20 Household Items You Can Clean with a Toothbrush
The struggle to scrub your home’s hard-to-reach spots stops here. Discover all the things you can clean with ease using a simple toothbrush.
Jason Donnelly
A toothbrush is one of the easiest tools for deep cleaning small objects or tight spaces around the house. Nooks, crannies, and crevices are challenging to get to with a cloth or scouring stick—but a toothbrush can usually get the job done.
You can either purchase a pack of inexpensive toothbrushes specifically for cleaning (just be sure to label them as such!) or you can put used toothbrushes to work. The American Dental Association recommends replacing your toothbrush every three to four months and, while you can certainly try to recycle them (both Colgate and Oral-B have recycling programs), you might as well get some more use out of them first. If going from cleaning your teeth to cleaning your home with the same tool gives you the ick, you can easily sterilize a toothbrush by soaking it in hydrogen peroxide, an antibacterial mouthwash, or bleach.
Some of the things you can clean with a toothbrush might surprise you! From tile grout to jewelry, here are 20 household items you can clean with a toothbrush.
Related: 15 Things You Can Clean with Toothpaste
1. Grout
Don’t have a grout brush on hand? Keep the bleach out after sanitizing an old toothbrush and mix one part of it with one part water. Then, apply it to dingy-looking grout. After a few minutes, scrub it with a toothbrush and then rinse clean with water.
Related: How to Clean Grout Using Pantry Staples You Probably Already Have
2. Window and Door Tracks
After using a crevice attachment on your vacuum cleaner to suck up dirt and debris in between the tracks of window sills or sliding doors, use a toothbrush to sweep out what’s left. Mix equal parts vinegar and water or dilute dish soap to scrub away stains, especially in the tracks of glass shower doors, medicine cabinets, and indoor or outdoor sliding doors.
Related: How to Clean Windows Inside and Out for Streak-Free Results
3. Large Appliances
A toothbrush can also slide into the tight rubber seals on washing machines and refrigerator doors. You can also use a toothbrush to tackle the holes in the washer drum, the grooves where plastic shelves sit in the fridge, and other areas that are otherwise difficult to access. Don’t forget to clean the dishwasher with a toothbrush dipped in soapy water, concentrating on the inside of the door, the filter, and any small parts.
Related: The Best Methods to Cleaning Appliances, Step by Step
4. Small Appliances
The soft bristles on a toothbrush make it ideal for gently cleaning the inside and out of your favorite small appliances, like the air fryer, waffle maker, Instant Pot, toaster, or Keurig, without doing any damage Always unplug and allow the appliance to completely cool before attempting to clean. Once it’s safe to do so, use a toothbrush to scrape off food scraps or coffee grinds and remove stains from the outside including their knobs and handles.
Related: How Often Should You Clean Your Kitchen Appliances?
5. Kitchen Tools
If you find yourself fighting with the residual cheese that won’t dislodge from the grater, try cleaning it with a toothbrush. It can also be used to extract anything stuck in mesh strainers, colanders, and your garlic press. Try using a toothbrush to scrub a dirty can opener or your blender attachments as well. Be careful when handling blades or sharp edges and only clean blender parts when they’re detached from the machine.
Related: TikTok Is Amazed at This Hack to Make Your Blender Clean Itself
6. Stovetops
Toothbrushes are also incredibly effective on gas stove grates. When the stovetop is off and cool, remove the grates and use a dry toothbrush to sweep away crumbs from around the burners. Next, combine diluted dishwashing liquid to scrub grease stains before wiping clean. Finally, make your stovetop look like new by popping off the knobs, adding them alongside the grates in soapy water, and brushing clean.
Related: The 8 Best Oven Cleaners of 2024 Will Leave Your Appliance Sparkling Like New
7. Sinks
There are quite a few spots in and around kitchen and bathroom sinks that a toothbrush can reach easier than, say, a sponge or cloth. Dip a toothbrush in a solution of vinegar and water and use it to tackle the sink stopper, overflow drain, the faucet, and, if you have a drop in sink, along the lines where it and the faucet meet the countertop. If you have one, you can also use a toothbrush and dishsoap to clean the garbage disposal splash guard. You know, those rubber flaps that tend to get gunky? Just make sure to only attempt this when the disposal is turned off and unplugged from the power source.
Related: How to Clean a Drain and a Kitchen Sink
8. Showers and Bathtubs
You already know that you can clean the grout between tiles and the track of a shower door with a toothbrush, but that’s not where the magic ends. A toothbrush can get in between the ridges or holes of a soap dish or the showerhead nozzles, around the overflow drain, and either the strainer or pop-up stopper.
