Denture tablets are ingenious little things. Just add water, pop-in your dentures, and wait. The effervescent action helps to disperse the cleansing ingredients and ensures they get into every crevice.
In the morning, following a little brush and rinse, you'll have a fresh, clean, and sparkling pair of dentures. But these little tablets can do so much more than that.
We've heard reports of people using XODENT™ tablets for many different things, and some of our customers swear by these uses.
We can't guarantee that they will work. After all, we designed XODENT™ with dentures in mind—pots, pans, and other household paraphernalia never crossed our minds. But if you have a few spare tablets and some troublesome stains to shift, it's worth considering some of these alternative uses for denture tablets.
1. Cleaning The Toilet
Your toilet is a haven for bacteria. You probably didn't need us to tell you that. But what you might not know is just how much bacteria your toilet bowl is harboring.
Your toilet bowl contains millions of bacteria per square inch, and this clings to the porcelain and thrives in the water. To make matters worse, every time you flush the chain, that bacteria is released and if you don't close the seat, it can find its way onto the floor, sink, and even your toothbrush!
It's barely worth thinking about, but if you keep your toothbrush in the bathroom, never close the toilet seat, and don't change the brush/head every few months, you're basically brushing with a toilet brush.
You need to keep the toilet as clean as possible, and denture tablets could help with this.
Pop a couple of tablets into the bowl, wait for them to stop fizzing, and then scrub with a toilet brush. The anti-bacterial agents will kill those nasty bacteria colonies and should also help to loosen any ingrained stains, making them easier to remove with the brush.
Once you've given the bowl a good once-over, flush the chain.
Just make sure you close the lid. It's a habit you'll want to adopt as soon as possible.
Another way to keep everything spick and span is to make sure you change your toilet brush at least every 6 months. If it has been used for a particularly dirty clean, bleach it or bin it.
2. Cleaning Toothbrush Holders
Your mouth is wet and warm—a haven for nasty little microbes. Every time you clean your teeth, bacteria are transferred onto your brush and left to stew in a holder.
In many ways, the bathroom is the perfect environment for bacteria. Not only do they multiply every time you flush the chain with the seat up, but it's also warm and moist.
Take a look at the bottom of your toothbrush holder. Is there an inch or two of stagnant water in there? Is it brown/black?
It shouldn't be.
Fill the toothbrush holder with warm water, add a denture tablet, and wait for it to work its magic. It will remove any stains that have accumulated while killing the bacteria.
Make sure you rinse the toothbrush holder every now and then, before performing the occasional clean using detergents, soap, or denture tablets. And whatever you do, don't use toothbrush covers!
The little plastic caps that slip on your brush head are great when transporting your brush short distances, but if you keep them attached throughout the day, they will increase the moisture levels and heat, giving the bacteria colonies exactly what they want.
3. Removing Coffee and Tea Stains
Every day, Americans consume around 400 million cups of coffee and approximately 150 million cups of tea. These caffeinated beverages have somewhat of a bad reputation. They are addictive, and for many consumers, they are also loaded with sugar.
But if you keep the cream and sugar to a minimum, and consume in moderation, they're actually good for you. Not only will they prepare you for the day, and for everything that your boss/kids throw at you, but they're also rich in antioxidants.
The problem is, they are loaded with tannins and these compounds can stain anything they come into contact with. If you have ever spilled a cup of tea or coffee, you'll know just how tough these stains are.
Every coffee drinker has that one cup that's coated with ingrained and reluctant stains. But don't throw it away just yet, as denture tablets could help.
Fill the cup with warm water, drop a denture tablet inside, and wait for ten to fifteen minutes. Once the tablet has worked its magic, you can drain the water and wipe those stains away. The cup will be like new!
This trick has also been used to clean coffee plungers and tea kettles. With the former, you're removing the same stains that build-up on cups. With the latter, you're getting rid of all those mineral deposits left by the water.
Denture tablets may help to remove tea and coffee stains from clothing, as well. You may be a little less successful with this method, but as denture tablets are much cheaper and gentler than stain removers, it's worth a try. Just fill a bowl with warm water, add a couple of tablets, and then soak your stained clothing inside.
Leave it for ten to fifteen minutes, rinse, and add it to your next laundry load.
4. Restoring Old Food Containers
We all have that one piece of cookware that seems to be permanently stained from the one time it held pasta sauce, baked beans, or chili. It seems to permeate every pore, and while you're confident that it's clean, you can't quite bring yourself to use it again.
Who wants to store yogurt, cereal, or cream in a container stained red with old tomato puree and meat juice?
Whether it's Tupperware, Pyrex, or standard plastic containers, those stains have a way of sticking around, and denture tablets could help you to remove them.
Fill the container with warm water, add one or two tablets—you know the drill. If it works, the tablets will get into the stain and lift it off the glass or plastic, after which you can just scrub or wipe it away.
5. Removing Stains from Fingertips
One of the most common alternative uses for denture tablets is removing stains from fingertips.
Yellowed fingertips can occur in chronic smokers, in which case they are difficult to clean. Carbon monoxide affects the oxygen levels in your skin, while nicotine impacts blood flow, both of which can lead to yellowed fingers.
Denture tablets have been recommended for cleaning fingertips and fingernails that have yellowed from smoking. They can be very effective and are also a safe and cheap method for removing those unsightly stains.
That's not all, either.
It takes a while to develop yellowed fingertips from smoking, but if you're cooking with turmeric, the results are instant.
Recent research suggests that this basic curry ingredient could be one of the healthiest spices in the world, but it's also one of the messiest, as you will discover if you chop or grate turmeric without gloves.
Luckily, denture tables work here, as well. Just add some warm water to a shallow container, toss in a tablet or two, and dip your fingers into the solution.
You will need to keep them there for at least five minutes, and if the stains are ingrained, as is the case for heavy smokers, you may need to repeat the procedure while scrubbing your fingertips in between.
You should notice some improvements following every dip, with the tablets gradually lifting those stains from your skin and nails.
6. Freshening-Up Water Bottles
It seems that everyone carries around a water bottle these days. And that's great, as it's a good way to stay hydrated without increasing your carbon footprint. But many of these bottles are opaque and washing them consists of little more than a quick rinse with cold water.
Over time, mold and bacteria can get into the bottles and cling to the sides and base. If they are never introduced to detergent or soap, that bacteria will fester. It doesn't matter how many times you rinse, some bacteria will remain, and over time, it will grow.
It can be tricky to clean these bottles, especially if you don't have a bottle brush. But that's where denture tablets come in. A single tablet and some warm water are all you need.
Wait for at least 15 minutes and drain the solution. You can then add some cold water, screw on the cap, and give it a good shake, making sure you collect any debris and the remnants of the tablet, before emptying it out.
Make sure you pay attention to the cap, as well. Many caps have silicon or plastic seals, and these can become havens for bacteria. While the bottle is soaking, give the cap a quick clean using detergent.
Alternatively, break off a piece of denture tablet, add it to a cup of water, and drop the cap inside. Rinse everything thoroughly once you're done and remember to follow this ritual every couple of weeks.
7. Soaking Retainers and Mouth Guards
One of the best alternative uses for denture tablets is to clean mouth guards and retainers. Just like dentures, they spend many hours inside your mouth, where they can accumulate bacteria.
Mouthguards are often worn at night, helping to combat issues such as bruxism, whereby sufferers grind their teeth unconsciously.
Imagine how nasty your breath is in the morning and now imagine all of that smell being transferred to a piece of permeable plastic. As any mouthguard wearer can attest, the last thing you want to do in the morning—when you're tired, groggy, and can barely walk straight—is to wash, brush, and rinse your mouthguard.
