There are more uses for dental floss than meet the eye. Dental floss is made of either nylon or Teflon, making it extremely strong. It rarely breaks, even when tasked with removing food from the tightest of spaces between teeth. Its strength, thinness and durability mean it's not just useful for cleaning teeth, but for loads of other unusual things too.
Today we're sharing 18 alternative uses for dental floss that you're definitely going to find useful around the home.
Check them out!
1. Dental floss is great for sewing
Be it on holiday or elsewhere, we've all found ourselves with a simple sewing problem and nothing to fix it with at some point or another.
If you happen to have some dental floss hiding in your handbag or beauty case, you're in luck!
This inconspicuous string is subtle enough to go unnoticed no matter what fabric you use it on. Its surprising strength makes it the perfect piece of kit for holding buttons in place, temporarily fixing handbag straps and even mending tents.
That's one more reason to carry a pack wherever you go!
2. Cutting food
One of our favourite alternative uses or dental floss is for cutting birthday cake.
We have a lot of birthdays in our office, and thus, big birthday cakes make a regular appearance on our 'Treat Table'. Now, instead of seeking out a cake knife in our cluttered, communal kitchen, we use dental floss.
It cuts seamlessly through sponge, icing and buttercream, creating perfectly even, neat slices.
Just be sure to use flavourless dental floss - unless mint-choc is what you're after.
If you like this tip, you'll love our other genius baking hacks too - go check them out!
3. How to fix a dripping tap using dental floss
Drip, drip, drip - it may not bother you at first, but give it half an hour and that dripping tap will drive you crazy.
Whilst dental floss can't provide a permanent solution to the problem, it will quiet the constant dripping until you find another solution.
Best of all? It couldn't be easier. Watch the video below to learn how to shut your tap up for good.
4. Cleaning is easier with dental floss
Some nooks and crannies are so small, nothing seems able to get into them.
Perhaps it's a dirty keyboard, or crack in the table - whatever tiny place you're tackling, dental floss is the answer.
The thin, yet strong fabric is powerful enough to get around the base of taps and into dips in furniture and surfaces to drag out dirty and leave your house super clean.
It's pretty handy in the car too.
Cleaning tips are our speciality! Discover some of our best cleaning hacks today and get your home cleaner than ever.
5. Emergency glasses fix
Lost the screw from one of your glasses?
If you can't get to an opticians right away, dental floss can help keep your glasses in place in the meantime.
Simply thread dental floss through the hole where your missing screw used to be, and double knot.
Dental floss is strong enough to hold your glasses together for the time being. If your eye-sight it really poor, this hack could be a true lifesaver!
6. Alternative uses for dental floss in the garden
If you're a keen gardener, no doubt you've already discovered your favourite way to tie back plants and keep them upright.
However, we have a clever tip that we think will give your current favourite a run for its money - dental floss!
Dental floss is super strong, and the perfect tool to keep plants tied to stakes.
Give it a go next time you're gardening - we think you'll be impressed.
7. Remove sticky cookies seamlessly
Few things are more frustrating than spending time cooking up the perfect batch of cookies, only to ruin them when it comes to removing them from the tray.
Avoid catastrophic, cookie mishaps by using dental floss. The string slides smoothly under cookies to lift them off delicately and gently.
This is the key to flawless cookies.
8. Emergency bobble
Here's one of our alternative uses for dental floss that people with long hair will definitely appreciate - an emergency bobble.
If you've ever tried using an elastic band as an emergency bobble, you'll know it definitely doesn't cut it - talk about painful.
A much better idea is to use dental floss. It's smooth, strong, and the ideal substitute for a hair tie.
Check out our other beauty hacks for more great ideas.
9. Hang pictures
What do you use to hang pictures?
There's no need to go out and buy special string, especially for smaller frames.
In fact, one of our most useful alternative uses for dental floss is for hanging pictures.
