How to Fix a Stuck Toothpaste Pump

Toothpaste pump

Toothpaste pumps are handy gadgets, and are also known as automatic toothpaste dispenser. They can pump out a measured toothpaste blob just right for a toothbrush. A toothpaste pump can be used with one hand, making it easy for people in a hurry, for children and for people with hand-coordination problems. Unlike a tube, it is made of a hard plastic and functions by pressing a knob on top rather than squeezing the tube.It was developed by someone in Germany, however, whom by is unknown, but it is known that there were a number of technical difficulties with the item before the item was perfected, these included storing the toothpaste in the tube without it drying out or indeed becoming too wet and runny, and perfecting the function of the tube, and ensuring it works correctly. Henkel were the first known in the world to sell their toothpaste in a pump. Sometimes the pumps quit working even if the pump tube still has toothpaste. With these simple steps you can get the toothpaste pump working again.

Instructions

 

Things You’ll Need

  • Toothpaste pump
  • Toothpick
  • Paper towel or washcloth
  1. Look at the pump. If the pump is stuck and will not open, toothpaste may have dried right on the nozzle where the toothpaste comes out. Take a damp paper towel or washcloth and wipe off any toothpaste on the nozzle. Pump the toothpaste once or twice and remove any thick or globby toothpaste that comes out. Wipe the nozzle again to be sure it is clean. This is the most common problem.
  2. Gently pry the front of the cap off the nozzle and tilt it back

    Consider the pump hinge. Toothpaste may stick at the back of the nozzle between the cap hinge and the nozzle. It acts like glue and keeps the cap from opening. Gently pry the front of the cap off the nozzle and tilt it back. Hold the cap open and use a toothpick to clean any toothpaste from between the cap hinge and the nozzle. Run the nozzle area under hot water to soften dry toothpaste. Clean out all old toothpaste. Try the pump to be sure it works smoothly.

  3. Try the nozzle. If the pump works and the nozzle opens but no toothpaste comes out, look inside the nozzle. If the nozzle is full, the toothpaste may have dried inside the nozzle. Use a toothpick or other slender tool to pick out any clogs in the nozzle. The toothpaste should now flow easily.
  4. Gently push upward on the plunger

    Check the plunger. If the nozzle is clean and the pump works but no toothpaste comes into the nozzle, air may be trapped in the plunger. The plunger is the mechanism in the pump tube that shoves the toothpaste up. Look inside the bottom of the toothpaste tube. A small plastic disc is the bottom of the plunger. Put a finger inside the tube and gently push upward on the plunger until toothpaste flows into the nozzle.

  5. Care for the toothpaste. Always store the pump upright. Clean the nozzle when it has toothpaste overflow. Keep the pump out of direct sunlight as heat may cause the toothpaste to dry out.

However, despite the brilliance of pump toothpaste technology, it just never caught on. A very simple survey was done and the reasons for the lack of usage were as below:

  1. The user initially thought that the tube of toothpaste was overall easier to use than the pump toothpaste. Sure, the last bit was annoying, but the first 90% of it was better than dealing with the pump dispenser the whole time. The whole family thought the same, so the pump dispenser never caught on with the user and the family.
  2. It would always get knocked over, was more expensive, and has way more packaging/plastic wasted.
  3. They are more expensive, they clogged up, and once emptied they were more garbage.
  4. They really seemed like a complicated solution to a simple problem.
  5. It’s not as easy to pack and take with you on a trip, and no one cares about the last two cents of toothpaste. Also, a pump would actually get less toothpaste because the paste – not liquid – would clump on the sides at the bottom. Squeezing a flexible tube is an easier way to get it all out.
  6. The squeeze clamps for the tubes work better.
  7. With modern plastic toothpaste tubes, it’s way easier to get that last bit of toothpaste than it was with the old metal ones (looks like the metal ones were phased out in the ’90s). The metal ones would crack and leak and develop sharp bits, and once you’d folded up the end once, good luck unrolling it to get any trapped toothpaste without disaster. So the plastic tubes made the pumps pointless, and since they were more expensive, the new tubes won.