Keeping the Bathroom Sink Clean From Toothpaste Stains
I don’t know about you, but my kids seem to leave more toothpaste on the sink than in their mouths and toothbrushes when they are brushing their teeth. If this is like you, read on to see my tips for keeping the bathroom sink clean from toothpaste stains.
1. Buy white colored toothpaste, so stains don’t set in as quickly.
So, your kids want the pretty colored and flavored toothpaste to brush their teeth with? Tell them to first make sure they are more careful about getting it all over the sink before they get the colored stuff again.
2. Wipe the sink clean in both the morning and the evening, very quickly, everyday.
I am not talking about a scrub marathon session here, but instead just a quick wipe down. If you time these wipe downs to wait until after everyone has brushed their teeth the toothpaste left in the sink will still be fresh and will easily wipe away with a little water and rubbing with your finger. If you let it sit, and dry, you have to scrub a whole lot harder to get that toothpaste off.
The easiest way I’ve found to do this is to just make sure I am the last person in the house to brush their teeth. When I am done I just wipe out the sink, and it takes maybe 10 seconds of my time.
Better yet, teach your kids as part of their brushing their tooth routine to wipe out the sink after they spit and rinse out their mouth, and to place the cap back on the toothpaste so it doesn’t accidentally squirt out when something gets laid on it.
3. Re-moisten dried on toothpaste to make it easier to remove.
For that really dried on toothpaste that somehow got overlooked in your daily wiping sessions the best thing to do is re-moisten it, to make it easier to remove. There are several ways to do this, which include spraying or sprinkling it with water from the tap, or laying a moist paper towel over the dried toothpaste to really get it soaked.
Once the toothpaste is moist again it is generally pretty easy to wipe it off the bathroom sink, just like fresh toothpaste. If a little is still dried on and hard to remove take a gentle sponge scrubber or an old toothbrush and gently wipe away the dried toothpaste until your bathroom sink is shining again.
4. If a stain has developed from the toothpaste itself try a cleaning poultice.
If a colored toothpaste glob has sat on your bathroom sink so long that a colored stain has developed, and even after the toothpaste itself has been removed the color remains more drastic action needs to occur.
I suggest using a cleaning poultice made of baking soda and water, spreading it over the stained area, and then covering it with plastic wrap so the paste doesn’t dry out too quickly. Leave it overnight and then remove the plastic wrap and wipe away the paste, and hopefully the toothpaste stain too.
If this does not work you can also try a cleaning poultice with hydrogen peroxide, but be careful because it may damage your bathroom sink, so I would only do this as a last resort. Also, after approximately 10 minutes, you should check the sink to make sure the hydrogen peroxide poultice is not harming your sink, and again every hour or so for a couple of hours, until you are assured the hydrogen peroxide is not harming anything. If it does seem to hurt your sink remove the poultice immediately, rinse thoroughly with water, and either give up on the stain, or call in a professional.