Sanitizing your toothbrush can help prevent oral infections and spread of communicable diseases.Sharing a toothbrush is not a good idea, but keeping your toothbrush extra clean is.
Step 1: After brushing, rinse the toothbrush with hot tap water.
You can hold the toothbrush from the handle grip.Run the bristles under the water.Before and after you brush your teeth, make sure it has been cleaned.
Step 2: The toothbrush needs to be dry.
You need to shake out the bristles to make sure they are dry.To get some water out of the bristles, you can tap the brush handle against the sink.If you shake the brush briskly over the sink, the bristles will face down, and you will get more water out.The bristles of the brush should not come into contact with any other surface.If the bristles touch any other surface, you should re-run them under hot water and begin the drying process.
Step 3: The toothbrush should be washed in an antibacterial rinse.
For this, use an alcohol-based rinse or chlorhexidine mouthwash.The rinse should be put into a plastic cup.Pour enough to get the toothbrush head and bristles in.You can dip the bristles into the rinse by grasping the toothbrush by the handle.The bristles should be thrown in the rinse for 30 seconds.Remove the brush, tap the handle on a hard edge, and then store it upright to dry without the bristles coming into contact with other surfaces or other bristles of someone else's toothbrush.Disregard the cup.Don't dip the brush into the main bottle of rinse if you want to avoid cross-contamination.If you are sick, extend the rinse to a 10 minute soak.
Step 4: The toothbrush should be washed under ultraviolet light.
UV light can be used to kill the germs on the toothbrush bristles.Most of these devices have the same basic technique.The device can be opened by a user.In the case of electric brushes, put the toothbrush or toothbrush head into an internal compartment.The casing needs to be closed.The UV light can be used to clean the bristles.The device will tell you to remove the brush.There are ways to use steam or sound waves instead of the UV light.The steps will be the same, but the duration of the cleaning may be different.The steam-based sanitizers have the same rate of eliminatingbacteria as the UV ones.
Step 5: The toothbrush should be replaced every 3-4 months.
It's best to just get a new toothbrush.You should replace your brush every 3-4 months.It is possible to tell if replacement needs to happen sooner by examining the bristles.The bristles should split at the ends.If you see whole sets of bristles bent in one direction without returning to an upright position, it is time for a new brush.The colored bristles on the toothbrush indicate when to change it.It is time to get a new toothbrush as the color starts to fade and the bristles are almost the same.
Step 6: The toothbrush should be placed in a dry place.
It is important to keep the brush dry after a cleaning.You should check the area you are storing your brush in.You want the air to flow so thatbacteria don't concentrate on the brush.
Step 7: Stand the toothbrush up.
This will allow for two sanitary features.Water and other fluids will be allowed to drain from the bristles with gravity.The bristles won't be collected in the bottom of the container.Make sure the container you pick is short enough to allow the toothbrush to lean, but not so high that it tips over.If you use a cup or rack-style container, you might want to put paper towels under the toothbrush to catch its drippings.You can dispose of the fluids in this way.
Step 8: The container should be moved away from other surfaces.
You don't want the toothbrush bristles to come in contact with other sources.It's a good idea to keep containers two to three feet away from the toilet.Keeping toothbrush in the bathroom cabinet is a good option.
Step 9: Attach a toothbrush holder to the wall.
You can put the brush in a holster that is mounted on the wall.There are mounting brackets and holders in a hardware store.The wall near the back of the bathroom sink should be fastened with a screwdriver.The toothbrush holder should be slid vertically into the brackets.The holders have room for a lot of brushes.The brushes should not touch each other.The center holder for a cup is usually used to hold accessories.The toothbrush bristles should not touch the center items.
Step 10: When on the go, cover the toothbrush.
When you are traveling, you should cover your toothbrush.Some of the commercially available covers have antimicrobial features.If it's available, use the latter.You can either slip the brush head with bristles into the cover's pocket or snap it shut.As soon as you reach your destination, take the brush out and give it time to dry.