How to Keep a Toothbrush Clean

With flu season in full swing and H1N1 Swine Flu threatening it's more important than ever to keep your toothbrush clean. After all, germs can linger on your toothbrush, reinfecting you once you've recovered--and if you have several family members' toothbrushes in the bathroom, those germs can spread. Fortunately, it's really easy to keep your toothbrush clean. Here's how.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Get a toothbrush sanitizer. The right one for you depends on how many toothbrushes you need to keep germ-free (if it's just your toothbrush, or if you have half a dozen mouths to keep clean ;-)). Those with UV light are effective against a wide range of bacteria and they work quickly as well--you keep the toothbrush in it all the time and can be reassured that it's killing mouth germs.

2. Soak your toothbrush once a week. Some dentists recommend hydrogen peroxide while others recommend germ-killing mouthwash, so check with yours to find out what's best for you. Whatever your dentist recommends, it's important to clean a toothbrush regularly and thoroughly.

3. Let your toothbrush dry thoroughly. Wet toothbrushes are more likely to harbor germs so make sure yours is getting dry in between uses. If you brush often or live in a humid climate, you may need a back up toothbrush so you can alternate between the two. It also helps to dry your toothbrush out by shaking the water from it when you're done brushing.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep your toothbrush clean to keep yourself healthy--it's not the only thing you need to do as the flu and H1N1 go around this year, but it will help lessen your chances of getting sick.
• Shop around for the toothbrush sanitizer--they come in many different sizes and styles and it's nice to find one that won't stick out like a sore thumb in your bathroom.

[izzytellsall]

on 11/18/2009 Thanks for the feedback, Thorsbew. As the medical community itself is giving out contradictory information about this flu season, I think it's important for people to do their own research about their options (like toothbrush sanitizers) and take what they've learned to their personal doctor for a final determination.

[thorsbew]

on 11/7/2009 This is useless for prevention of flu and H1N1... The germs that you faced during your first infection are the same ones you would be brushing with. Therefore, if you recovered, you are now immune to them. Unless someone is sharing your toothbrush (which should be more concerning than 'reinfecting' yourself), then you should follow these steps.