Comments on: Life Hack!

Life Hack!

maryr — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 18:25:39 -0800

How To Toothpaste. Vi Hart previously on Metafilter.

By: MaryDellamorte

MaryDellamorte — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 18:42:08 -0800

Am I the only one who almost had an anxiety attack watching the toothpaste get smooshed everywhere?

By: unliteral

unliteral — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 18:56:10 -0800

If only toothpaste tubes were made for right-handed people.

By: pompomtom

pompomtom — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 19:00:14 -0800

I thought the end thing stopped being important when the tubes became plastic... but otherwise, yeah, life is meaningless, do your thing.

By: bleep

bleep — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 19:03:07 -0800

Oh my god, I feel so hacked in the life. Except I only buy this kind of toothpaste container because you stand it on its head and all the toothpaste falls out by itself. NO HACKING REQUIRED. Every day I try to fathom why this packaging didn't catch on. People like to torture themselves, I guess.

By: nevercalm

nevercalm — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 19:11:11 -0800

Am I the only one who almost had an anxiety attack watching the toothpaste get smooshed everywhere? NOPE. GAH. I also do this, but it's really annoying that they're now mostly making toothbrushes with rubber grips, and the feeling of scraping that grippy rubber against the tube also sets my teeth on edge. I always keep a stock of mostly plastic handled extra toothbrushes bc they're so hard to find.

By: TheLittlePrince

TheLittlePrince — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 19:22:26 -0800

Oh wow! a public service message about how to save toothpaste by wasting toothpaste. And rest 2/3 of video is a stream of consciousness about .... ? The mathematical doodles videos are good but this one is kinda ...... underwhelming.

By: turbid dahlia

turbid dahlia — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 19:23:49 -0800

No, this is how.

By: turbid dahlia

turbid dahlia — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 19:24:51 -0800

...sets my teeth on edge. Best way to get at those tricky angles.

By: greenhornet

greenhornet — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 19:34:30 -0800

I may never toothpaste again...

By: Tandem Affinity

Tandem Affinity — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 20:22:47 -0800

Why doesn't everyone have a toothpaste smusher? Not that I would pay $7 for one but 1.50 was worth keeping all my toothpaste together ALWAYS!

By: tonycpsu

tonycpsu — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 20:31:23 -0800

We just use one of these little bag clip jobs.

By: eye of newt

eye of newt — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 20:42:47 -0800

Extreme Toothbrushing My toothbrushing advice: use two toothbrushes, and alternate between them. This way each has an extra day to dry out between uses, which should help prevent things from growing in your toothbrush. On a whim, I recently decided to try out Theodent toothpaste. It doesn't actually taste like chocolate, but it is mighty tasty. I wonder if it really remineralizes teeth like they claim.

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 20:44:38 -0800

I liked the painting of teeth on the black surface.

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 20:45:45 -0800

as for putting toothpaste on the brush, that's what the Valet is for, and it's an electric dear lord do you think my gum health is a joke? Back to the gallows with you

By: DoctorFedora

DoctorFedora — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 20:49:14 -0800

You know, after reading about it in some old book of life tips written/collected by some blind guy in the '60s or something, I started to get into the habit of just squeezing the toothpaste out a little and biting it off instead of trying to put it on the toothbrush. Can't understand why that never caught on.

By: madamjujujive

madamjujujive — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 21:21:41 -0800

toothpastery

By: sonascope

sonascope — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 22:02:18 -0800

Tooth powder does not have these complications and looks coolly vintage alongside your shaving mug, brush, and Gillette Super Speed from '51.

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 22:03:27 -0800

On the other hand some of us drink a lot of black coffee and red wine and need stronger stuff.

By: OHenryPacey

OHenryPacey — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 22:05:12 -0800

Actual PSA: brush, and then spit, but don't rinse. this is when you should floss, to carry the toothpaste between your teeth to help prevent cavities there. you're welcome.

By: Justinian

Justinian — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 22:12:01 -0800

Isn't Theodent what the anti-fluoride people use? Or is that something else?

By: cman

cman — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 22:41:06 -0800

This video is wrong. Use most of it as normal. Grasp both ends of the tube and fold the tube over the edge of your counter. The sharper the counter edge the better. Pull away from the nozzle. Store vertically, with the nozzle pointing down. Now you don't have to risk wiping your toothbrush on your nasty bathroom counter.

By: eye of newt

eye of newt — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 23:17:24 -0800

Isn't Theodent what the anti-fluoride people use? Or is that something else?--Justinian They use Tom's. Theodent is really expensive, so people with too much money or the curious like me try it. Otherwise, I use Tom's with Fluoride, because I'm a rebel.

