Don’t Throw Away your Used Toothbrush

Toothbrush Cleaning KeyboardThe ADA (American Dental Association) recommends that you replace your used toothbrush (or electric toothbrush head) every three to four months, or sooner. Over the years, that adds up to quite a few toothbrushes tossed away. Is there any way to stretch out the life of your used toothbrushes so they don’t go completely to waste? Just because the brush is no longer effective for cleaning your teeth, doesn’t mean you have to throw it away. Sheridan dentist, Dr. Donald Coon offers you some suggestions for using a toothbrush to clean things other than your smile.

Uses for Used Toothbrushes

Cleaning cracks and crevices: Do you need to get between the bristles of your hairbrush, the keys of your computer keyboard, the grout of your tile, or any hard to reach spot. A toothbrush can do the trick.
Cleaning sinks: Scrub grime from the kitchen and bathroom sinks or the crevices of appliances with your bristly castoffs. Juicers, blenders, and food processors are difficult to clean properly. Have you ever had to scrub a cheese grater and ended up with a shredded sponge? Try an old toothbrush instead.
Baby bottles: If a baby bottle gets stuck between couch pillows or under the seat of the car, you may feel tempted to toss the stinky thing out immediately. You can clean out a dirty bottle with a toothbrush. Make sure you sterilize the old toothbrush in your dishwasher first, and then do the same with the bottle after you’ve cleaned it of debris. Bottles are expensive, so why throw them away when you can clean them?
Muddy shoes: If you have caked on mud on the bottom of your favorite shoes, you don’t need to banish them from your house. A toothbrush can clean them to where they look as good as new.
Polishing jewelry: Toothbrushes make a terrific instrument for placing polish and scrubbing jewelry to look as though it’s shiny and new.
Spot-cleaning carpet: If you have light colored carpet in your house, and pets and/or kids on top of that, you probably have seemingly endless spots that you’re tired of scrubbing. An old toothbrush can make the process of spot-cleaning faster and easier.

Visit your Sheridan, WY Dentist

Use your new toothbrushes to clean your teeth. Good oral hygiene is necessary to keep your teeth and gums healthy. If you don’t brush properly, you could damage your mouth. Visit Dr. Coon to restore any troubled areas in your smile. Contact Grinnell Street Dental in Sheridan, WY at (307) 672-7567 to schedule your appointment.