Doing Without
So Friday I got ready to spend the weekend at a friend’s, got myself organized, and everything’s great. PJs, check. ProActiv, check. Weekend work and Loretta Chase, double check. All is well.
Until Friday night arrives and I realize I’ve forgotten my toothbrush and toothpaste. And here’s the situation:
- I do not magically discover a toothbrush at the bottom of my laptop case, my purse, or my overnight bag.
- My friend has no extra toothbrushes.
- I have no chewing gum and my friend does not own mouthwash (not that I would anyway, because that stuff is gross).
- My friend lives 20-minutes’ drive from town, which, being a rural town (duh)…
- Doesn’t have any kind of shop that sells a toothbrush at 9pm.
Might seem unnecessary drama to you, but I hate – HATE – going to bed untoothbrushed. It is just a fact of life for me. I go to bed feeling clean. End of story. Without a toothbrush, what do I do?
Simple: Do as they used to, and use a washcloth. Takes a bit of manoeuvring and contorting (cause thick flannel + back molars = WTH), but if it does the job, then I don’t care.
I would, however, draw the line at flossing with my hair.
Any interesting improvisations you remember when necessity struck?
– Jean AAR
Swish salt water for a minute or two, then eat an apple. Floss with sewing thread–something my mother did long before floss was commonplace.
In the olden days people used twigs. Just sayin’. ; )
I had to go without a toothbrush for several days last month. I had thrown out my old one, thinking that I had another one, but I didn’t — and I just had no time to get to the store to get one. So I did the washcloth trick too, and I also rinsed with mouthwash and flossed (two things I definitely don’t do as often as I should). All in all, fairly successful.