Messy Toothpaste and a $25 Gift Card Giveaway

Today as part of the Arm & Hammer Switch & Save Challenge, I’m aiming to tackle my biggest bathroom pet peeves.

I’ll give you a hint, it has to do with toothpaste.

My kids started brushing their teeth on their own several years ago. In other words, I stopped putting toothpaste on their toothbrushes morning and night.

While I was very happy to see them growing up and becoming more self sufficient, their new found independence came at a price.

Here and there little globs of toothpaste appeared in the sink, on the counter, on the floor, or mashed into the bathroom rug.  The toothbrush drawer held even more surprises. Most days the tube is shoved back in the drawer without its lid, left to dry out or makes a mess.

Have you ever cleaned dried on toothpaste?  Good times.

If your kids are as messy with toothpaste as mine, here are a few solutions for us both:

  • It’s an old adage that you should clean up your own mess.  Why didn’t I think of this sooner?  This past week, I’ve assigned one child each day (on their job chart) to wipe off the sink and counter each day. The spills are so much easier to clean when they are new.  I’m also hoping the kids will be more careful when they know they will have to clean up the mess.  To make their job easy, I’ve provided a stack of small towels under the counter.  (A tub of cleaning wipes would work great too.)
  • I’ll spot check the bathroom and give the kids bonus points for keeping it clean.
  • New rule: the last person to brush needs to replace the lid and squeeze the toothpaste up to the top of the tube.
  • Have a stool in front of the sink for the little ones.  It’s hard to spit in a sink that is at eye level.  My girls are 9, and are very petite, they still use the stool for brushing their teeth.
  • Another new rule: stay in the bathroom while you brush. This eliminates the occasional drops of toothpaste on the carpet down the hall.

One of the unexpected benefits of switching to Arm & Hammer Advance White Brilliant Sparkle Toothpaste is the ease of cleaning it up.  My kids had been using a blue gel toothpaste, the white is SO much easier to clean.  Maybe it doesn’t show up as much in the white sink, or maybe it’s the baking soda in the paste.  Either way, I’m happy with the change.  Bye, bye blue.

And now for another $25 Gift Card Giveaway from the Arm & Hammer Switch and Save Challenge.

To enter leave a comment on this post sharing how you would spend $25 dollars if you won it.

  • Contest closes on Thursday, August 4, 2011 10:00 MDT
  • Only one comment per person please.
  • Random winner will be announced on Friday, August 5th

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This is a sponsored post for Church & Dwight Co., Inc, the maker of ARM & HAMMER branded products, who is paying me to try different products. Sign up for a free sample of Advance White Brilliant Sparkle Toothpaste. And then head over to The Switch & Save Challenge to keep up with all of the bloggers and enter to win $25,000.

58 Comments

  2. I would spend the $25 on another bag or 2 of pure baking soda. Funny after reading your blog and the tips about laundry and the fact that we have three mini dachshunds. I thought what the hay and gave it a try. LOVE IT, the bedding smells great and the odor was left behind by the dogs was GONE! My husband even noticed. So worth the money.

  3. My child doesn’t even have teeth yet and somehow I am still cleaning up toothpaste in the sink!!! {hubby!!!}

    And as for the toothpaste cap, I gave up long ago. I just picth it every time we open a new tube ;)

  4. Probably on baking soda…I make a ton of home cleaners and use a ton of it! thanks for the giveaway!

  5. I would most likely spend the $25 on some extra food for canning. Depending on what is in season I might make jams/jellies, salsa, pickle relish, potatoes, or maybe chicken or beef.

  10. I would spend $25 on some school clothes for my daughter. Thanks for your post today, it reminded me I have got to buy toothpaste today (I am a die hard arm and hammer toothpaste fan- LOVE the stuff).

  11. Great tips for helping with toothpaste cleanup/bathroom tidiness! I would use the $25 for a new quilting book I’ve been eyeing.

  14. If the gift card is for anything, I’m sure I’d spend it on groceries. Probably treat us to some nice steaks. If it is only for Arm and Hammer products, I’d try the toothpaste and check out some of their cleaning products.

    Thanks for the chance to win! I signed up for the free tube also!

  15. I would stock up on arm and hammer products – love their laundry soap. Of course I would probably buy myself a little extra treat – maybe some chocolate.

  18. I love arm and hammer products. Can you believe I still use the same tip from my mother to apply some toothpaste over a new cyst in my face? It will dry over night, and cure it.
    I hope to win this money to stock more arm and hamme products in my home.

  20. I would use the $25.00 gift card to purchase a pattern and fabric for my grand daughter’s dress.

  26. I would use it to buy Christmas presents- I have already started shopping the sales! :)

    Maybe you should try the lid that just pops up and doesn’t come all the way off- they all they have to do is close it!

  27. Well it’s back to school season so I am going to spend the $25 on school things. I am a teacher and always need stuff.

  28. I could always use some extra money for groceries and cleaning supplies. Right now I need some Oxy Clean and, if you can believe it, baking soda.

  29. I can’t decide for sure what I’d spend it on, but probably something at Target. I love looking at their clearance items!

  31. We’re closing on our new home on August 15th; so I’d put the money towards the house or towards a dinner-date celebration!

  37. So many options, but I would probably buy diapers…..however, I would love some new fabric!

  38. Well, I just found out I’m pregnant a couple if weeks ago, so I would use it to buy sinecure baby things!

  44. Fabric!! I’m a quilter and all the new bright modern fabrics are calling my name! I’d love to win! Thanks for the chance!

  46. I would most likely use it to purchase diapers and groceries. Pretty boring but necessary! :)

  48. I am a fellow baking soda lover!!!!! So many uses and can’t beat the price.

    I’d probably put the $25 towards Christmas gifts, I try to make as many as possible but those teenage boys are tough to make for.

  51. I would end up in Hobby Lobby buying a clear ruler to use with my rotary cutter and mat.

  53. I would buy my daughter a nice dress for Birthday. She is my oldest who will be turning six. When I was reading your post I was thinking of her and how hard she works to help me out with two younger siblings either when daddy is deployed or on assignment. Yes, we do have spots in the bathroom and it is far for being clean every day, but seeing her try and listen and do what I ask earns some special points.

  55. This will probably be the last summer I get to spend at home with both of my daughters – I have tentatively been offered a job and my oldest will be graduating from high school next year and may be interning during he summer in another state. I would use the money toward a day of fun with my girls.

  56. My son needs gas money to get to work… Thank you for the giveaway–they’re always fun!!

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