Denture tablets contain cleaning agents such as peroxide, oxidizers, baking soda, and washing soda. They’re also effervescent, creating bubbling action that helps lift stains and kills some bacteria.
While denture tabs are designed to remove stains from dentures, they’re a powerhouse, capable of dissolving limescale, unclogging drains, and removing coffee and tea stains. They’re also super affordable, costing only about $5 for a pack of 120.
If you’re ready to try one of the most budget-friendly and effective ways to clean items around the house, here’s how to use denture tablets.
Remove Coffee and Tea Stains
Denture tablets are safe for ceramic and porcelain and can lift even the most stubborn coffee stains.
- Place one tablet in your coffee mug and fill to the top with hot water.
- Allow the tablet to work for two hours for lightly stained mugs or overnight for heavy stains.
- Wipe the inside of the mug with a sponge, cloth, or soft-bristled brush and rinse with water.
Non-Cloth Shoes
If you have dingy-looking Crocs or plastic sandals, a denture tablet will remove stains and bacteria-caused bad smells.
- Fill a container, bucket, or sink with hot water and drop in 2-3 denture tablets.
- Soak the shoes for a few hours.
- Wipe down with a microfiber cloth.
- Rinse and lay out to dry.
Descale a Coffee Maker
Descale your coffee maker by filling the water reservoir and adding a tablet. Run the coffee maker as usual. Then refill the reservoir with water and run again to rinse.
Remove Burnt-On Food From Your Cookware
If scrubbing isn’t loosening the burnt mess on your glass bakeware, pots, or pans, grab your denture tablets.
- Fill your pot or pan with warm water and add one to two denture tablets, depending on the pan’s size and the mess level.
- Allow it to sit for two hours.
- Wash and rinse.
Remove Haze from Your Flower Vases
It’s common for vases to develop a cloudy-looking haze after holding flowers for a few days. The effervescence from denture tablets will break up the cloudiness. Use this method for glass or ceramic jars and vases.
- Fill the vase with warm water.
- Add a denture tablet.
- Allow the vase to sit for at least two hours, and then wash and rinse.
Clean the Toilet
When you’re out of toilet bowl cleaner, look no further than your box of denture tabs. Simply drop one in the toilet, allow it to bubble, and then use your toilet bowl brush to scrub.
Dislodge Mineral Deposits from Sink and Shower Heads
If your water is anything like mine, it leaves residue on the sink and shower heads that can prevent water from flowing correctly. Home remedies, like white distilled vinegar or denture tabs, can remove this buildup.
- Fill a large gallon Ziploc bag with warm water and add one denture tablet.
- Secure the Ziploc bag to the shower head using a rubber band. (Ensure the water touches the shower head nozzles.)
- Leave the bag on overnight.
- Remove the bag and scrub the nozzles with a soft-bristled brush.
- Rinse with plain water.
Remove Pasta Sauce Stains from Tupperware and Plastic Containers
There’s nothing like a pasta sauce stain to ruin the look of your favorite plastic containers. Fortunately, denture tabs are usually successful at lifting these stains.
- Fill the stained container with hot water and add a denture tab.
- Allow it to soak overnight or a minimum of four hours.
- Scrub with a sponge or soft-bristled brush.
- Wash, rinse, and dry.
Retainers
If you or your child wears a retainer at night, it needs to be cleaned to reduce bacteria.
- Fill a cup with hot water and add a denture tab.
- Soak the retainer for five minutes.
- Thoroughly rinse.
Unclog a Drain
Thanks to its effervescent action, a denture tablet can help unclog a drain the same way using baking soda and vinegar would. (However, be cautious. This isn’t going to work for extreme clogs.)
- Run hot water.
- Drop a tablet down the drain.
- Continue to let the water run for a few minutes.
Grout
Light-colored grout gets dirty with time. While the right grout cleaner will bring it back to life, you can use a denture tab in a pinch.
- Put two denture tabs in a bowl and add one tablespoon of water to create a paste.
- Use a toothbrush to apply the paste to your grout.
- Allow it to sit for 30 minutes, and then rinse.
What NOT to Use Denture Tablets On
Denture tablets clean and remove stains from hard surfaces. However, since they contain bleach, don’t use them on colored fabrics or carpets. They may come in handy for removing sweat stains from white shirts, but if you use them on a colored shirt, bleach marks may appear.
