When your toothbrush has done its duty, instead of kicking it to the curb, give the brush a second life as a helper around your house. After a quick spin in your dishwasher, that old toothbrush can be put to work doing a multitude of tasks, cutting down on the amount of elbow grease that goes into cleaning. Here are 10 smart reasons to keep your old toothbrush stashed with your cleaning supplies:

• Grout scrubber: Instead of using harsh chemicals, or getting tuckered out from the repetitive movement of scrubbing, use the toothbrush to clean away stains. Pair it with a homemade cleaner [1], and you're on your way to a sparkling bathroom or kitchen.
• Hard-to-reach spots: You know that space behind your bathroom or kitchen sink that's almost impossible to really get clean? Use your handy toothbrush to scrub and remove mold and hard water stains. Simply toss the toothbrush in the dishwasher after using, and it's ready for another cleaning.
• Jewelry brush: Turn your old toothbrush into a jewelry cleaner by scrubbing with dish soap — making sure to plug your sink first! Using dish soap won't harm your favorite jewels and will help remove dirt and oil buildup.
• Cleaning small appliances: Transform your toothbrush into a crumb catcher for your toaster or a blade cleaner for your blender.
• Dusting car vents: Remove dust and any small insects that have decided to call your car vents home with the help of your old toothbrush. Gently brush and swipe vents with a damp toothbrush to dust and clean.
• Window corners: If you've got window tracks in your home, use your handy toothbrush to remove dust and dirt buildup in the window corners. And old toothbrushes also wonderfully clean the base and inside tracks of sliding glass doors in the bathroom.
• Cleaning computer keyboards: Use a dry toothbrush to help remove food bits and other random small items that have become lodged in your computer keyboard. Remember to power down before giving your machine a cleaning.
• Scrubbing scuff marks: Reunite your brush with its old pal toothpaste for removing scuffs and marks [2] on your floors. Or top your brush with a dab of dish soap for removing marks from painted walls.
• Removing drain buildup: Yes, seriously gross, but using a toothbrush to scrub kitchen and bathroom drains helps remove buildup that could lead to blocked pipes. It might be a good idea to toss the brush after use.
• Skinny blind duster: If you've got skinny plastic blinds in your home or office, use a damp toothbrush to bust through dust buildup.