A multitude of uses around the home for your simple tube of toothpaste

Cleaning a dirty iron, removing nail varnish stains and even sticking up posters – these are the top bizarre home uses for toothpaste.

Last month parents were warned that some young children are actually using too much of the white stuff.

Experts from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that too much fluoride when teeth are forming can lead to tooth streaking or spottiness in later life.

So if you find yourself with excess toothpaste after cutting back, worry not - because cleaning experts have lifted the lid on some strange alternative uses.

Ralitsa Prodanova, of nationwide domestic services firm Fantastic Services, says it’s something of a miracle substance when it comes to quick fixes around the home.

Ralitsa, based in London, adds: “Your toothpaste doesn’t just have to live in your bathroom - it can come in handy all over your home.

"The dirty iron hack is one of our favourites because it's so easy and it really works, but you can also use toothpaste to remove water marks, stains from clothes and carpets and soap scum.

"You can also use it to polish up diamonds or brass. Different toothpastes are better for different uses though - you wouldn't want to use a coloured, gel-based toothpaste to remove stains.

"White toothpaste usually works best and ones with baking soda in will work even better.

Here Ralitsa and the Fantastic Services team reveal their top toothpaste home hacks: It can clean your dirty iron.Ralitsa says: "Using toothpaste on the plate of your iron can stop it leaving your clothes with more creases than you started with. A build-up of dirt and scorch marks causes this to happen, and can lead to people replacing their appliances too soon. Revel in the comfort of a freshly-ironed outfit by rubbing white toothpaste on the dirty areas of your iron plates. Ensure your iron is unplugged before you start, and after applying the toothpaste, wipe it away with a cloth. Then turn your iron on and fill its tank with water before placing it on an old towel and setting it to steam. Leave it for a few minutes and after this, you will have a sparkling clean iron plate."

Use it to remove nail varnish stains​"The dreaded yellow-stain agony is all too familiar for those who regularly use nail varnish on their nails or toes. You can use as much cotton wool and nail varnish remover as you like - but sometimes those stains left behind just won't budge - especially if you wear dark colours. But you don't have to walk around with grubby-looking fingers or toes. Whack some whitening toothpaste on your stained nails and use a toothbrush and a dash of water to brush it off - leaving them looking fresh and clean. This hack will also help to strengthen your nails."

Use it on walls to stick posters up and fill holes"​If your child or teenager is adamant about sticking posters up on their bedroom wall but you're worried about marks, a thin layer of toothpaste instead of blu-tac or sticky pads is a great alternative adhesive. It won't leave marks and will stay there until you want to remove the posters from the walls. Smear a little bit of toothpaste on the corner before sticking it to the wall. If you're moving out of a rented place and don't have the time or any spare cash to fill small holes, like nail holes, you can also fill them with non-gel toothpaste. Be sure to wipe away the excess with something with straight edges."

It can help you get chewing gum out of your hair"If you've got gum in your hair, the chances are you're not happy about it - and the idea of putting more sticky stuff on top of it won't excite you. But toothpaste can help you to remove gum from your hair. Place toothpaste all over the chewing gum and let it dry. This will make the gum much easier for you to draw out of your hair."

Get your plastic garden furniture ready for spring"Give your white plastic chairs and tables a solid scrub with toothpaste and you'll have them looking as good as new - without having to waste your cleaning products or fork out on more. Toothpaste is gently abrasive and will remove any stains or marks. It can even help to get rid of that chalky residue - oxidation - that leaves garden furniture looking so dirty."

It can remove small scratches and scuffs from your vehicle"It sounds strange, but toothpaste is widely used on cars. Toothpaste can help to hide minor damage to your paintwork when used with a soft, damp cloth or sponge. Apply a dab of toothpaste and gently rub the affected area in a circle. Then wipe it off with a soft cloth. If the marks have not fully penetrated the clear coat of your vehicle's paint this hack will work even better. Toothpaste can also be used to buff out scratches on glass, like watch faces or phones."

Banish strong food smells from your hands"Garlic, onions, fish or strong-smelling cheeses - they're things people love to eat but no-one wants their hands and fingers smelling pungent after cooking. Rather than scrubbing away at your mitts with a scourer and washing-up liquid, use toothpaste instead. It will banish strong-smelling stenches like garlic from any set of hands without the need to stink of it for a week. And an added bonus - it's also kind to the kitchen utensils you use with the same smelly foods."

Brighten up and remove dirt from your trainers"Mucky white soles are a grievance for anyone when it comes to the trusted sneakers they wear every day, or the more expensive, designer trainers they've splashed out on. And toothpaste can help. Use a toothbrush, or cloth or sponge, to work it into the dirty parts of your shoes and leave it to dry. Wipe it off with a damp cloth and your shoes will be whiter than white. You can also use a toothbrush, toothpaste and water to scrub away at the soles. But you should only clean canvas shoes and sneakers with toothpaste, as you could damage suede trainers.”