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19 handy uses for toothpaste that have nothing to do with your teeth

<h2>Remove scuffs from shoes</h2> <p>A little toothpaste does an amazing job of removing scuffs from leather shoes. Just squirt a dab on the scuffed area and rub with a soft cloth. Wipe clean with a damp cloth. The leather will look like new.</p> <h2>Clean your piano keys</h2> <p>Has tickling the ivories left them a bit dingy? Clean them up with toothpaste and a toothbrush, then wipe them down with a damp cloth. Makes sense, since ivory is essentially elephant teeth. However, toothpaste will work just as well on modern pianos that usually have keys covered with plastic rather than real ivory.</p> <h2>Clean your sneakers</h2> <p>Want to clean and whiten the rubber part of your sneakers? Get out the non-gel toothpaste and an old toothbrush. After scrubbing, clean off the toothpaste with a damp cloth.</p> <h2>Clean your clothes iron</h2> <p>The mild abrasive in non-gel toothpaste is just the ticket for scrubbing the gunk off the bottom plate of your clothes iron. Apply the toothpaste to the cool iron, scrub with a rag, then rinse clean.</p> <h2>Polish a diamond ring</h2> <p>Put a little toothpaste on an old toothbrush and use it to make your diamond ring sparkle instead of your teeth. Clean off the residue with a damp cloth.</p> <h2>Deodorise baby bottles</h2> <p>Baby bottles inevitably pick up a sour-milk smell. Toothpaste will remove the odour in a jiffy. Just put some on your bottle brush and scrub away. Be sure to rinse thoroughly.</p> <h2>Prevent fogged goggles</h2> <p>Whether you are doing woodworking or going skiing or scuba diving, nothing is more frustrating (and sometimes dangerous) than fogged goggles. Prevent the problem by coating the goggles with toothpaste and then wiping them off.</p> <h2>Prevent bathroom mirrors from fogging</h2> <p>Ouch! You cut yourself shaving and it’s no wonder – you can’t see your face clearly in that fogged-up bathroom mirror. Next time, coat the mirror with non-gel toothpaste and wipe it off before you get in the shower. When you get out, the mirror won’t be fogged.</p> <h2>Shine bathroom and kitchen chrome</h2> <p>They make commercial cleaners with a very fine abrasive designed to shine up chrome, but if you don’t have any handy, the fine abrasive in non-gel toothpaste works just as well. Just smear on the toothpaste and polish with a soft, dry cloth.</p> <h2>Clean the bathroom sink</h2> <p>Non-gel toothpaste works as well as anything else to clean the bathroom sink. The tube’s sitting right there, so just squirt some in, scrub with a sponge, and rinse it out. Bonus: the toothpaste will kill any odours emanating from the drain trap.</p> <h2>Remove crayon from walls</h2> <p>Did crayon-toting kids get creative on your wall? Roll up your sleeves and grab a tube of non-gel toothpaste and a rag or – better yet – a scrub brush. Squirt the toothpaste on the wall and start scrubbing. The fine abrasive in the toothpaste will rub away the crayon every time. Rinse the wall with water.</p> <h2>Remove ink or lipstick stains from fabric</h2> <p>Oh no, a pen opened up in the pocket of your favourite shirt! This may or may not work, depending on the fabric and the ink, but it is certainly worth a try before consigning the shirt to the scrap bin. Put non-gel toothpaste on the stain and rub the fabric vigorously together. Rinse with water. Did some of the ink come out? Great! Repeat the process a few more times until you get rid of all the ink. The same process works for lipstick</p> <h2>Remove watermarks from furniture</h2> <p>You leave coasters around. But some people just won’t use them. To get rid of those telltale watermark rings left by sweating beverages, gently rub some non-gel toothpaste on the wood with a soft cloth. Then wipe it off with a damp cloth and let it dry before applying furniture polish.</p> <h2>Clear up pimples</h2> <p>Dab a bit of non-gel, non-whitening toothpaste on the offending spot, and it should be dried up by morning. The toothpaste dehydrates the pimple and absorbs the oil. This remedy works best on pimples that have come to a head. Caution: this remedy may be irritating to sensitive skin.</p> <h2>Clean smells from hands</h2> <p>The ingredients in toothpaste that deodorise your mouth will work on your hands as well. If you’ve gotten into something stinky, wash your hands with toothpaste, and they’ll smell great.</p> <h2>Stop bug bites from itching</h2> <p>Put toothpaste on your bug bite to keep it from itching. Dab a dime-sized amount onto your bug bite. This method also helps to cool down burns on your skin.</p> <h2>Remove a stain from the carpet</h2> <p>Rub toothpaste into the stain on the carpet with a toothbrush or sponge. Rinse with water and repeat until the stain comes up.</p> <h2>Clean your foggy headlights</h2> <p>Make the headlights on your car shine like new. Put toothpaste onto a sponge and scrub your headlight in circular motions. Wipe the toothpaste off with a damp cloth.</p> <h2>Remove small scratches from your phone screen</h2> <p>Rub toothpaste on the front or back of your phone (wherever there are scratches). The toothpaste will work to reduce the look of the scratches and make your phone screen look much better.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/food-home-garden/diy-tips/19-handy-uses-for-toothpaste-that-have-nothing-to-do-with-your-teeth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>. </em></p>

