5 Kitchen Cleanups Using Toothpaste and Other Bathroom Stuff

For most of us, the kitchen is the busiest room in the house. People are constantly coming in and out, opening the fridge looking for leftovers, searching for a snack, slamming drawers, washing dishes and baking cookies. It's the first place you go in the morning and the last light you turn off at night. Needless to say, kitchens need to be cleaned constantly.

There are different kitchen cleaning products for every surface - for granite countertops, stove- tops, stainless-steel appliances, tile floor...the list goes on and on. Why spend hundreds of dollars on expensive and chemical-ridden cleaners when the solution to a clean kitchen could be sitting under your bathroom sink. Try these 5 kitchen cleanups using toothpaste and other bathroom stuff instead.

5: Countertop Cleaner

Kitchen countertops should be made of durable material. Think of all the spills that happen in kitchens -- coffee, soap, spaghetti sauce, gravy. Unfortunately, every once in a while, a mystery stain will form that can't just be wiped away.

If stains mar your solid-surface synthetic sink or countertop, gently rub a little toothpaste on the problem area. Use a white scrubbing pad, which is available at most hardware and home improvement stores. Wipe clean with a damp sponge, then polish with a soft, dry cloth.

4: Toothbrush Scrubber

A toothbrush has hundreds of tiny bristles designed to clean crevices in between teeth and gums. It's important to find another use for a toothbrush once you are done with it. Toothbrushes are considered a pollutant because they make up billions of pounds of plastic in landfills every year.

A retired but clean toothbrush is perfect for getting the grime out of hard-to-reach places, such as the grooves in appliances, the bars of roasting racks, and the bottoms of tall glasses. The small bristles can get deep in between small spaces. Toothbrushes with long handles work even better.

3: Clean Fridge Seals

The undersides of appliances always seem to get dirty and if the seals on the refrigerator and freezer doors aren't tightly shut, then that dirt and dust could get inside. Food and dirt just don't mix. And, of course, the only way to clean it is by getting down on your hands and knees.

Use a clean, dry toothbrush to clean the seals around refrigerator and freezer doors. Dust and dirt can get trapped in these hidden spaces and then begin to pile up. Make sure the seals are tightly closed, so you can avoid getting down on the floor to clean more than you'd like to.

2: Scrubbing Appliances

All kitchens and bathrooms should be stocked with cotton swabs. Their small size makes them great cleaning tools for crevices and corners that are too hard to reach on your own. And frankly, I wouldn't want to stick my hand in the small spaces that a cotton swab can reach.

A cotton swab can be used to clean the hard-to-reach places on your kitchen blender, electric mixer, or electric can opener. Dip the swab in warm, soapy water, then scrub and rinse. Make sure you have plenty on hand; these convenient tools are small and can get dirty quickly.

1: Melted Plastic Remover

In the house, the bread is sometimes kept on the counter right next to the toaster, which happens to sit right next to the stove. You might be accustomed to the smell of burning plastic from an opened bread bag getting too close to both.

When a plastic bread bag gets near heat...well, you know what happens. Nothing will remove the melted mess. Put a little nail polish remover on a soft cloth. The remover heats the plastic so it can easily be removed. Rub gently, and the spot is gone!