By: funkiwan

funkiwan — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 00:53:52 -0800

I *loved* this video. There's something so terribly liberating about seeing something "wasted" that I would never, ever think to waste. I found it much more entertaining to view it as an art masquerading as a life hack. Vi Hart is pretty damned awesome and I'm glad to see this creative side of her.

By: Too-Ticky

Too-Ticky — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 01:29:39 -0800

All the toothpaste we use here has a big cap that you can stand the tube on. Problem solved. (Also, when it seems really really empty I cut the tube open with scissors and scrape the last bit out and it's always enough for brushing my teeth. Yay free toothpaste!)

By: fredludd

fredludd — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 01:39:25 -0800

I've fallen in love with Vi Hart all over again.

By: KMB

KMB — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 01:46:40 -0800

I get the feeling that she is entering Miranda July territory and I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing.

By: mannequito

mannequito — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 02:05:11 -0800

Toothpaints! Love it.

By: whatzit

whatzit — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 03:41:32 -0800

Why doesn't everyone have a toothpaste smusher? A few months ago I hosted a couchsurfer from South Korea. When she left, I found one of these on the most recent generation of a long line of abused tubes of toothpaste. I think she saw the state of my toothpaste efficiency and felt compelled to fix it. She never mentioned leaving a toothpaste smusher, and I didn't find it until hours after she left (afternoon departure, nighttime brushing). This has to be one of the most memorable gifts I ever got from a couchsurfer, and one that I keep using every day, so I keep thinking of her.

By: ultraviolet catastrophe

ultraviolet catastrophe — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 05:04:47 -0800

I'm OK with knowing that I don't use 100 percent of the toothpaste in the tube.

By: Nanukthedog

Nanukthedog — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 06:37:13 -0800

I'm taking it that I was the only one who thought that this video, with its strong left turn into toothpaste poetry was very much at place adjacent in posting to a David Lynch pug montage? That took Dune from reasonable to adorable, and this took toothpaste from informative to crazy train.

By: ignignokt

ignignokt — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 08:03:45 -0800

I extend my hand and invite you to join me in the civilized world. That part totally sounded like some Baldur's Gate NPC's speech clip. If they do make Baldur's Gate III, there should be a toothpaste shoppe.

By: sneebler

sneebler — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 09:42:43 -0800

What do you mean, "if"? That's crazy talk. And not just a Shoppe, but a whole toothpaste quest!! Theodent is really expensive Well, it is God's toothpaste after all.

By: IAmBroom

IAmBroom — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 10:27:01 -0800

eye of newt: "Extreme Toothbrushing My toothbrushing advice: use two toothbrushes, and alternate between them. This way each has an extra day to dry out between uses, which should help prevent things from growing in your toothbrush. On a whim, I recently decided to try out Theodent toothpaste. It doesn't actually taste like chocolate, but it is mighty tasty. I wonder if it really remineralizes teeth like they claim." Or dip them in your after-brushing cap of mouthwash, which is strongly anti-bacterial, and since it's going straight into your mouth, nothing wasted.

By: freecellwizard

freecellwizard — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 11:17:27 -0800

I miss the old tubes with the screw-on cap. It was easy to get every last bit of toothpaste out. The stupid flat-attached-plastic-end ones are really unwieldy to me by comparison. I also hate the following other plastic "squeezable" containers: * jelly * body wash/shampoo It gets hard to get the contents out by the time container is about half full. Hate.

By: turbid dahlia

turbid dahlia — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 13:59:32 -0800

Probably the best toothpaste and most delicious is by Marvis.

By: DoctorFedora

DoctorFedora — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 15:18:19 -0800

"After-brushing cap of mouthwash"?! That stuff is best used BEFORE brushing, in order to loosen up that plaque and render your toothbrush more effective, or something! I dunno. Also, if you want your teeth to feel dentist-clean after you brush, after you spit out your toothpaste and rinse your brush, give your teeth another once-over with your clean brush before you rinse. You'll be running your tongue and maybe teeth over your teeth all morning/evening. That said, good call on dipping your toothbrush into mouthwash to clean it. Never even occurred to me.

By: jclarkin

jclarkin — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 15:19:37 -0800

It occasionally occurs to me that my kids will not have the experience of the awful awful metal toothpaste tubes that cracked and leaked even when used with care. Truly, I am living in the future.

By: IAmBroom

IAmBroom — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 14:17:50 -0800

DoctorFedora: ""After-brushing cap of mouthwash"?! That stuff is best used BEFORE brushing, in order to loosen up that plaque and render your toothbrush more effective, or something! I dunno." My mouthwash (a fluoride wash, importantly - you are supposed to leave a film of it in your mouth) specifically states it's to be used after brushing. The ADA says (for generic mouthwashes): "It can be done before or after brushing".