Home Hints & Tips

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This unlikely cleaning product will transform your toilet

<p>A mum has been applauded as a genius after finding a cleaning hack to turn dirty brown toilets spotless, using a very unlikely item that every household has.</p> <p>Taking to social media, Jennifer posted a picture of her toilet which had discoloured yellowy-brown stains on the underside of the seat. It’s widely considered one of the hardest things to scrub, even with multiple attempts.</p> <p>Alongside a photo of her dirty toilet seat, she posted an after photo showing a spotless bright clean toilet, showcasing the stunning transformation.</p> <p>Jennifer revealed tooth cleaner was what she use to make her toilet spotless, in particular the White Glo Activated Charcoal Teeth Polishing Powder.</p> <p>"Check out what activated charcoal can clean," she wrote on the Cleaning &amp; Organising Inspiration Facebook group.</p> <p>"Ran out creme cleaner to try (I tried everything), so I figured why not try my activated charcoal teeth cleaner."</p> <p>Jennifer explained she put the teeth cleaner directly on a wet cloth and gently scrubbed the dirty areas, warning not to leave it on for too long incase it stains. </p> <p>"I wouldn't leave it too long as it can stain, but will eventually come off," she said.</p> <p>"It even removed hair dye stain off my toilet seat. Hot pink ... damn kids!"</p> <p>Thousands responded to her hack, saying they've tried everything to remove the stains from the same place and haven't had any luck until now.</p> <p><em>Image: TikTok</em></p>

Home & Garden

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Toothpaste epidemic? Wealthier New Zealanders are more likely to buy fluoride-free

