19 Absolutely Brilliant Ways to Clean With Denture Tablets

Not many households keep a supply of denture tablets. But every household should because there are so many cleaning jobs that effervescent denture tablets can do, from making coffee stains disappear to cleaning fine jewelry and clearing a clogged drain. Denture cleaning tablets are great little workhorses for all kinds of jobs around the house.

 

Enamel Cookware

Enamel cookware such as Le Creuset needs a deep clean from time to time and denture-tablet cleaning is ideal. Fill the pot or pan with warm water, plus a tablet or two, depending on its size. Wait a bit. Once the fizzing stops, that enamel pot will be clean.

Unclog a Drain

Drop a few tablets into a slow-running drain and run the water until the problem clears. For a more stubborn clog, drop three tablets down the sink, follow that with one cup of white vinegar, and wait a few minutes. Now run hot water down the drain until the clog is gone.

Toilets and Sinks

Porcelain fixtures respond well to the cleaning agent in denture tablets. Drop a denture tablet into the toilet bowl. Allow it to fizzle away for about 30 minutes or even overnight. Use a toilet brush to easily remove tough stains, flush, and enjoy that sparkle!

Fine Jewelry

Drop a denture tablet into a glass of warm water, followed by your ring, diamond earrings, or other fine pieces. Allow sitting for a few hours. Remove the jewelry and rinse well in cool water to reveal shine and sparkle like you won’t believe!

Unlike toothpaste (which acts as an abrasive on fine jewelry, ultimately doing more harm than good), denture cleaning tablets activated in water are not at all harmful while cleaning.

This may be too harsh for costume pieces or thinly silver or gold “plated” items, soft stones like opals, so proceed with caution.

Narrow Vases

Fresh flowers often leave a hard water ring on glass vases that seems impossible to remove no matter how hard you scrub. And when that’s a narrow vase you cannot reach into without a bottle brush—even then, it can be all but impossible— it’s even more annoying!

Here’s the solution: Fill the vase with water and drop in a denture tablet. Let it sit for a few hours or until all of the mineral deposits are gone. Use the same method to clean thermos bottles, cruets, glasses, and coffee decanters.

Crystal and Glassware

Of course, you’re hesitant to put your beautiful crystal stemware and vases through the dishwasher, but handwashing never seems to get them as sparkly as you would like. Denture tablets are the secret! Fill a basin or other vessel with hot water and a denture tablet or two. Carefully set those crystal items in the basin and allow them to soak for a while. Rinse and allow to air dry, or use a clean microfiber cloth. Wow!

 

 

Stained Tupperware

Tomato-based foods can do a number on plastic storage containers like Tupperware leaving what seems to be permanent stains. Remove these stains with—you guessed it—denture tablets!

Fill the container with warm water and let a denture tablet sit in it overnight before you rinse it clean in the morning.

Clean Hairbrushes

Surprised? So was I, when I first discovered this great hack. Fill the sink with super hot water and a denture tablet. Pull the hair out of your brushes, toss them in, and let them sit for at least 20 minutes. Swish them around a bit to make sure they come clean. Who knew hairbrushes could get so gnarly—and also come so clean!

Laundry

Denture tablets can brighten dingy white t-shirts and other items that have become dull and dingy. Fill the sink with warm water, toss one to three tablets in, and let them dissolve. Soak those items for at least an hour, then launder as usual.

Stained coffee, tea mugs

Those stains in coffee cups and mugs are so ugly, and denture tablets are the quick and easy way to get rid of them. Fill the cup or mug with warm water, drop in a denture tablet. Once it stops fizzing, wash it as you normally would. For super stubborn stains that have built up over time, you may need to use a bottle or other type of brush to get them super clean. From now on, a denture tablet used occasionally will keep them that way.

 

 

Stinky shoes

Flip flops, Crocs, sandals and other footwear that can get wet cleans up like a breeze when hit with the power of a denture tablet. Fill a bucket with hot water and toss in three denture tablets. Place your shoes in for a few hours. This solution will clean and deodorize your shoes. Rinse with water and let dry.

