Mouthwash Is Not Just For Your Mouth

Mouthwash is an antiseptic that kills the bacteria in your mouth to leave your mouth fresh and clean. Dr. Stewart can show you how to incorporate oral rinsing into your hygiene behaviors. Keep the bottle handy, because you can also use the same mouthwash for other cleaning and medical uses.

  • Bruises: Mouthwash’s antiseptic properties promote faster healing. To help reduce the appearance of an ugly bruise, just dip a cotton ball in mouthwash and rub it on the area.
  • Itchiness: Poison ivy and bug bites can be painful, itchy, and very uncomfortable. Mouthwash will help dry out the infected area to make the healing process quicker. In addition, it will relieve the itchiness.
  • Sanitizer: The antiseptic properties don’t just work in your mouth. You can use mouthwash to clean and disinfect cuts, scrapes, and wounds. If your hands smell bad from cooking, cleaning, or any other activity, wash them with soap, water, and mouthwash to help mask the smell.
  • Deodorant: Mouthwash kills odor-causing bacteria in your mouth, and it can eliminate the bacteria that causes perspiration odor. Swab your armpits with a cotton ball dipped in mouthwash to leave your skin feeling and smelling fresh.
  • Piercings: Mouthwash keeps your mouth clean and free of infection. If you pierce your tongue, your dentist will probably tell you to rinse with mouthwash to help healing and avoid infection. If it works in healing tongue piercings, it can help care your other infected piercings as well.
  • Athlete’s Foot: You can treat foot fungus with a dab of mouthwash. Be prepared that it will sting a little on your infected skin, but that just means it’s working.
  • Face Care: Mouthwash works as a facial astringent to keep your pores clean. Apply an alcohol-based, sugar-free mouthwash to your face and rinse with water.
  • Cleaning: Mouthwash can substitute for a toilet bowl cleaner. Let a little mouthwash soak in the toilet, then swish it around with a toilet brush and flush it out. The mouthwash will disinfect germs to keep it clean.
  • Laundry: Washing your clothes is supposed to make them fresh, but all those germs can build up in your machine and transfer to other clothes. Add a cup of mouthwash to your laundry load to destroy the bacteria in your wash.

Rinsing your mouth with an oral antiseptic will help eliminate bad bacteria and leave you feeling fresh and clean. Just remember, it can help your whole body and cleaning needs, too! To keep your mouth healthy, visit Dr. Stewart. Contact our dental office in Livonia, MI at (734) 425-4400 to schedule an appointment. We welcome families from the surrounding areas of Farmington Hills, Plymouth, Novi, Dearborn, Redford, and other nearby communities.