How to Use Toothpicks Around the House

Toothpicks were used by Buddhist monks in the early 700s, but it wasn't until 1872 that the first toothpick-making machine was patented. Since then, these machines have been redesigned to net 7.5 million toothpicks from a single white birch. The following information provides some ways to use a few of them around the house.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Get rid of grease and grim in crevices and hard-to-reach areas. Dip the end of a toothpick in rubbing alcohol and run it around the edge of the area. Use this method on stove knobs and seams, phone buttons and hand held games.
2. Mark the start of a roll of tape. Wrap the end of the tape around a toothpick.
3. Pierce link sausage with a toothpick to stabilize them while they cook. Turn each sausage once to brown them evenly for your favorite recipes.
4. Suspend potatoes on toothpick legs before microwaving. Stick four toothpicks in one side of the potato to allow the microwaves to reach the underside of the potato while it cooks.
5. Use a toothpick to apply glue to small areas or tiny objects. Dip the end of the toothpick in glue and then dab it on sequins, beads or small cut-outs.
6. Fix a leaky garden hose. Find the leak and push a toothpick into the hole. Trim the excess toothpick and let the water in the hose swell the wood in the hole to plug the leak.
7. Deter cutworms. Push a toothpick into the soil about 1/4 inch from the stem of each seedling to prevent the cutworms from surrounding the plant.