Use white toothpaste for emergency pinhole repairs

Squeeze a small amount of white, non-gel toothpaste onto your fingertip. Press it into a tiny nail hole or pinhole and smooth it flat with your finger or a damp cloth. Wipe away excess. The toothpaste dries to a white, semi-hard fill that conceals the hole temporarily.

Why It Works

White toothpaste contains calcium carbonate (chalk) and silica abrasives suspended in a paste that hardens as it dries. The white color matches most wall paint closely enough to hide a pinhole from normal viewing distance. The paste has enough body to fill a small void and stay in place. This is strictly a cosmetic, temporary fix -- not a durable repair.

Tips

• Use only white, non-gel, non-colored toothpaste -- gel toothpastes are translucent and do not conceal holes
• This method works for tiny pinholes and small nail holes (under 1/8 inch) only; anything larger needs real spackle
• The fill is not sandable and not paintable to a professional standard -- it will show under close inspection or at certain light angles
• Best use case: covering nail holes in a rental apartment for a walk-through inspection or temporarily hiding holes before you have time to do a proper repair
• Toothpaste shrinks slightly as it dries and may crack or fall out over time in larger holes
• For a slightly more durable temporary fix, mix toothpaste with a small amount of white glue
• This is a free, zero-tool emergency fix that works in minutes
• Common mistake: using too much toothpaste and creating a visible white blob instead of a flush fill -- less is more, and wipe flat immediately