Everyday cleaning products are fine for handling everyday messes. But trickier cleaning tasks often require a different, often creative approach. The subject of today’s post definitely qualifies as creative, at least when it comes to cleaning! Today we’ll be talking about the surprising cleaning powers of denture tablets!
Depending on your age or who you’re living with, you may or may not have denture tablets on hand at the moment. But they’re pretty inexpensive to buy, especially if you can snag them at your local dollar store! And I would argue that it’s well worth the trip to buy them because of how useful they can be when it comes to cleaning!
So without further ado, let’s get down it—here are 11 of the best ways to use denture tablets for cleaning!
11 Surprising Things You Can Clean With Denture Tablets
1. Stained Food Containers
Everyone has at least one plastic food container that has never been the same since you stored spaghetti in it that one time. But you can use denture tablets to help erase those tomato stains! Just fill the container with warm water and add 1-2 denture cleaning tablets. Wait for about an hour, then wash the container with soapy water.
2. Yellowed Fingernails
Certain types of nail polish may leave your fingernails looking stained or discolored. To restore them to their original color, use denture tablets! Put one cup of warm water in a bowl and drop in a denture tablet. Soak your nails in the mixture for 5 minutes, then wash your hands. Repeat daily until the discoloration is completely gone.
3. Narrow Vases & Bottles
Denture tablets are great for cleaning out containers with narrow openings. Just fill the vase or bottle with warm water and add 1-2 denture tablets, depending on the size of the item. Wait an hour or two then rinse well.
4. Enamel Cookware
Can’t remove the food residue or stains stuck to your enamel cookware? Fill the pot or pan with warm water and add 1-2 denture tablets. Wait until the fizzing stops, then wash the pot or pan in warm soapy water.
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5. Stained Fabrics
Use denture tablets to pretreat stained clothes, tablecloths, or napkins. Just fill a sink or bucket with warm water and add 1-3 denture tablets. Once the tablets dissolve, add the fabric to the water. Let the items soak for 30 minutes to an hour, then rinse the item and wash as usual.
6. Mugs With Coffee Or Tea Stains
Fill a stained mug with warm water and add one denture tablet. Wait until the fizzing stops, then wash the mug with soapy water. This also works on kettles, carafes, and thermoses too!
7. Retainers & Mouth Guards
Retainers and mouth guards stay in your mouth a lot of the time, just like dentures. So it makes sense to use denture tablets to clean them! Just put a denture tablet into a glass of warm water, then add the retainer or mouth guard. Let it soak for 10 minutes or so, then remove it and rinse thoroughly.
8. Shower Heads
If your shower head isn’t flowing as well as it used to, it could probably use a good cleaning. And you don’t even have to remove it to do it!
Put a few cups of warm water into a plastic ziplock bag and add 1-2 denture tablets. Put the bag over the shower head until its submerged, then use a rubber band to tie the bag in place. Let it soak for a couple of hours, then remove the bag. Scrub the shower head with sponge or brush to scrub away the loosened gunk, and it should be good as new!
Related: 8 Of The Best Ways To Use Vinegar To Clean Your Bathroom
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9. Coffee Makers
Descale your coffee maker with denture tablets. Fill the water tank with warm water and add two denture tablets. Wait for the fizzing to stop, then run the coffee maker through a full brew cycle. Rinse out the tank, then run one or two more brew cycles to remove any remaining residue inside the machine.
10. Toilet Bowls
Drop 2-3 denture tablets in your toilet bowl and let them sit for 30 minutes. You may want to let it sit longer for really tough stains. Then brush and flush for a clean toilet!
I’ve also heard from readers who use denture tablets to clean their dentures, then pour the used cleaning water into their toilet to give it a quick cleaning. Smart!
11. Baked-On Messes
Baked-on messes in your cookware can be really tricky to remove!You can use denture tablets to loosen up the gunk without all the elbow grease! Just fill the dish with warm water and add one denture tablet. Let the dish soak for an hour, then wash normally. Use a scrub brush or the scrubby side of a sponge to power through the loosened mess.
Have you ever used denture tablets to clean something other than dentures?
I thought I would look up how to make my own tablets and I came across this article at
tigersmiledental.com
Ingredients in Denture Cleaners
Efferdent ingredients in denture cleaners serve the purpose of removing stains, killing bacteria, or helping preserve the life and quality of the dentures.
- Common Sodium Bicarbonate
- Most denture cleaners contain baking soda. This ingredient gives the cleanser its fizzing sound and alkalizes the water to clean the dentures. It is nontoxic.
- Sodium Hypochlorite
- This denture cleaner ingredient is commonly known as bleach. This ingredient works as a disinfectant, whitens and removes stains from dentures. Unfortunately, it weakens and discolors dentures. Some people may be allergic to bleach. This ingredient may cause a mild tissue and is generally not a health risk. Large quantities or prolonged contact may cause burns to throat, esophagus or stomach.
- Citric Acid
- Citric acid is contained in lemons and limes. It is used in denture cleaners to remove stains. Fragrances, colors, and flavors are also found in denture cleansers. Peppermint, spearmint and menthol oils are among the most popular.
- Detergents and Enzymes
- Detergents and enzymes in denture cleaners are effective in removing plaque.
- Surfactants
- This ingredient is used to help reduce surface tensions while dentures are in dissolved liquids. Its function is to soften the water.