<p>Tooth decay has been described as a neglected <a href="https://www.nzma.org.nz/journal-articles/severe-early-childhood-caries-a-modern-neglected-epidemic">epidemic</a> in New Zealand however, our recent <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41415-020-1304-5?proof=t">research</a> suggests many people are unaware they are contributing to the problem by choosing a fluoride-free or “natural” toothpaste.</p> <p>The 2016 <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(17)32154-2/fulltext#seccestitle70">Global Burden of Disease Study</a> shows dental decay is the most prevalent health condition globally, affecting 2.4 billion people.</p> <p>While oral health has generally <a href="https://www.health.govt.nz/publication/our-oral-health-key-findings-2009-new-zealand-oral-health-survey">improved</a> in New Zealand, dental decay remains the most widespread <a href="https://www.health.govt.nz/publication/our-oral-health-key-findings-2009-new-zealand-oral-health-survey">chronic and irreversible disease</a>.</p> <p>Failure to prevent oral diseases comes at significant personal and economic cost. In <a href="https://www.health.govt.nz/system/files/documents/publications/our-oral-health-2010.pdf">New Zealand</a>, the cost of treatment of dental diseases is more than NZ$1.1 billion each year. Poor oral health is also linked to lost time at school and <a href="https://jada.ada.org/article/S0002-8177(18)30687-1/fulltext#:%7E:text=Results%20from%20meta%2Danalyses%20indicated,interval%2C%201.24%20to%201.63">poorer school performance</a>, absences from work and a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28581891/">lower quality of life</a>.</p> <p>Hear from them</p> <p><strong>Rates of tooth decay in childhood</strong></p> <p>Earlier New Zealand research <a href="https://www.health.govt.nz/publication/our-oral-health-key-findings-2009-new-zealand-oral-health-survey">shows</a> only two in five children and two in three adults brush their teeth twice daily with fluoride toothpaste.</p> <p>Our <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41415-020-1304-5?proof=t">study</a> was the first investigation of the use of non-fluoride toothpaste in a large, nationally representative sample of both adults and children. We wanted to find out which segments of the population are drawn to using non-fluoride toothpaste.</p> <p>We analysed data from the most recent <a href="https://www.health.govt.nz/nz-health-statistics/health-statistics-and-data-sets/oral-health-data-and-stats">New Zealand Health Survey</a>, which was the first to include a question about the use of “natural” toothpastes.</p> <p>Our research found that 6-7% of all children and adults now use a “natural” or non-fluoride toothpaste. The study shows the highest use in moderately and more affluent population groups and middle-aged (35-44 years) people. We found the highest number of non-fluoride toothpaste users (both children and adults) were in the moderate to least deprived areas.</p> <p>Our findings support <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/parenting/110665418/parents-confused-about-kids-toothpaste-could-lead-to-more-tooth-decay-dentists-warn">prior</a> concerns of dentists, particularly about tooth decay in children. A <a href="https://www.nzma.org.nz/journal-articles/dental-caries-and-previous-hospitalisations-among-preschool-children-findings-from-a-population-based-study-in-new-zealand">recent study</a> shows 38% of five-year-olds had rotting teeth in 2017. Rates were even higher among Māori and Pacific children compared to other ethnicities. The New Zealand Dental Association has <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/108101758/natural-toothpaste-will-lead-to-epidemic-of-dental-decay-dentists">warned</a> the increased popularity of non-fluoride toothpastes raises the risk.</p> <p>A recent <a href="https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD007868.pub3/full">review</a> of the world’s best available evidence shows toothpastes with fluoride are clearly more effective in preventing tooth decay than toothpastes without it. It means using non-fluoride toothpaste, often labelled as “natural”, raises the risk of future dental problems.</p> <p><strong>Misleading marketing and confusing messages</strong></p> <p>There is little evidence as to why people choose non-fluoride toothpastes. This is especially perplexing given the vast body of evidence in support of fluoride as a prevention of tooth decay.</p> <p>One plausible explanation is that people think they are doing the “right thing” by choosing a “natural” option. Another more likely reason is that it is difficult to know whether a toothpaste contains fluoride. Current packaging doesn’t always highlight clearly whether a toothpaste contains fluoride or how much. Even if it does show the fluoride concentration, this is often hidden in small text.</p> <p>In the future, better labelling on toothpaste tubes and packaging will help shoppers understand which toothpaste has fluoride. We also need to stop claims that “natural” toothpastes prevent tooth decay. The world’s <a href="https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD007868.pub3/full">best evidence</a> clearly shows non-fluoride toothpastes do not prevent tooth decay.</p> <p>Marketing is also often inconsistent with <a href="https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/preventative-health-wellness/fluoride-and-oral-health">Ministry of Health recommendations</a>. Evidence shows that for the toothpaste to work it needs fluoride in it. Adults should use a pea-sized amount and younger children a smear of fluoride toothpaste, without swallowing it.</p> <p>In the future, it would also be helpful if supermarkets could help consumers make an informed choice by separating fluoride-containing from non-fluoride products. The bottom line is, if you want to avoid future trips to the dentist, your toothpaste should contain fluoride.</p> <p><em>Written by Matthew Hobbs. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/wealthier-new-zealanders-are-more-likely-to-buy-fluoride-free-toothpaste-making-a-tooth-decay-epidemic-worse-143286">The Conversation.</a> </em></p>