With denture tablets, you don't need to do any of that. Just add the mouth guard to a cup or container, drop in a tablet, and leave it. Once you've completed your morning ritual, you can remove the guard, give it a rinse, and store it for later.
Alternatively, you can clean it before you go to bed, making sure all those microbes have been eradicated before you pop it in your mouth.
A retainer, on the other hand, gets much the same treatment as a pair of dentures. You wear it throughout the day and expose it to food, drink, and bacteria.
In this case, simply follow the same instructions for cleaning dentures—leave them to soak overnight and give them a rinse the next morning.
Mouthguards and retainers are one of the few alternative users we would actually recommend for XODENT™ tablets. If you use our XODENT™ Kit, you will get a supply of tablets, a denture bath and strainer, and a soft-bristle brush to remove stubborn stains and food particles.
8. Cleaning Shower Heads
Shower heads are often neglected. After all, do you really need to clean something that cleans you? Its only purpose is to fire jets of hot water—how dirty could it possibly be?
You'd be surprised.
Mineral deposits and soap scum can build-up over time and clog the holes, limiting the flow of water. If your shower head is not as powerful as it used to be, ask yourself when you last cleaned the head and if the answer is "never", as is the case for many people, it's time to take action.
Fortunately, it's an easy fix—you don't need to remove the shower head or start fiddling with the plumbing. Just fill a zip-lock bag with warm water, add a tablet or two, and then tie the bag around the shower head.
You can use tape or an elastic band. The goal is to submerge the head completely and ensure the bag stays in place.
Let it rest for a couple of hours, remove the bag, and give it a wipe before turning it on. Any grime and gunk that has accumulated over time should wash off, leaving you with a shower head that looks and feels brand new!
9. Cleaning Pots and Pans
How many pots and pan have you thrown away because of baked-on stains? How many times have you left something to "soak" in the sink, only to return 24 hours later to do battle with troublesome stains that don't want to go anywhere?
Make your life easier by adding a denture tablet to those pots. Just fill them with hot water, toss the tablet inside, and wait. After a few minutes, those stains and that encrusted food will begin to breakdown.
Give it an hour, and you'll be able to wipe everything clean, before rinsing and putting it to one side to bake another day. Although it's best used on recent stains, this method may also work on older stains.
It's worth giving it a go, as a couple of denture tablets are a lot cheaper than buying a new pot or pan.
10. Cleaning Vases
Are those fresh flowers beginning to smell a little tainted, even though you've only just bought them? The vase could be the culprit.
A layer of grime can build-up over time and, if untreated, this can give off a very rotten sewage-like stench. With their thick bases and thin necks, vases are hard to clean, and unless they're transparent, you won't even realize there is an issue until that pervasive smell permeates every corner of your house.
You know the score by now—denture tablets could help to clean that vase. Depending on the size, you may need a couple of them. Just fill the vase with warm water, add the tablets, and wait.
If you have a bottle brush to hand, give it a good scrub after 15 minutes, paying special attention to the base and the edges. If not, allow it to soak a little longer and then rinse it out a few times with warm water.
11. Unblocking Drains
Denture tablets have been used to unblock drains. It's a big challenge for these little tablets, but they could be ready for it. It depends on how blocked the drain is. If it's minor and you've yet to try any other solutions, crush a few tablets, toss them down the drain, wait for thirty to sixty minutes, and then flush with hot water.
The effervescent tablets, combined with the detergent ingredients and hot water, might flush that blockage away. And if it doesn't—no harm done!
Get Busy: Other Alternative Uses for Denture Tablets
As discussed at the outset, these everyday uses for denture tablets have been recommended to us or submitted by customers. We can't verify thier efficacy, but as the tablets are often much cheaper and safer than other detergents and can be found in the house of every denture wearer, it's often worth trying them out.
Just remember to thoroughly rinse anything that you clean, especially if it's going in your mouth (as with a coffee cup). And if you have recommendations for other alternative uses we haven't discussed, get in touch and let us know!