Related: How to Clean a Shower So It Sparkles from Top to Bottom
9. Toilets
A toilet brush is the right size to get the inside of the bowl sparkling. But what about the hinges that hold the seat and lid in place? Spray the area with vinegar mixture or antibacterial cleaner then use a toothbrush to get into the cracks and remove stubborn stains. The soft bristles won’t scratch the porcelain but will make this chore one that you might actually do more often.
Related: How to Clean a Toilet for a Pristine Bathroom
10. Vents
Get into the grooves of various vents around the house with the help of a toothbrush. When it comes to the bathroom fan, remove it and, first, try dry brushing out dust over a trash can. If it’s still dirty, wash out what’s left in the sink with soapy water and the help of a toothbrush. Hair dryer not as powerful as it once was? Chances are, the filter is clogged and that can actually be a fire hazard. So, next time the dryer is unplugged and cool to the touch, snap off the vent on the back and run it under water, scrubbing debris out as you go. The same can be done for your dryer’s lint trap or the filters and coils in your window AC units. Allow all pieces to completely air dry before returning them to their homes.
Related: 5 Signs You Have a Clogged Dryer Vent That Could Cause a Fire
11. Beauty Tools
If you lost the little cleaning brush that came with your razor or trimmer, don’t stress. Instead, use a toothbrush to quickly (and safely) extract stuck hair clippings. You can also use one to remove hair and residue from your fine tooth combs and hair brush bristles without running the risk of ruining your manicure.
Related: How to Clean Makeup Brushes and Sponges
12. Fabric Stains
While not ideal for large scale stains and spills, a toothbrush can tackle small spots on upholstered couches and armchairs, carpets and rugs, tablecloths, and even clothing. After you’ve blotted and let pre-treatment soak in, rub a toothbrush in slight circular motions until it’s disappeared. In the laundry room, it can be used as a substitute for a stain remover brush in a pinch.
Related: The Ultimate Guide to Removing Every Type of Fabric Stain from Clothing
13. Shoes
One hike is all it takes to muddy up sneakers to the point of, at least what feels like, no return. However, you can get all of your shoes to shine again with the aid of a toothbrush. First, wipe away dried dirt, leaves, and anything else you traipsed in from the treads of the sole. Next, depending on the material and color of the shoe, use the appropriate cleaning solution and strategy to scrub away discoloration.
Related: How to Wash Shoes in the Washing Machine (Without Damage)
14. Jewelry, Silverware, and Decor
Using a toothbrush is not only a good way to get into the areas that are difficult to access, it’s also an effective yet gentle way to clean your delicate things. Whether you want your jewelry to shine again, lift up gunk stuck between the details of your silverware, or carefully dust vintage decorations, a toothbrush will do the trick.
Related: How to Clean Brass and Restore Shine with Household Products
15. Electronics
Eating at your desk doesn’t seem like a big deal. That is, until you look down and see your keyboard covered in crumbs and a mysterious sticky substance. Grab a toothbrush and sweep away any scraps over the trash. Then, lightly dampen it with rubbing alcohol to pick up whatever’s left over and to disinfect it. Follow the same method for the keys on your remote controls, calculators, and office phones.
Related: How to Clean Desks and Other Office Items That Are Pretty Germy
16. Velcro
Successfully pulling lint and hair out of Velcro seems like an impossible task but a toothbrush can come to the rescue. Run its bristles through the tiny loops and remove as much debris as possible so they stick like new. A set of Velcro hair rollers can also be kept in mint condition if you make it a habit to clean them out regularly.
17. Tiny Toys
Speaking of habits, kids have one that involves making daily messes of their stuff. If their Legos, dolls, or action figures have been dragged through the mud - literally - suds up a toothbrush and use it to scrub their miniature parts.
Related: 25 Toy Storage Ideas to Help You Tidy Up
18. Produce
Don’t have a fruit and veggie brush on hand to wash the produce you just brought home from the store? A toothbrush can also get the job done and, usually, just as well. Run it along the outside of produce like apples, mushrooms, and cucumbers as you rinse them to remove dirt, pollutants, and possible bacteria. You can even use a dry toothbrush to whisk away the silk strands after shucking corn on the cob.
19. Plants
Both real and artificial greenery will accumulate dust if they’re not tended to routinely. Keep a toothbrush handy for just this purpose and lightly sweep both houseplants and faux flowers with it from time to time to keep them clean and minimize allergies.
Related: How to Clean Your Houseplants to Get Rid of Dust and Pests
20. Cars
Since your car is one of the dirtiest spaces you’re frequently in, cleaning it should be just as much of a priority as your home. You may have already guessed that you can dust the air vents with a toothbrush, but don’t stop there. Wield the brush into all of your car’s interior crevices, like the window controls and cup holders, to extract crumbs and other debris.
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