What are denture cleaning tablets?
Denture cleaners are fizzy tablets you drop in a glass of warm water and use to store dentures, retainers, and mouthguards overnight. The main function of denture tabs is to clean out plaque and kill germs on the dentures, thereby preventing infections in the mouth cavity.
Denture cleaners typically contain a mixture of various cleaning agents, e.g. sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), sodium hypochlorite (bleach), or other active ingredients. Since denture tabs can be safely used to clean things that literally go in your mouth, you can confidently use them around the home as well.
Here are 10 items in your home you can easily turn spotless with denture cleaning tablets.
1. Remove limescale from kettles
Do you live in an area with hard water? Those who do have to deal with a lot of limescale building up inside their small kitchen appliances, such as the tea kettle and the coffee machine. The pesky buildup can harm your appliance, and it’s not the most aesthetically pleasing either. Denture tabs are a great solution for removing limescale from these appliances because they can get in all those hard-to-get spots no brush would.
Coffee machine - fill the water tank of the coffee machine as usual and then add 2 denture tabs. Now run the coffee machine without coffee until all the water is gone. Refill the tank with water and run the machine a few more times without coffee as a way to rinse it. With all the limescale gone, your machine is guaranteed to run better, and you may even notice a positive change in the taste of coffee too!
Kettle - to remove limescale from a kettle, fill it up with warm water and drop a denture tablet in. If you have a large kettle, use 2 tabs. Allow the water to soak overnight, and give the appliance a good rinse and scrub to get all the limescale out of the kettle.
2. Remove remnants of food from kitchenware
Getting burned-on food particles and grease out of glass and ceramic baking dishes, nonstick frying pans, and enamel pans can sometimes be quite challenging, especially if you don’t want to scratch their surface with a scrubbing brush.
Erase all that grime stuck to your kitchenware almost effortlessly with a few dental tabs. Just fill the dish in question with warm water, add in a couple of dental cleaning tablets, and leave it alone overnight. In the morning, give the dish a thorough wash, and you’re done! Note that dental tabs should not be used on cast iron skillets and stainless steel pans. According to The Spruce, using dental tabs can ruin the seasoning of uncoated metal cookware.
3. Lift persistent stains out of plastic cookware
Tomatoes and brightly colored seasoning (such as turmeric or paprika) can tint plastic cookware an orange or yellow color. Cleaning such stained containers, cutting boards, bowls can be really tough. Try soaking them overnight in water and a couple of denture tabs - it is the most effective method we’ve tried to date.
4. Turn the bathroom sparkling clean
Dealing with persistent limescale stains in your bathroom? Or maybe, you’re just out of bathroom cleaner… Just pop 5 denture tabs in a spray bottle filled with water, and use the mixture to clean the tile, glass, and even the grout. Spray liberally on the surface you want to clean, wait for 30 minutes, and simply rinse away with water and a sponge.
Denture tablets can even be used to remove mineral deposits from showerheads or taps. To do so, simply fill a small plastic bag with water, drop in a denture tab, and secure the bag around the tap or showerhead with a rubber band. Leave the bag on the tap for several hours to clear away all mineral deposits. Finally, remove the bag, clean the tap with a brush to dislodge all the remaining deposits, and rinse clean with water. Easy peasy!
5. Clean the toilet
Denture tabs make an excellent 2-in-1 toilet cleaner because they both disinfect and remove hard water deposits from the toilet bowl. They are just as effective as a store-bought WC cleaner, but usually more affordable. Just drop 2-3 denture tablets in the toilet bowl, let them dissolve and stop bubbling, and give the john a thorough scrub. As the last step, flush, and you’re done.
6. Make your jewelry shine again
“Jewellers have been using this trick from way back – so this is nothing new,” said Jo Carmichael, professional organizer to Realestate Australia. Soaking your jewelry in a glass of water and one denture tab for 30 minutes will refresh dull-looking jewelry. Rinse the freshly cleaned jewelry with plenty of water and pat dry using an absorbent cloth.
Carmichael also points out that this method can only be used for gold and platinum metals and hard stones, such as diamonds. Pearls and silver jewelry can be damaged by the active ingredients in denture tabs.
7. Remove tea and coffee stains
Cups, teapots, and coffee brewers have the annoying tendency to develop brown stains from coffee or tea. And no amount of elbow grease is capable to get them out. What can help is, you guessed it, denture tablets.
Just fill the stained cup or any other vessel with water, add in a tab or two, and let it sit for at least 30 minutes. The coffee or tea stain will vanish on its own - all you have to do is give it a quick rinse with a sponge and water. Effortless, isn’t it?
Related Article: Cleaning Guide: How to Get Rid of Any Fabric Stain
8. Revive leather
It doesn’t matter if you’re dealing with a worn and dull leather couch, a leather handbag, or a pair of old shoes, dental tabs can help brighten them. Dissolve 3 tabs in a spray bottle filled with water and spray the leather item, especially on the most worn areas. Leave the spray on for 10 minutes, and then wash away thoroughly with a damp microfiber cloth. Let the item dry completely before using.
Note: we always recommend patch-testing when cleaning delicate fabrics. Before you handle the entire item, apply a few drops of the spray in an inconspicuous area and make sure that no damage or bleaching occurs.
9. Clean away cloudy vases
Filling a vase with water and using it to hold flowers or propagate plants can leave a cloudy film on the inside of the vessel. Needless to say, cleaning the inside of a vase is super tricky, as no brush or sponge can get all the corners, so we recommend using denture tabs to lift the stain and restore the shine of the vessel. Fill the vase with water, drop 1 denture tablet and wait for it to stop bubbling. Empty and rinse the vase, and all that cloudiness should be gone!
10. Brighten white shoes
Before you give up on an old pair of white converse or sneakers because their soles are too dirty looking or a persistent stain appears on the outer lining, try this trick. Fill a bucket that will fit your shoes with warm water and drop in 1-2 denture tablets depending on the size of the bucket.
You know what’s next - submerge the shoes in the water and soak for 30 minutes or longer. The shoes must be free of dirt and debris at this point, so we recommend pre-cleaning them before using the denture tab method. Finally, rinse the shoes, pat dry with an absorbent cloth, and let them dry completely in a sunny, well-ventilated area.
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