We’re supposed to replace toothbrushes about every three months, and at our house they quickly start adding up – good thing they’re good for more than scrubbing just your teeth. So, before you send them to be recycled, try using them in different ways around the house.
Definitely clean and disinfect the toothbrush so germs aren’t spread around. Also, be sure to label your ‘house’ toothbrush, so it doesn’t get mixed up with your ‘mouth’ toothbrush.
- Toothbrushes are great for getting all the nooks in crannies around the house: around faucets and sinks, light fixture plates, windowsills, etc.
- Instead of buying a grout scrubber, just use the toothbrush to clean the slim lines of grout – just don’t scrub too hard or it could cause damage.
- Old toothbrushes are useful for cleaning tools, removing small oil/grease marks off tools/benches, etc.
- Use to scrub thick skinned produce like potatoes, squash and other root vegetables.
- Get in between all the knobs of a computer keyboard and monitor.
- Use to clean bicycle chains.
- Reuse as an eyebrow brush.
- Use to clean cutlery – works great in between the tines of a fork.
- Clean mud off the bottoms of shoes – a toothbrush is the perfect size to get in between treads.
- Jewelry – a toothbrush works great on small scale objects like jewery and works itself easily into all the crevices of ornate jewelry. Pair the toothbrush with toothpaste for an extra shine!
- Use on the fins of HVAC vents.
- Gardeners will find a toothbrush handy to clean nails after gardening.
(Image: Flickr member *hb19. Originally published 2009-03-10 - CB)
Must-See Small Cool Homes: Week Two
Beth's Romantic & Retro Residence
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Shaw's Original Fir...
How To Make Perfect Bacon in the Oven
How To Cook Tender, Chewy Wheat Berries on the Stovetop
Use it to remove mascara clumps on the eyelashes or mascara wand. (Run it through the dishwasher before using for this purpose.)
Yup, great uses. I also re-use baby and tot-size toothbrushes, which generally come in one softness, to clean nooks, crannies, grout around tile, spots on my FLOR tiles, etc.
Check out Recycline toothbrushes if they are available in your area - you can request a mailer from the company and mail up to 7 Recycline brushes back to the company for recycling at a time. I'm all for re-purposing old toothbrushes, but eventually they will need to go somewhere.
when i was in preschool, we used old toothbrushes as glue applicators.
toothbrushes will scratch jewelry and silverware, especially when used with toothpaste.
I use an old toothbrush to clean my hair combs.
I don't know what I'd do without old toothbrushes for almost every cleaning job. Woven twig or wood baskets are huge dust catchers. Toothbrushes are a great help there too.
- to spread shoe polish
- As paint brushes for small kids
- Cat hair removal from couches and rugs
to gently remove cradle cap scales on baby's head! (with baby oil)
In HighSchool a friend wore a bracelet made from a tooth brush!!! it was a flat one with a flower pattern, pull the bristles out with a tweezers or pliers, boil some water plop the bristleless wand in and form with thongs or other kitchen utencles. it was a bangle type bracelet.
use it to extend the life of your disposable razor....just flick the bristles back and forth on the razor head to unclog the space between the blades of hair. http://www.davison.com/creators/
Cleaning out the ridges in a travel mug's screw-on lid