• Toothpaste for Oral Hygienetoothbrush and paste 2 image by Pontus Edenberg from Fotolia.com
  
  Mouthwash in some form dates back to ancient Egyptian, Chinese, Greek, and Roman cultures. According to the History of Mouthwash, "Anthropologic evidence suggests that many ancient cultures practiced regular oral hygiene." The long-standing mouthwash used today was originally developed in 1879 as an antiseptic for sterilizing surgical instruments. Today, mouthwash users claim that mouthwash works not only as an antiseptic, but also as a cleaner, a fungicide, a pesticide, a deodorant, itch reliever, and other things.
  
  

Mouthwash Cleans Floors and Toilets

• Mouthwash purportedly cleans tile grout when poured or sprayed at full strength on the grout. The mouthwash should allowed to set for a few minutes and then scrubbed with a toothbrush or a rag. Mouthwash poured full strength into the toilet bowl and left to sit for a while will clean the bowl and leave it smelling fresh.
  
  

Mouthwash Repels and Kills Insects

• According to a writer's email post to the syndicated newspaper columnist and online site the "People's Pharmacy," mouthwash was the only solution the writer could find to get rid of head lice. "We are lice-free at last with Listerine, alcohol, vinegar, and Denorex! We sprayed four heads every night with Listerine before bed, then combed and combed every inch with a nit comb."
  
  Another writer says amber mouthwash kills ticks. "Last summer I learned that antiseptic mouth rinse kills ticks immediately. When I found a tick, I used to remove it and put it into rubbing alcohol where it died after a minute or so. Once I had no alcohol, but my mouthwash was handy. I wet some toilet paper with it, laid it on the tick for a few seconds and, shazam! The tick released its nasty grip. I wiped it away with the paper. Check it out. Be sure the active ingredients match those of Listerine blue or yellow. If you put a live tick into this solution, it dies in a couple of seconds."
  
  Writers have posted on other home remedy-dedicated websites that mouthwash sprayed around gardens and grassy areas discourages mosquitoes.
  
  

Mouthwash Cures Toenail Fungus

• Mouthwash has long been recommended as a home remedy to cure foot and toenail fungus. It works by either spraying it on the affected area or by soaking the feet several times a week in water to which the mouthwash has been added.
  
  

Mouthwash Stops Itching

• Male and female jock itch can be irksome, particularly during the hot summer months. Users recommend after each shower, mouthwash should be patted or sprayed on the affected area. Let the skin dry before getting dressed. In a day or so, the problem should disappear. Spray amber mouthwash on itchy-dog hot spots and sunburn itch. Use it to relieve human scalp itch, shingles, and poison sumac itch.
  
  According to a People's Pharmacy article titled "Old-Fashioned Listerine Has New Uses: The People's Pharmacy," a writer wrote that he was suffering severe itching from poison sumac. "I read your column about a woman who used Listerine for her shingles. I thought what the heck, give it a try. Imagine my surprise when the itching stopped. Within a few days the rash was gone."
  
  Many blog and websites post claims of mouthwash use for relieving various other ailments. Some have reportedly tamed otherwise impossible-to-control underarm odor with mouthwash.