We have a lot of tools in our cleaning kits that we love, but one of the most versatile is a toothbrush! It’s also our founder Shirley’s favorite cleaning machine. The toothbrush is the ultimate upcycle - it goes from cleaning your teeth to cleaning your home! Here are 5 ways you can repurpose your old toothbrush:
1. Those Nooks and Crannies
The most popular way to use a toothbrush for cleaning is to really get into those hard to reach areas. You can get into deep corners, door tracks, and so much more. Plus they are small so you can angle them easier than a bigger scrub brush.
2. Get the Grout
Another area of your home that your old toothbrush is perfect for is grout! It’s the perfect size to tackle the area. Get your favorite grout cleaner and go for it!
3. The Grim Rim
Have you ever cleaned your toilet bowl with the traditional toilet brush and felt that it didn’t quite clean under the rim so well? You aren’t imagining it! Traditional toilet brushes can have a lot of difficulty in reaching that difficult space. Guess what doesn’t have that problem? Yup - your old toothbrush! It’s also great for getting around the toilet lid hinges.
4. Crumbs Galore!
Have you ever really looked at your computer keyboard or tv remote? You may notice that crumbs seem to just come out of nowhere and accumulate there! Use a dry toothbrush to dust out all of those pesky crumbs!
5. Shine Your Jewelry
Toothbrushes are great at shining your jewelry! Use your favorite jewelry cleaner (there’s plenty of DIY ones on the internet if you don’t have any) and use a soft-bristled toothbrush to lightly scrub your jewelry clean! This does work best with the cleaners that contain baking soda, but use at your discretion - you know your jewelry!
Bonus Tip: Bend That Brush!
If you want to give your cleaning toothbrushes a serious upgrade, bend its neck! It’s really easy: boil some water and put your toothbrush(es) in it for about 10 minutes. Once they’re done, carefully remove them and use pliers or tweezers to bend the plastic to whatever shape you’d like! Bend the toothbrush just below the bristles to get a better grip or bend the top of the brush in the middle of the bristles to make a brush perfect for corners.
The possibilities are endless! Just make sure you are using separate brushes for these tasks to prevent cross-contamination (and also make sure it’s not the one for your teeth!). What are you going to clean with your upcycled toothbrush?
XOXO,
Squeaky Green House Clean