Quit throwing away your hard earned cash for name brand toothpaste like a sucker! Get the cleanest feeling teeth of your life with this homemade toothpaste recipe that actually tastes good.

Toothpaste is something you can make easily with stuff you have at home, and flavor however you like. Your family could be brushing their teeth for a YEAR for how much you're currently spending on one tube!* Now how does that sound?

But Scooch, you say, I've tried homemade toothpaste, and it's tastes like. . . well, like baking soda! Now, now, I understand your concerns - I've tried them all too. Yuck!** So I've decided to put an end to nasty homemade toothpaste with my own recipe, designed to bring you a new level of taste and freshness from that I think you're going to love!

_{*not including price of toothbrushes}

_{** not intended to offend lovers of baking soda taste}

Step 1: Ingredients

The basis of homemade toothpaste is baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Either one in huge doses can be dangerous, so DO NOT INGEST!

Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) is a mild abrasive and has anti-bacterial properties.

Hydrogen peroxide helps by break down bacterial films with its foaming action. I used a 3% solution, but anything you can find at a local drug store should be ok.

Vegetable-base glycerin liquid lends a nice consistency and sweetness, but is completely optional. You should be able to find this at a drug store, or specialty foods shop, but I got mine online from a soap-supply store.

I definitely recommend using some kind of flavoring. It's totally optional, but adding a drop of peppermint oil will leave your mouth feeling super fresh. Tea tree oil boosts the anti-bacterial properties and tastes good. A few drops of cinnamon oil (my favorite!) will definitely spice things up. Food-grade grape or bubble gum flavor oil may entice your kids to brush more regularly - just be sure to supervise them and make sure they're not ingesting it!

Basic Ratio:

6 parts baking soda : 1 part vegetable based glycerin : 1 part hydrogen peroxide solution : flavor to taste

This makes a nice paste. To make a smoother mix, reduce the soda. To omit the glycerin, increase the peroxide.

Most over the counter hydrogen peroxide solutions are not suitable for ingestion. Make sure to use supervision with children.

Step 2: Mix It Up

Gather some measuring tools from your kitchen - all of these products are food safe, so clean them as normal when done.

Blend your ingredients, and adjust to taste. Sample it by rubbing a bit on your teeth with your finger, rather than tasting it outright. That will give you a better idea of what it's going to be like when you use it.

Combine ingredients until you get the flavor and viscosity that you prefer.

Step 3: Storage

Hydrogen peroxide is UV sensitive, so be sure to store your toothpaste out of sunlight, or in an opaque container.

I thought using a pastry bag would be cute and convenient (since I have them on hand). The only drawback to this is that there's no way to cap it! So I made the toothpaste extra paste-y, and problem solved. Using a tube squeezer from a paint shop helps keep the end closed and gets out every last drop.

You can also find plastic tubes to fill at outdoor and camping stores, like REI (which I might do next time, if I can think of a cute label to put on it).

Other options include storing your toothpaste in a squeeze bottle or jar.

Of course, if all of this sounds like too much effort, you can always just dip your toothbrush in hydrogen peroxide, and then in baking soda. Job done.