Nine out of 10 dentists recommend it. But surprising tensile strength and the fact that it comes in Teflon means that floss also has lots of non-tooth applications.
Literally, millions of miles of it are sold annually, and not every inch is destined to save those pearly whites. Here’s what else you can do with it.
7 Uses for Dental Floss
Hang a Picture
Instead of using braided wire which can mar your wall, tie dental floss across the back of a lightweight frame and then hang it on the wall.
If you’re hanging on plaster walls in an older home, this trick is especially useful. As TOH’s Tommy Silva points out, “The plaster is very brittle, so you gotta be careful of the hanger.” The lighter load from a floss-hung frame puts less stress on fragile plaster than a heavy wire setup would.
Pro Tip: TOH general contractor Tommy Silva recommends using two hanging points rather than one when mounting frames and mirrors: “It allows me to slide the mirror to the left and the right just a little bit because I have two of them, but it also keeps the mirror from going askew.” Apply the same principle with dental floss—tie two separate loops across the back of the frame for more stability and easier leveling.
Sew something
Thread dental floss through a needle with a large eye and then use it to sew on a button in a pinch.
Seal connections
If you don’t have Teflon tape on hand, wrap dental floss around the threads on a leaky connection and then screw it back into place.
Pro Tip: As TOH plumbing expert Richard Trethewey has demonstrated on the show, when sealing threaded connections professionally, plumbers use wicking — a strand of thread material laid right into the threads — alongside pipe dope. Dental floss works on the same principle for a quick, temporary fix, but for a lasting seal, pick up a roll of Teflon tape or pipe thread sealant.
Foil frays
Wrap rope ends with floss to stop it from unraveling.
Protect bits
Remove the dental floss guide and empty spool, and then use the container to cradle a router’s trim bit.
As TOH host Kevin O’Connor puts it, router versatility comes down to “all of the different bits, the bases, the templates, the collets.” With that many small accessories to keep track of, a little improvised storage goes a long way.
Pro Tip: TOH general contractor Tom Silva notes the sheer variety of router bits a homeowner can accumulate: “There’s a chamfer, there’s roundovers, ogees, moldings. You name it.” Keeping each bit safely stored—even in a repurposed floss container—helps protect those profiles so they cut cleanly every time.
Replace a broken shoelace
Tie the ends of several pieces of detail floss together, wrap the ends with clear tape, and then use as a makeshift shoelace.
Floss tools
Use dental floss to remove dirt from the thread on a screw or from the crevices on a dirty tool.
