How to Disinfect Your Toothbrush
Your mouth is home to millions of germs, so it’s no surprise that these germs collect on your toothbrush. This makes it important to regularly clean your toothbrush, store it properly and know when it’s time to replace it in order to maintain good oral hygiene. To boost your eco-friendly cleaning regime, here are the best ways to prevent the spread of germs to and from your toothbrush and keep it clean.
Run hot water over your toothbrush before and after use.
This will get rid of bacteria that may have collected on your toothbrush in the hours between use, and will also eliminate new bacteria that may have accumulated while brushing. Before applying your toothpaste, run your toothbrush under water that is hot enough to produce steam, and do the same after brushing.
Soak your toothbrush in antibacterial mouthwash.
If you don’t feel that hot water is enough to clean your toothbrush, you can soak it (head down) in a cup of antibacterial mouthwash for about 2 minutes after each use. If you are using an electric toothbrush, disconnect the head from the base before soaking the head in the mouthwash.
Note that this may wear down your toothbrush more quickly as many mouthwashes contain harsh ingredients that can break down the bristles.
Keep your toothbrush in a hydrogen peroxide solution.
Putting the head of your toothbrush in a small cup of hydrogen peroxide is another great way to minimize bacterial growth. Swap out the hydrogen peroxide each day before placing your toothbrush, bristles first, into the cup.
Use a UV Sanitizer to disinfect your toothbrush.
A UV light sanitizer like Utilimedic’s UV8LED can be a great way to kill germs by destroying the molecular bonds that hold together the DNA of viruses and bacteria. In fact, one study comparing UV light chambers made for toothbrushes with saline solution and chlorhexidine gluconate solution found that UV light was the most effective way to disinfect toothbrushes, while another found that UV light got rid of 86% more germs compared with toothbrushes that were just rinsed in cold water.
Tips for storing and replacing your toothbrush.
Avoid storing toothbrushes side by side. Throwing multiple toothbrushes together into a cup can cause cross-contamination between the bristles. It is also important to keep toothbrushes as far away from the toilet as possible. As a general rule, toothbrushes and electric toothbrush heads should be replaced every 3 to 4 months.
