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What is the Best Way to Clean Toothpaste off of Sinks and Mirrors?

Sherry Holetzky
Sherry Holetzky

Unfortunately, no matter how well or how often you scour your bathrooms, they don’t stay clean for very long. In fact, usually about the time you finish cleaning the bathroom, someone will come along to wash up or brush his or her teeth. Your family members will often leave telltale signs of hygienic activities, leaving you to clean toothpaste off of sinks and mirrors once again.

Perhaps the best tip to remove toothpaste is to clean it up immediately. The longer it remains, the harder it will be to clean. Begin by trying to wipe away toothpaste with a cloth or paper towel and plain water. If water doesn’t do the trick, there are some other methods you can try.

A toothbrush with toothpaste on it.
A toothbrush with toothpaste on it.

After it’s been sitting there awhile, your attempts to clean toothpaste off of sinks and mirrors will be a little tougher. First remove the excess “glob” with a paper towel. Throw it away, and then apply your favorite bathroom cleaning supplies, Windex, or another glass and surface cleaner. Please note that you should never mix cleaning supplies, as this can be dangerous. You should always rinse one away completely before applying another.

A tube of toothpaste.
A tube of toothpaste.

Once you have applied a solution, allow it to sit for a few minutes to loosen the deposits. Proceed to wash it away. Rinse thoroughly. For mirrors, apply cleaning solution to a cloth and hold it against the spots on the mirror for a few moments. Wipe it away and continue cleaning the mirror as usual.

For stubborn spots, it will take a little more effort to clean toothpaste off of sinks and mirrors. First, try rubbing the area with a cotton swab dipped in a non-abrasive scouring powder or gel. You will need to use some muscle. If the cotton swab technique does not work, you may need to scrape the areas gently with a plastic tool such as a plastic paint scraper. Take care not to scratch the surfaces.

Toothpaste should be cleaned as soon as possible.
Toothpaste should be cleaned as soon as possible.

A somewhat unusual but effective method to help clean off toothpaste is to apply cooking spray to the affected areas. It will loosen the sticky mess. You can wipe it away and then apply your favorite cleaning product to remove the residue left by the cooking spray.

Discussion Comments

croydon

It's funny, you know you can apparently fix the scratches in a mirror with toothpaste? You use it as a kind of abrasive to polish the glass. Just pop a bit on a cloth and rub it over the scratch, then wipe it away.

I've never tried it myself, but quite a few people online seem to think it will work.

Personally, my solution to toothpaste marks on bathroom mirrors is to make sure they don't happen in the first place!

It's just as easy for the kids to brush their teeth over the bathtub as it is over the sink with the mirror.

pleonasm

I really find that the best way to clean a mirror is almost always to spray and wipe it with a mirror cleaning solution, then just rub at it with a dry paper towel.

If you don't do that final rub, it tends to be streaky.

In fact, I often just do a quick polish with the hand towel before I put it in the laundry and that seems to do the trick.

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    • A toothbrush with toothpaste on it.
      By: manipulateur
      A toothbrush with toothpaste on it.
    • A tube of toothpaste.
      By: picsfive
      A tube of toothpaste.
    • Toothpaste should be cleaned as soon as possible.
      By: david hughes
      Toothpaste should be cleaned as soon as possible.
    • Windex may be used to clean toothpaste off of sinks and mirrors.
      By: diego cervo
      Windex may be used to clean toothpaste off of sinks and mirrors.
    • Mouthwash helps to remove toothpaste from mirrors and sinks.
      By: ijacky
      Mouthwash helps to remove toothpaste from mirrors and sinks.
    • Paper towels help to remove fresh toothpaste off of mirrors and sinks.
      By: Igor Normann
      Paper towels help to remove fresh toothpaste off of mirrors and sinks.
    • Antibacterial wipes can be used to clean toothpaste off of sinks.
      By: Edie Layland
      Antibacterial wipes can be used to clean toothpaste off of sinks.
    • Because they're used so much, bathrooms don't say clean for long.
      By: Vladitto
      Because they're used so much, bathrooms don't say clean for long.
    • Cotton swabs may be used to clean toothpaste off of sinks and mirrors.
      By: Yanik Chauvin
      Cotton swabs may be used to clean toothpaste off of sinks and mirrors.