Updated: 1/23/2020
We are all told on a regular basis to floss our teeth, but did you know that dental floss is useful for more than just keeping teeth clean? Dental floss is a tough nylon string that can be used for all kinds of household hacks. Check these out!
1. Repairing Eyeglasses
If your glasses break and you lose that little screw, no worries; just thread a small piece of floss through the holes, tie it off and Voila! You have beautifully repaired glasses.
2. Fixing a Drippy Faucet
You can’t actually fix the faucet with floss, but you can make it stop dripping constantly. Grab some floss, tie one end to the head of the faucet and let the other end sit down in the drain. When the water drips, it will follow the trail of floss and never make a sound.
3. Sewing
Photo by Pig Monkey / CC BY-NC-SA
Characterized as being thick and durable, dental floss can be used for sewing thick fabrics. It’s readily available in most of our bathroom drawers and can hold together tough seams better than most thread. Whether you need to sew on a button or fix a nasty tear, dental floss has got your back.
4. Baking
Don’t you hate it when you make a beautiful batch of cookies, but every time you try to pick one up with your spatula it breaks? Dental floss to the rescue! You can slide a long, tight piece of floss under each cookie to loosen it. Now use your spatula to lift the cookies with no problem.
5. Hanging Art
You can either use the floss itself to suspend something like a wind chime or you can use it to measure. If you are hanging a frame or a painting, flip it over then use the floss to measure where you want the picture to be supported. Hold that piece of floss up to the wall to indicate where to drive the nails. It’s way easier than holding up a heavy frame and eyeballing.
6. Removing Stickers from Your Windshield
This is similar to the cookie trick. All you do is slowly slide a piece of floss under the sticker to remove it. You might have to work at it so wearing a pair of gloves will help protect your hands from being cut by the tight floss.
7. Cutting
Photo by Janelle / CC BY-NC-ND
Ever tried cutting a cake, but you can’t seem to keep the lines straight and the cake keeps getting stuck to the knife? Worry no more because a bit of floss is all you need. Gently wrap a piece around your fingers like you would to floss your teeth, but instead pull it tight and slice through cake and other soft foods with ease. Your lines will be straight and clean.
8. Starting a Fire
Waxy floss burns incredibly well. Wrap a piece around a dry stick, light it and you’ve got yourself a quick and easy campfire. Say goodbye to cold nights on the camp grounds!
9. Luggage Tie
Use a piece of floss to tie the zippers on your luggage together. It works like a zip tie, but cheaper.
10. Gardening
Give those climbing plants a hand by using a bit of dental floss to tie them to a trellis. You can even tie tall plants like bamboo together to keep them growing in close formation.
Clearly, floss has proven itself to be a useful tool. Its age-old purpose, dental hygiene, isn’t simply all it’s good for anymore. Keeping extra dental floss on hand is never a bad idea. Whether you need to floss your teeth or sew a button, dental floss is the tool of choice.
What are some creative ways you can think of to use dental floss? Tell us in the comments.