Clean tile and grout

Dissolve three denture tablets in a spray bottle filled with hot water. Wait for a minute or two, then spray on that dingy tile—floor or counter. Walk away for about 30 minutes. Rinse with clean water and allow to dry. For really dirty, tough situations you will want to scrub lightly with Scotchbrite or another type of scrubber.

Burned-on pans

Casseroles, crockpots, and others can get pretty gross and nasty. The meal was awesome but now you’re left with a challenging clean-up job. Denture tablets take all the dread out of those kinds of gross situations. You probably know the routine by now, but here it is anyway: Get it clean by filling it with warm water and tossing in two to three denture tablets. Let it sit for a few hours before you clean it as you normally would.

Clean a showerhead

Have you looked at that thing recently? See all that white buildup around and in the tiny holes that water is supposed to come out of to give you a great shower? You can get rid of that so easily with denture tablets! You’ll need a zip-type plastic bag. Pour a cup or two of warm water into the back along with one or two denture tablets. Hold it up putting the showerhead into the bag so it is submerged in the liquid and zip it closed as far as you can, to hold it in place. Walk away for a few hours. Take the bag off and scrub with a sponge to fully clean.

• MORE: How to Make No-Rinse Daily Shower Cleaner

 

Retainers, mouth guards

Denture tablets are made to clean only dentures, right? Wrong! Look at the box and read the instructions. They’re for retainers and mouth guards, too. You should clean those things daily to keep them sanitized and super clean. Follow the instruction on the package.

Hydration packs

Hikers and runners—heads up! The bladder on your hydration pack needs to be cleaned regularly to prevent mold and slimy-stuff build-up. Denture tablets can help with that. Just fill it up with warm water and put a denture tablet or two in it. Let the bladder soak for a few hours then rinse well.

Tea kettle

Have you looked in that thing lately? More than likely you’ll see white stuff “growing” on the inside surface. It’s mineral deposits that need to be removed. Fill that kettle with warm water, then a denture tablet. Let it sit for a while then rinse well.

Baby gear

Baby bottles, pacifiers, sippy cups, teething toys. If there’s anything in your home that you want to keep clean and sanitized, it’s baby gear with narrow openings and tight places where stuff builds up. This should be a regular routine: Fill up your sink with warm water and toss your items in so they are submerged. Drop a few tablets in and let everything soak for 20 minutes or so. Remove and rinse well with clean water.

Armpit stains

Those yellow (sweat) stains are so annoying! There are several ways to treat them, but none so simple as warm water and denture tablets. Put the stained shirt in a bucket of warm water along with three denture tablets. Let it soak for about an hour before you launder as normal. This should remove the stain.

• MORE: How to Remove Yellow Sweat Stains—It Really Works!

 

All-purpose cleaning spray

Make all-purpose cleaner with some denture tablets. Put three tablets into a spray bottle with some warm water. Let the contents of your bottle sit for 10 minutes before you twist the cap back on and use it. Because denture tablets lose their “power” over time, makeup just the amount you will use with a few hours of mixing.

Good news! Denture tablets can be super cheap. You just need to know where to look!

 

 

FAQs

Where can I get denture cleaning tablets?

Look in the toothpaste and dental care aisle of any supermarket, drug store, or dollar store—and Amazon (cheap—about 6 cents each). Denture cleaning tablets come in a box under several different brand names and in varying quantities.

Can I reuse the soaking liquid to clean my mouthguard several nights in a row? Seems like a shame just to throw it down the drain.

Only if you will be reusing it within a few hours. Here's the reason: Once that denture tablet hits the water, it becomes activated to both clean and sanitize. It will fizz and bubble for a while as it cleans. But it loses steam slowly so that by 24 hours later it won't be sufficient to give those baby items, mouthguards, or crystal stemware another go-round of sufficient cleaning and sanitizing. But it may still have enough power to keep your toilet bowl clean!

 

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Last update on 2024-04-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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