GOOD TO KNOW
W hile good oral health is the reason dental
floss was invented, you can use unflavored floss in many more ways...
Fix eyeglasses: Ever lose one of those tiny screws
that attaches the earpiece to the front of the frame? As a quick fix, thread a
piece of dental floss through the holes that the screw goes through. Then knot
the floss, and cut off the excess. The floss will allow you to wear your glasses
until you can replace the screw.
Sew a button: Children’s clothes and some types of
work clothes often test the endurance of cotton thread. Sew buttons on with
dental floss, and they will pass the test with flying colors.
Relieve the dripping sound: Dental floss will not stop
a faucet from leaking, but it will stop the sound of the drip-drip-drip
until the plumber arrives. Cut a piece of floss long enough to tie around the
spout of the faucet, and let it hang down into the drain. You may have to use
tape to position the floss so that the drip is touching the floss, enabling each
drop to slide down the length of the floss into the drain, eliminating the
annoying noise it makes when it falls from the faucet to the sink.
Cut cake and more: Dental floss will cut a cheesecake
better than most knives. Take a piece of floss that’s a few inches longer than
the diameter of the cake. Hold an end in each hand, making the floss taut. Then
maneuver the floss through the cheesecake to cut it in half. Slide the floss out
from the bottom of the cake. Now that there are two halves, you can cut slices
-- one at a time -- using the same taut-floss method.
Clean furniture: If you have furniture with
hard-to-get-at crevices, take about 12 inches of floss, tie or wind the ends on
your index fingers (loose enough to keep the circulation going, of course) and
clean out the furniture’s wedged-in dirt. Floss also may be used to clean
between cracks or crevices around the stove, sink, counter and wherever else
dirt gets imbedded.
Tie it up: When a shoelace tears and you have no
string around, use floss to keep your shoe tied until you replace the lace.
String a roast: Some recipes for roasts call for the
meat to be tied with cotton butcher string to make it more uniformly shaped,
preserve moisture, keep any stuffing in place and ensure even cooking. If you
have the meat but no string, use unwaxed dental floss. Rest assured, it won’t
burn or melt!
Fix eyeglasses: Ever lose one of those tiny screws
that attaches the earpiece to the front of the frame? As a quick fix, thread a
piece of dental floss through the holes that the screw goes through. Then knot
the floss, and cut off the excess. The floss will allow you to wear your glasses
until you can replace the screw.Sew a button: Children’s clothes and some types of
work clothes often test the endurance of cotton thread. Sew buttons on with
dental floss, and they will pass the test with flying colors.If you have buttons floating around in a drawer, use dental floss to string
all the same-color buttons together. Next time you need a button, you’ll be glad
they’re organized that way.
Floss also can be used to repair any kind of fine netting, such as some
fishing nets and mosquito netting.
Relieve the dripping sound: Dental floss will not stop
a faucet from leaking, but it will stop the sound of the drip-drip-drip
until the plumber arrives. Cut a piece of floss long enough to tie around the
spout of the faucet, and let it hang down into the drain. You may have to use
tape to position the floss so that the drip is touching the floss, enabling each
drop to slide down the length of the floss into the drain, eliminating the
annoying noise it makes when it falls from the faucet to the sink.Cut cake and more: Dental floss will cut a cheesecake
better than most knives. Take a piece of floss that’s a few inches longer than
the diameter of the cake. Hold an end in each hand, making the floss taut. Then
maneuver the floss through the cheesecake to cut it in half. Slide the floss out
from the bottom of the cake. Now that there are two halves, you can cut slices
-- one at a time -- using the same taut-floss method.You also can use this floss method to cut soft cheese, some kinds of bread,
hard-boiled eggs and canned cranberry jelly.
Having a hard time taking freshly baked cookies off the cookie sheet? Holding
a piece of floss tautly, gently slide it under each cookie, coaxing the
cookie off the pan.
Clean furniture: If you have furniture with
hard-to-get-at crevices, take about 12 inches of floss, tie or wind the ends on
your index fingers (loose enough to keep the circulation going, of course) and
clean out the furniture’s wedged-in dirt. Floss also may be used to clean
between cracks or crevices around the stove, sink, counter and wherever else
dirt gets imbedded.Tie it up: When a shoelace tears and you have no
string around, use floss to keep your shoe tied until you replace the lace.If you lose your luggage lock while traveling, keep the luggage zipper closed
by tying it with floss.
String a roast: Some recipes for roasts call for the
meat to be tied with cotton butcher string to make it more uniformly shaped,
preserve moisture, keep any stuffing in place and ensure even cooking. If you
have the meat but no string, use unwaxed dental floss. Rest assured, it won’t
burn or melt!It is recommended that poultry (chicken, turkey, duck) also be tied (trussed)
before roasting. Once again, unwaxed dental floss can be used as a string
substitute.