Beauty & Style

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The ingenious 5-minute hack to clean your scorched frying pan

<p>It can be very frustrating realising that you’ve not only burnt your meal, but you’ve also burnt the frying pan as well.</p> <p>Many of us just sigh and reach for the scouring brush and detergent and embrace the arm workout headed our way.</p> <p>However, a Facebook page has completely turned this idea on its head.</p> <p>5-Minute Crafts has put forward an interesting idea for cleaning your burnt pan.</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2F5min.crafts%2Fvideos%2F2304915259782990%2F&amp;show_text=0&amp;width=476" width="476" height="476" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p> <p>The hack features toothpaste, warm water and a sponge.</p> <p>All you have to do is put toothpaste in a small circle in the middle of the cooled pan.</p> <p><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7823482/crusty-pan.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/addb96df50004f809eff311d14c594ec" /></p> <p>After this, you scrub thoroughly with a sponge and ensure that the entire pan is coated with toothpaste. You do this by scrubbing in a firm, circular motion.</p> <p>Run the pan under hot water whilst scrubbing in the same motion and voilà! You have a clean pan and another way to use toothpaste apart from brushing your teeth.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 469.5067264573991px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7823481/cleaning-hack.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/16a04c06b885480e9722217384148b4d" /></p> <p>You should keep scrubbing until the pan is completely clean.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 486.1495844875346px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7823486/pan.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/6aa869990a014c5c9bcf32956e6e5c96" /></p> <p>Fans of the Facebook group offered their tips and tricks when it comes to cleaning a burnt pan, which include:</p> <p>“For remove heavy grease from fry pan and pot pan, I use liquid laundry detergent.”</p> <p>For those of you who don’t want to use toothpaste, apparently hot water in the pan works just as well.</p> <p>One commenter agreed with this point, saying, “A lot of wasted toothpaste when boiling water in the pan does the same thing." </p> <p>However, some were worried about using toothpaste on their teeth if that’s how well it’s able to clean the grease from a pan.</p> <p>“If toothpaste can clean a skillet like that… I question what’s in that toothpaste. Should I be cleaning my teeth with it?”</p> <p>Have you tried this cleaning hack before? Let us know in the comments.</p>

Home & Garden

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10 unexpected uses for toothpaste

<p>It’s great for whitening, brightening and cleaning our smiles, but toothpaste also has these other amazingly versatile uses.</p> <p><strong>1. Relieve itching</strong> – To stop itchy bug bites, apply a dab of toothpaste. It will also help decrease any swelling.</p> <p><strong>2. Soothe a burn</strong> – For minor burns that don’t have an open wound, toothpaste provide a temporary cooling relief.</p> <p><strong>3. Clean fingernails</strong> – As our nails are made up of enamel (like our teeth), scrub nails with toothpaste for stronger and cleaner nails.</p> <p><strong>4. Eliminate odours</strong> – To get rid of pungent smells like garlic, onion or fish on your hands, scrub with toothpaste and rinse.</p> <p><strong>5. Remove stains</strong> – Apply toothpaste on stain, scrub until stain is gone and then launder as usual. Do not use whitening toothpaste for this though as it can bleach clothes.</p> <p><strong>6. Freshen up shoes</strong> – Dirty or scuffed shoes? Dab some toothpaste to affected area and scrub. Wipe clean.</p> <p><strong>7. Sparkle up silver</strong> – To clean up your silver jewellery or any other silver pieces, rub toothpaste onto piece and leave overnight. Wipe clean.</p> <p><strong>8. Defog googles</strong> – Rub small amount of toothpaste onto each lens and then rinse with water.</p> <p><strong>9. Remove crayon stains from walls</strong> – Grandkids accidentally drawn on your wall? Gently rub damp cloth with toothpaste onto marks to remove them.</p> <p><strong>10. Clean piano keys</strong> – As piano keys retain oil from your skin, they’re more likely to get grimy with dust and dirt. Clean them with a damp cloth and a little bit of toothpaste.</p>

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