We’re all trying to recycle and re-use, especially anything made from plastic.  So when you’ve traded your old toothbrush in for a new one, don’t throw it away.  These little brushes on long sticks can be mighty handy for getting into awkward places. Whether its for smoothing, brushing or scrubbing, both manual and electric toothbrushes are brilliant little tools.  Read on for our top five eco-friendly life-hacks.

Clean the tiles!
A toothbrush is the best thing to use to clean the grout between your bathroom or kitchen tiles.  Whitening toothpaste with bicarbonate of soda can also help lift any stains (or crayon marks on walls) but make sure you only use it in moderation.   An electric toothbrush is the best and quickest for grout-cleaning, but if yours doesn’t work any more you can achieve the same quick-cleaning effect with a great life-hack: using the head of an old toothbrush attached to an electric drill.  Just don’t try this on your teeth!    Amazon, John Lewis & Lakeland all sell ‘Sonic Scrubbers’ that are intended specifically for household cleaning – they look exactly like an electric toothbrush and basically do the same job but if you want to save £15, get drilling instead!

Renew bikes, boats and car engines
Get the oil, road muck or sea-scum out easily by using a toothbrush.  Brilliant for bike chains and getting into hard-to-reach spots in engines.  Again Amazon sells a new sonic, vibrating cleaning brush called the Pro Detailer cleaning brush it’s currently on sale for £18.99.    But if you want to save the pennies, an old toothbrush works too, just a little more elbow-grease needed.

Eyebrow brush or hair-dye applicator
The humble toothbrush (especially a nice soft-bristled one) is a great addition to your beauty cabinet.  Perfect for keeping wayward brows in order, but also very handy for applying a streak of colour where you want it.

Give your shoes a new lease of life.
Particularly if you have trainers – renew the white with an old toothbrush and a bit of toothpaste.  Or for totally white results, try Stardrops Pink Stuff Paste the ‘miracle cleaning paste’ according to the adverts (and my best friend too).

Groom the cat
Pets absolutely adore being brushed with a toothbrush and this little kitten is no exception.   Old toothbrushes are also useful for keeping your pets’ teeth clean – just leave out the toothpaste 😉
We came across this adorable video and couldn’t resist.

Happy recycling!