-to-reach places

Cleaning Your Chopping Board

Most cutting boards have some type of edge that can be tough to completely clean. Nothing works better for getting bits of food out of tight spaces than a used toothbrush. Unlike wiping your chopping board, a toothbrush will give you the opportunity for a deep, thorough clean.

Keeping Your Clothes Stain-Free

The real secret to getting a persistent stain out of an article of clothing isn’t what type of stain remover you are using, but scrubbing the stain out with a toothbrush. Apply a stain remover onto the spot and gently scrub the fabric with your used toothbrush to work the stain remover into the material until the stain has lifted.

Cleaning Tile Grout

Looking for a great way to clean the dirty grout lines between your tiles? Combine baking soda and water to make a paste and dunk your used toothbrush into the mixture to effectively clean out grime between kitchen or bathroom tiles. Your gleaming tiles and grout lines will thank you for this one.

Say goodbye to grout grime in your:
  • Bathroom
  • Kitchen
  • Tiled floors
  • Showers
  • Countertops
  • Backsplash

Applying Hair Dye

For quick touch-ups to cover grey hair or roots, use a toothbrush in addition to your hair dyeing kit. A toothbrush will help to blend the dye into your hair and will give you a more controlled way to apply color.

Crayon Marks on the Walls

A parent’s biggest fear during art projects is that your little one will sneak away only to be found creating a wall mural of their own with crayons. A used toothbrush and shaving cream will have those stubborn crayon marks removed in no time.

Cleaning Toys

Kids toys are a haven for dirt, dust, and germs. A used toothbrush is the perfect cleaning tool for cleaning between cracks and crevices of dolls, blocks and other toys.

Add it to Your Art Supplies

A used toothbrush is the perfect addition for your art supply box. It can work wonders when it comes to adding texture to a painting or adding details to a clay piece. Little hands love using a toothbrush in place of a paintbrush for hours of fun for free.

Clean Jewelry

An intricate piece of statement jewelry can be filled with twists, turns, and detail. Keep your jewelry sparkling clean and looking brand new by using a toothbrush to keep those tricky areas clean. One of the best secrets to keeping diamond rings sparkling is to soak the rings in ammonia and finish cleaning them with a used toothbrush to loosen any dirt or grime. Just rinse with water when you are finished cleaning for a professionally cleaned look.

Computer Keyboard

New Title

Keep your computer keys in tip-top shape with the help of a (dry!) toothbrush. Give the keys a gentle scrub to eliminate any evidence of snack crumbs or dirty fingertips.

The Best For Last

The best use for your toothbrush is…you guessed it, your teeth! The bristles in your toothbrush break down and lose their effectiveness in getting into all of those hard-to-reach corners and crevices around your teeth. Germs can easily hide in toothbrush bristles and lead to reinfection, so be sure to also change toothbrushes after you have had a cold, the flu, or an infection in the mouth.

Do you have any other great ways to recycle an old toothbrush that we missed on our list? Let Cherrywood Dental Associates know at your next dental exam.
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