Aug 30, 2011

Recycle Your Old Toothbrush

 Guest Writer:  Ruth Morse
What to do with old used toothbrushes? Of course you save them! Here are some suggestions, in case they are piling up and getting dusty. I cannot vouch for all of these ideas. I did not inherit the compulsive cleaning gene, but other people seem to find great delight in scrubbing with these worn out things.

What can you do with an old toothbrush?.....


  • clean tile grout, computer keyboards, phone touch pads, jewelry, shower corners, shower door tracks, the blades of a can opener, vents, blinds and window screens, the glass threads on the necks of jars
  • clean dog poop from your sneakers--I'd save one dedicated only for this purpose!
  • your kids' fingernails after you told them not to play in the mud puddles, your fingernails after gardening--and there is a huge difference between these two activities, though I doubt kids will get the subtle nuance!
  • tame your bushy eyebrows---please!
  • remove stains from clothing, clean around faucets, clean the tiny holes in a garlic press, clean silk from ears of corn

Whew! And if that is not enough, there are crafts you can make from old toothbrushes! I'm not kidding! I had no clue until I stumbled across this website, giving directions on making a toothbrush bracelet. It's worth reading the directions, just for the entertainment value. It doesn't take much to entertain me, I guess.

You can make bracelets in any color, to coordinate with your wardrobe. Don't have the right color in your stash? You can get oodles of cheap ones at the dollar store! The cheap ones probably bend easier.

Hey, here's an idea! Leave the bristles on your toothbrush bracelet. Then when you encounter ugly grout, dirty fingernails, eyebrows long enough to braid, just whip that handy dandy toothbrush off your wrist and have at it!

7 comments:

Cuz said...

Wowzers cheapo you've opened up a whole new world to me! I never thought about using the toothbrush on so many of these things, thanks!

Amy said...

Your guest writer should have a column in the newspaper, she certainly knows how to save a buck.

Jennifer said...

"Pookie" where did you find this lady?!

Poof said...

Oh she's a gem, isn't she? I found her roaming the hills of upstate NY back in the '60s. Of course, I was a baby at the time...

Anonymous said...

Oooooooooooooooooooo VAAAAAAAAAAL you shouldn't have sait that, you're in troubbbbbbbbbbble!

Ruth said...

No, Val is right. She was a baby! Hey I knew her mom long before Val arrived on the scene, so that gives you the general drift of my age. My cute little kindergarten picture Val uses had y'all fooled, didn't it?

Jen said...

I have to admit i do use a toothbrush on my eyebrows!!