Although I’m a fan of dental floss for the normal reasons, I had no idea that it could serve many purposes that have nothing to do with teeth.
In a story adapted from a Life Kit newsletter, National Public Radio’s Suzette Lohmeyer reports, “Dental floss can be used for more than just making you feel guilty and keeping gums healthy. It’s the Swiss Army knife of modern travel, according to Onebag.com’s packing expert, Doug Dyment.
“[NPR’s] Life Kit team poked around Dyment’s website for practical tips on the many other uses of dental floss. …
“Let’s start with using floss to deliver a baby, because … wait, what? It’s true. … Whether on a plane to Norway or on a sailboat to the Caribbean, just pull out the travel dental floss and cut the umbilical cord. … Other surgical ways to use it: to suture a wound, Dyment says. …
“And dental floss can get off those rings stuck on puffy fingers. Thread the floss under the ring and then watch this YouTube video for the rest.
“Dental floss makes an excellent knife substitute while you’re traveling as well, Dyment says. Try using it to slice foods like cake, cheese, watermelon and cookie dough. …
“Dental floss can be used to tie things. Try tying the bottom of your pants legs during a hike to avoid mosquitoes and ticks, or use floss to replace a broken shoelace. You can also thread floss through the hinge of a pair of broken eyeglasses.
“If you find yourself in the middle of the woods without matches, waxed floss can be used as a fire starter. And if you need to catch a fish to cook over that fire, floss can be used to bind a knife to make a spear or as fishing line and a snare. …
“For a broken toilet chain, replace it with dental floss (yes, it is strong enough). Have a drippy faucet that is keeping you up at night? ‘Tie a piece of dental floss around the end of the faucet, and let the water dribble down the dental floss so it won’t drip, drip, drip anymore,’ says Dyment.”
OK, I get that dental floss is strong. It has to be to get between my own very crowded teeth. But some of these tips require a level of skill that sounds like pie in the sky. I mean, could you spear a fish even if you had an actual spear?
More fun stuff at NPR, here.
Suzanne's Mom's Blog 
I keep a roll in my kitchen drawer for cutting goat and other soft cheeses, and it’s great to slide under a rolled out sheet of pastry that has stuck on the board!
Brilliant. I will remember that one!
When I was a little kid, my sister and I tried to use dental floss to make a tightrope, like in the circus . . .
LOL! That’s a good one. I’m sure it was strong enough — but not much purchase for your feet!
The things I learn reading this blog!
And the things I learn from readers! I am going to use that tip from New Vintage Kitchen about dough stuck to the board!
Who knew what dental floss could do.
Makes me want to think up other uses. But first I have to catch my fish.