- Persulfate
- This ingredient is a cleaning and bleaching agent. It has recently caused concerned concern for those who are allergic to it. Symptoms of the allergic reaction include tissue damage, tender gums, breathing problems and low blood pressure. If accidentally swallowed, it can cause more serious complications including death.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use them to clean my Yeti cup and I drop the rubber seal from the lid (which gets really nasty) in the cup. It works great!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I am so glad that I found you! I have gotten. Some amazing tips from you that I never would have thought of. I was scrubbing an enamel ware roaster last night and it still isn’t clean. I wish I had known about the denture tabs. I do now though. THANK YOU!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use denture tabs and one more thing I use them for i flower vases. A lot of times our favorite vase has a skinny neck or just hard to get to the bottom. Just drop a tab in the vase with warm water and let it sit a bit. Works wonders.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.How can I clean a BBQ plate and grill plate
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi Shirley :-) Here’s a post all about cleaning your grill: https://jillee.co/2DwkriZ
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Wine decanters! My husband (a late-life, second marriage) arrived with four wine decanters which he actually uses, and I had inherited four cordial decanters from my mother. Cleaning any of these decanters was an awful process. Cleaning them all involved a lot of different brushes and highly specialized language, and was only somewhat successful. Then, I read your suggestion of denture tablets. Brilliant! Even the tiny handblown Dutch hour-glass style one came clean. Thanks for a great idea!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.And why is all this so efficiënt? One main ingredient of Denture tablets is… Bicarb ;-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You can clean used flower pots. Empty old dirt out, rinse with water from the hose, plug hole in the pot with rock or small saucer. Fill rinsed pot with water put several (depending on size of pot) denture cleaning tablets in and let soak for awhile, depending on how stained the pot is. Scrub with a brush, drain and let the sun dry. All clean and ready to replant. Denture tablets also sanitizes so your pot will be clean of old fungus and unhealthy plant bugs.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Wow I can’t wait to try a few of these awesome ideas
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Can you also use it to clean a kitchen faucet? What about cleaning the round electric stovetop coverlets?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.When it comes to the stovetop covers, denture tablets aren’t quite strong enough. I would try this instead: https://jillee.co/2SmbayK :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use it to clean my venetian blinds. Dissolve a couple of tablets in warm water, wring out cloth and wipe across blinds (can be used on several slats in one go). No need to rinse or polish the slats after cleaning.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Wow! Can’t wait to try this. I’ve always sent mine to be professionally cleaned once a year, however, they need a cleaning more often. I can’t understand why they get so dirty. Thanks.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’ve been using denture tablets for years on my mouth guard but I have never thought of these other things. Thanks for the great ideas!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Has anyone ever tried Denture tablets to clean oven grills. I try every thing and I still have to scrub them
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I would try this method, Edd: https://jillee.co/2PclBHR :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have been using them for coffee cups and cook ware. Also to clean the toilet Hadn’t thought about the coffee maker. Thanks for that tip.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you for this one – Much cheaper than Alka Seltzer!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Especially when you get them from the dollar store!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Would this be a solution to sluggish sink drains?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Yes. Heat up a cup of vinegar, break up 1 or 2 tablets and drop into the drain, pour warm vinegar in. Wait for fizzing to stop and then give it a little more time. Rinse with hot water. Drain should clear up.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Yes! I have some more tips for difficult drains here: https://jillee.co/2SrXHFr
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Yes. A better one is baking soda, then vinegar. Leave for 30 minutes. Follow up with cup or 2 boiling water.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Some of these ideas like the vases and drinking bottles you can also use Alka Seltzer for if you don’t have the denture tablets.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love using denture tabs to clean vases and my hummingbird feeders. Fill with warm water and 1-2 tablets depending on amount of gunk. Let sit for an hour or so and rinse.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I dissolve one or two denture cleaners in a 1/2 cup of water or so then pour over my clothing in laundry tub and add whatever laundry product you use and launder your clothing. Best thing ever for removing odors ( ie: from men’s sweaty clothing) I also use in laundering towels, bedding and undergarments. Best deodorizer ever where fabric softener just cameflouges the odors. Maddy.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you for this! I’m definitely going to try this.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great tip! Thanks Madeleine!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.could you use it to clean toothbrush heads. I usually use peroxide but if I run out I could always have these to fall back on. Thanks Jillee for all your hard work, I love your daily emails. Sue in the UK xxx
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Absolutely — just put the tablet in a cup or glass of water and soak the toothbrush head.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you Cynthia, I will give it a try. Best wishes from the UK, Sue xxx
Peroxide would be best for killing germs, but these will definitely provide a quick clean :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great!! Thanks Jillee. Keep the posts coming, I love reading them and using them. Sue xxx
I use denture tablets to clean my rings. Warm water and a denture tablet, drop your rings in, wait 10 minutes and rinse /dry. Rings look like they’ve been to the jewelers for a professional cleaning.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Could this be used in a Keurig?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’m not Jillee, but I think I’d rather just just white vinegar in the Keurig. Vinegar is the recommended way to clean any coffee machine and it does do a great job of it. I haven’t compared prices, but I’d think the vinegar would be least inexpensive route also.
Jillee, you did mention containers with small openings, but denture tablets especially excel at getting the gunk out of vases. These are all really good tips, especially the one about stained plastic containers. Thanks bunches!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Vinegar probably IS cheaper, but the the smell of heated vinegar throughout the house is so bad! I am going to give the tablets a try!
Sure!
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