The First Thing to Do with a New Tube of Toothpaste

updated Dec 14, 2020
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Toothpaste is one of those everyday essentials that you probably don’t give much thought — until you run out. Or maybe you subscribe to a service like Hello or Quip, which deliver your dental needs to your door on a regular basis, and it’s more of an unexpected delight. A fresh tube of toothpaste! It just begs to be squeezed.

We’d argue that the first thing you squeeze it on, however, shouldn’t be your toothbrush.

Clean Your Bathroom Sink with Toothpaste

Toothpaste is actually an effective and versatile cleaner. And it makes sense: After all, you use it everyday to clean your pearly whites. Slightly abrasive, it’s great for polishing jewelry and, just as it can whiten your teeth, it can also get your white leather shoes looking as good as new. It can deodorize your hands after a particularly stinky cooking project and even clean your car’s headlamps.

But the very first thing you do with your toothpaste is clean your bathroom sink. First of all, while we appreciate that your toothpaste CAN do many things, it’s not necessarily true that we think it really should. (Do really want your jewelry to smell minty?)

And, since your toothpaste is destined for the bathroom anyway, why not use it for cleaning in the bathroom? Specifically the bathroom sink, which probably has dried on blobs of toothpaste on it already. Fight toothpaste with toothpaste by squeezing a blob of the brand-new stuff into the bowl and scrubbing with a damp sponge, cloth, or an old toothbrush if you have one lying around.

In addition to toothpaste, you’ll also remove soap scum buildup and dislodge any grime or mold from around the drain and faucet. When you’re finished scrubbing, rinse thoroughly and enjoy that fresh-and-clean feel.