That last bit of toothpaste

[Mr One Wheel Drive]

When I was a kid my dad kept pliers in the bathroom so that when the tube was getting empty we could still squeeze the last little bit out. This was when the tubes were metal so you could roll them up really tightly too.

I don't keep pliers but I still find myself squeezing toothpaste a couple of days to a week after the rest of the family has moved on to the next tube and finding that there is still enough left.

I don't really think that I'm saving much money by doing so, but I figured that if any group of people would "get it", it would be here.

[Sunflower]

Haha I do this with toothpaste and hand/dish soap. Even when the bottle is mostly empty, you can get a lot out of it by keeping it on it's side or upside down. My SO thinks I'm crazy but has finally stopped throwing them out when he thinks they're empty (he leaves them for me to eek out what I can while using a new bottle himself).

[marty998]

We've (forum collectively) had this answered over the years. Can't remember who suggested it, but it was a golden piece of advice.

The trick is to cut the other end off the toothpaste tube off so you don't have to squeeze :)

[Mrs. Frugalwoods]

We've (forum collectively) had this answered over the years. Can't remember who suggested it, but it was a golden piece of advice.

The trick is to cut the other end off the toothpaste tube off so you don't have to squeeze :)

That's what I do with the end of the boxed wine bag--cut off the other end to eliminate the need to squeeze. This is some great, widely applicable knowledge :)

[GuitarStv]

Most bathroom counters have a 90 degree edge on them.  Starting at the bottom, slide the toothpaste tube over this edge using your palm on the other side to force every last scrap of toothpaste to the top.  No special tools required, and not as messy as cutting bits off.

[The Money Monk]

I use the something hard and cylindrical (heh) like a dowel or can of shaving cream, and roll in on the tube like a steamroller toward the opening. That does a pretty good job of getting it all.

The only way I have found to get more is to cut open the tube, which honestly I don't do because it is not worth the effort. There is so little left in the tube after I "steamroll" it, that cutting it open would probably only give me an extra day's worth of paste.

[Latwell]

I use the something hard and cylindrical (heh) like a dowel or can of shaving cream, and roll in on the tube like a steamroller toward the opening. That does a pretty good job of getting it all.

The only way I have found to get more is to cut open the tube, which honestly I don't do because it is not worth the effort. There is so little left in the tube after I "steamroll" it, that cutting it open would probably only give me an extra day's worth of paste.

Agreed. The best way to get the last pit of toothpaste in a plastic tube it to cut it open. I read this a few reads back and have been doing it ever since. I get as much of the bottom to the top of the tube and then cut it about half way. So that dust or car hair or whatever else doesn't get into the open tube, I just put the tube in a ziplock bag. My SO use to waste so much toothpaste prior to doing this.

[davef]

My wife bought a 2 back of these sliding plastic clips that you slide on and slide down the tube. It works great. There is the 1.00 inital investment, but they are re-usable and great for kids. (i cut the tube to get it off, and use the last bit of paste then)

[viper155]

When I was a kid my dad kept pliers in the bathroom so that when the tube was getting empty we could still squeeze the last little bit out. This was when the tubes were metal so you could roll them up really tightly too.

I don't keep pliers but I still find myself squeezing toothpaste a couple of days to a week after the rest of the family has moved on to the next tube and finding that there is still enough left.

I don't really think that I'm saving much money by doing so, but I figured that if any group of people would "get it", it would be here.

It is the principle. I'm the only one in my house that is allowed to throw away the tube

[jexy103]

My wife bought a 2 back of these sliding plastic clips that you slide on and slide down the tube. It works great. There is the 1.00 inital investment, but they are re-usable and great for kids. (i cut the tube to get it off, and use the last bit of paste then)

I once bought some slightly dressier bobby pins/hair clips for special occassions, but the tension was much too tight and ended up pulling my hair out when I tried to put them in. So I repurposed them for exactly this. :-)

[Datastache]

I'm definitely not afraid to put in a little elbow grease to use the last bits of toothpaste. Actually, I'm just now starting to go into that phase with my current tube - it's probably just a day or two away from when many people would toss it, but I'm betting I can go at least another week. I think this particular Mustachian habit was picked up directly from my parents.

Another thing I'm really good at is getting one last PBJ sandwich out of an "empty" jar of peanut butter. I still feel bad about tossing whatever remains after that, though... =P

[G-dog]

Haha I do this with toothpaste and hand/dish soap. Even when the bottle is mostly empty, you can get a lot out of it by keeping it on it's side or upside down. My SO thinks I'm crazy but has finally stopped throwing them out when he thinks they're empty (he leaves them for me to eek out what I can while using a new bottle himself).

For liquid soaps (including shampoo), I add a little water and swirl it around to get the last of the soap. I actually often add water to the shampoo, it lathers just as well and is easier to dispense.
And I squeeze that toothpaste to get every last bit. I probably get 2-3 weeks more out of a tube my husband would have tossed.  I also only apply about 2mm of toothpaste align the length of the vpbrush, not the full cylinder of oaste like you see in commercials. That blob of paste typically just falls off into the sink, so I mash the toothpaste into the bristles and use less.

[Cwadda]

Yep. I use the stick side of the toothbrush to smooth out the empty tube. It easily gets you another 10 days worth.

[Rural]

Another thing I'm really good at is getting one last PBJ sandwich out of an "empty" jar of peanut butter. I still feel bad about tossing whatever remains after that, though... =P

Rubber spatula. I picked up a package of 3-4 in various sizes at a dollar store a few years ago, and it changed my definition of "empty" completely. Works for more than peanut butter, too.

[trailrated]

Not mine, I stole it from the interwebs... but still makes me laugh

"My girlfriend and I were waiting for each other to buy new toothpaste. I thought I had won and came home to this."

[arebelspy]

My wife bought a 2 back of these sliding plastic clips that you slide on and slide down the tube. It works great. There is the 1.00 inital investment, but they are re-usable and great for kids. (i cut the tube to get it off, and use the last bit of paste then)

This.

We use a little plastic thing that looks like this: