Toothpaste is among the most common items you’ll find in a bathroom.

And while you mainly use it for keeping your teeth clean, the truth is that toothpaste can become useful in many different situations.

Its multi-purpose nature makes it a must-have when facing various “crises.”

Its compactness makes it perfect for storing several units in your bug out bag without occupying much space. 

And considering how it can aid you, having more tubes on hand will make your life easier when you’re confronting one of these situations.

• Foul Smells

You’ve worked around the house or in the garden and for some reason, your hands have taken on a terrible stink that you can’t get rid of.

You’ve tried soaping it off but to no avail. In such a case, toothpaste will provide a great fix.

Apply a pinch of toothpaste on your palms, start rubbing like you would do with soap, rinse, and voila – the smell should disappear or barely be felt.

Repeat one or two times if you wish, or add more toothpaste to get the odor out during the first wash.

Now, this won’t work for every smell out there, but you can rest assured that it’ll be effective against a wide range of bad odors.

• Sunburns and Other Burns

Whether you’ve fallen asleep at the beach or some spontaneous heatwave has caught you unprepared, toothpaste will always make the aftermath feel better.

And the same applies for minor burns.

All you have to do is soak your affected skin area in water before applying a layer of toothpaste over it.

This should soothe the burn aftereffects and make your burns more bearable until you’ll be able to apply a more complex treatment.

If you’re stocking up on toothpaste for situations like these, remember that the cream-type ones work better than gels.

• Pests 

Insects can give you a hard time if you’re living remote or in a wild part of the country.

And even in urban environments, these little buggers can creep into your house uninvited.

You may not know it, but an efficient way to get rid of them is toothpaste, due to the minuscule calcium spikes it contains.

If you’re dealing with a pest problem in the garden, simply dissolve a bit of toothpaste into a spray-bottle containing water and start spraying around the perimeter of your garden.

The same applies for ants. If they’re intruding inside your home, apply toothpaste along the corners of your house and windows, or spray along those areas.

This should discourage almost any pest from crossing over the boundaries into your home.

• Dog Skunk Smell

Your dog may be the curious kind and try to befriend skunks whenever it has the chance.

And in the end, your dog might learn its lesson, but some of our four-legged friends just won’t learn from their mistakes.

If your dog returns one day with unbearable skunk smell, well, you may be able to get rid of it with the help of toothpaste.

Things like baking soda, tomato juice, and peroxide are all viable options, but you’ll need them in considerable amounts and might not always have them at hand.

So, for immediate relief (for both you and your dog), your best ally against skunky-smelling fur is toothpaste.

Mix 1/4 cup of toothpaste in one quart of warm water and stir well before applying it to your dog’s fur. 

Let it sink in for about five minutes before rinsing thoroughly. Your dog’s fur should feel all minty afterward.

• Itching

Another pertinent issue that can keep you annoyed and distracted is a skin rash.

You can get one by randomly touching a dirty surface or from a bug or plant.

And it’ll be close to impossible to stop scratching the affected area, which in turn makes the condition worse.

To mitigate the redness and the bothersome itching effect, apply a dab of toothpaste to the spot and rub it in until it covers the entire area.

This should help reduce all the annoying symptoms. It also works well for treating blisters.

Toothpaste will be of great use in your bug out bag, especially if you’re trekking through the wild since you’ll be encountering a lot of challenging situations.

Of course, there are even more benefits packed in a toothpaste tube than the ones highlighted above, but those are tips for another time.