7 Surprising Uses of Dental Floss Around the House

In nearly every bathroom, you'll find at least one package of dental floss, whether it’s waxed, unwaxed, monofilament, or multistranded. Believe it or not, that little bundle of cord can do much more than clean your teeth—and it’s particularly handy as a stand-in for string, wire, or thread. Discover 7 amazing things you can do with dental floss.

1. Remove a stuck ring

Here’s a simple way to slip off a ring that’s stuck on your finger. Wrap the length of your finger from the ring to the nail tightly with dental floss (the flat, tape-style works well). Then slide the ring off over the floss ‘carpet’.

2. Lift cookies from a baking tray

Ever fought with a freshly baked cookie that wouldn’t come off the pan? Crumbled cookies may taste just as good as those in one piece, but they definitely don’t look as nice on the serving plate. Use dental floss to easily remove cookies from the cookie sheet. Hold a length of dental floss taut and slide it neatly between the cookie’s bottom and the pan.

3. Slice cake and cheese

Use dental floss to cut cakes, especially delicate and sticky ones that tend to adhere to a knife. Just hold a length of floss taut over the cake and slice away, moving it slightly side to side as you cut through the cake. You can also use dental floss to cut small blocks of cheese cleanly.

4. Repair outdoor gear

Because dental floss is strong and resilient but slender, it’s the ideal replacement for thread when you are repairing an umbrella, tent, or backpack. These items take a beating and sometimes get pinhole nicks. Sew up the small holes with floss. To fix larger gouges, sew back and forth over the holes until you have covered the space with a floss patch.

5. Extra-strong string for hanging things

Considering how thin it is, dental floss is strong stuff. Use it instead of string or wire to securely hang pictures, sun catchers, or wind chimes. Use it with a needle to thread together papers you want to attach or those you want to display, in clothesline fashion.

6. Secure a button permanently

Did that button fall off again? This time, sew it back on with dental floss—it’s much stronger than thread, which makes it perfect for reinstalling buttons on coats, jackets, and heavy shirts.

7. Separate photos

Sometimes photos get stuck to each other and it seems the only way to separate them is to ruin them. Try working a length of dental floss between the pictures to gently pry them apart.