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Toothpicks. Unless you have spinach in your teeth, you probably don’t give them much thought. But these small wooden sticks are good for more than just dislodging dinner -- they’re also a handy helper for household tasks like cleaning and cooking.
Plus, if you’re hosting a large get together, toothpicks can be a real people pleaser if you use them in ones of these fun finger food recipes.
View the slideshow above to discover how else can you use toothpicks.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
1. Fill Stripped Screw Holes. If you have stripped screw holes in hinges or other hardware, fill the hole with toothpicks. To make them stick, dab them with glue and then slide them in. Once the hole is tightly filled, re-drill the stripped hole.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
2. Touch Up Furniture. Instead of using a paintbrush to touch up scratches in furniture, use a toothpick. You’ll have more control over the area you’re painting.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
3. Clean Your Phone. Use a toothpick to clean dirt and grime out of the holes in your receiver.
Photo Credit: Alamy
4. Clean Keyboards. To get dirt and bacteria out of your keyboard, use rubbing alcohol and a toothpick. Dip the toothpick into the rubbing alcohol and go around your keys.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
5. Plant An Avocado. Avocado seeds don’t do well if they’re planted directly in soil. Instead, push three toothpicks into the seed, and suspend the seed in a glass of water. Let the water cover the bottom portion of the seed, and keep it out of direct sunlight. Once the roots and stem start to grow, it’s time to plant your avocado seedling in the ground.
Photo Credit: jupiterimages
6. Repair A Garden Hose Leak. If you have a small garden hose leak, stick a toothpick into the hole. Once it’s wet, the wood will swell and provide a good temporary plug.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
7. Test Soil Moisture. To test your houseplant moisture level, push a toothpick into the soil. If it comes out clean, it needs water. If it comes out wet and covered with soil, it doesn’t.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
8. Deter Cutworms. If you’re having an issue with pests on your tomatoes, push three toothpicks into the soil close to the stem of the tomato plant. This deters cutworms from curling around the plant.
Photo Credit: Alamy
9. Light Candles. Toothpicks burn slower and longer than matches, so use a match to light a toothpick, and then light your candles.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
10. Test Baked Goods. This is like “Test Soil Moisture,” but opposite. Stick a toothpick into your baked good. If it comes out clean, your baked good is done. If it has any crumbs or dough sticking to it, it needs more time in the oven.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
11. Protect Your Stove. To keep pots from boiling over, stick a toothpick under a pot lid to create a little gap for steam to escape.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
12. Make Finger Foods.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
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