Its strength and durability make it ideal for hanging frames up around your home. Plus, you probably already have some hiding in your bathroom cupboard!
10. Loosen a ring
Getting a ring stuck on your finger is one of the most panicking experiences.
Don't worry, though - if you got it on, you can get it off again. All you need is a little helping hand.
First thing's first - relax. Getting stressed will only cause your fingers to become swollen and make extracting the ring more difficult.
Secondly, grab some dental floss. Tie it around your finger below the ring, and pull upwards. This should nudge the ring, and encourage it to slide up your finger.
Panic over!
11. Alternative uses for dental floss in the kitchen
No kitchen twine? No problem. Head to your bathroom and grab some dental floss.
Unflavoured dental floss makes an unrivalled substitute for kitchen twine - perfect for those roast dinners.
Just be sure to use unflavoured floss - there's a reason spearmint isn't on the roast dinner menu.
12. Emergency shoelace
We still have more alternative uses for dental floss coming your way, and you certainly don't want to miss this one.
A broken shoelace may seem like the end of the world, but it's nothing a bit of strong dental floss can't fix.
Although it may not look the part, it'll certainly do the job until you get a chance to change your shoes or buy a replacement lace.
Check out our other great clothing hacks to save money on your wardrobe dilemmas!
13. How to remove album photos
There comes a time when you may need to remove those old album photos. It could be for a birthday party, or maybe an anniversary - you'll want some memorabilia at such events.
All those years in storage can make the glue that binds them to pages pretty strong, and they can be tricky to remove.
Our clever tip? Use dental floss. Just like cookies, it will slide under your photos, lifting them clean off and preventing any rips and tears.
14. Dental floss for fishing
This is perhaps the most bizarre on our list of alternative uses for dental floss - for fishing.
The strength and length of your tiny pack of dental floss make it convenient and surprisingly reliable for fishing.
Don't believe us? Watch the video below to see dental-floss fishing in action.
15. DIY festive bunting
We're big fans of bunting here at Expert Home Tips. We have our very own Easter Bunting tutorial and Christmas Bunting tutorial on the blog - they're pretty magic and we definitely recommend giving them a go.
Bunting can look so pretty around the home, especially during festive seasons.
The string of bunting is usually pretty nondescript - its job is to provide a strong blank canvas that will support all of your other decor.
For this, dental floss is perfect. It's subtle and strong - ideal for even the most elaborate of buntings.
16. Jewellery string using dental floss
Have you ever made jewellery at home?
This is a wonderful way to spend time with the kids - all you need is a selection of cheap beads and some dental floss.
Dental floss is inexpensive, easy to get hold of and durable. Jewellery making at home has never been easier!
17. Food tie
Run out of food ties?
Dental floss can step in and keep your food sealed until then.
Tie it around your bag a few times, pull tight and knot.
18. How to hang baubles
This Christmas, don't bother spending money on bauble hooks.
Buy yourself a new pack of dental floss, and they'll be more than enough to hang decorations on your entire tree.
Plus, you'll be able to customise the length, making your tree picture-perfect!
How do you use dental floss? We'd love to hear about any unusual tips you have in the comments below.
My husband uses dental floss to put in his bead jewellery. Taking a bit of floss tie it tightly round the hair to be threaded through and slip the end through the beard ring. Pull gently after it’s threaded through and the dental floss is removed and the jewellery is on the beard!
Hi Ann, This isn't something we've tried ourselves ;) but it does sound great! Who knew dental floss had such obscure but handy uses. Thanks a bunch for sharing :)
Very interesting blog about dental floss,will definatly be having a go at some of the suggestions.Aways read the blogs for different things,use them all the time
Hi Beverley. Thanks a lot for your kind comment! We're so glad you enjoy all of our 'uses for articles'. Stay tuned - there are many more in store :)
Re No. 11 - Mint floss could be good with roast lamb though ;-)
Hi John, Not a bad idea, but there's nothing like the real thing!