How to Organize Toothbrushes

Get creative with toothbrush organizing.

Remembering whose toothbrush is whose can be frustrating, even if you don't have a big family. When organizing your toothbrushes, choose a system that will keep toothbrush heads from touching one another, and buy a tube of toothpaste for each family member. Doing so can prevent bacteria from spreading from one toothbrush to the next. Get creative with toothbrush organizing by creating fun, personalized labels or artwork for whichever storage system you choose.

Things You'll Need

• Plastic storage container
• Plastic baskets
• Mason jars
• Suction-cup toothbrush holders
• Stainless-steel toothbrush stand or divided toothbrush cup
• Permanent market

Instructions

1. Purchase a plastic storage container that has several drawers. Label each drawer with the name of a family member. Ask each member of your household to store his toothbrush and toothpaste in the appropriate drawer.

2. Place narrow plastic baskets in a drawer in your bathroom vanity. Label the baskets with each person's name.

3. Buy vintage Mason jars and ask each family member to store her toothbrush and toothpaste in one of the jars. Write your family members' names directly on the jars in permanent marker.

4. Purchase suction-cup toothbrush holders that attach to the inside of your medicine cabinet. You can buy these space savers at many home-organizing stores and drug stores.

5. Buy a stainless-steel toothbrush stand or divided toothbrush cup and keep it inside your medicine cabinet. Most toothbrush stands and divided cups can store up to four toothbrushes.

Tips & Warnings

• The American Dental Association recommends replacing your toothbrush every three to four months. Write the date of purchase on your toothbrush in permanent marker so you'll know when to buy a new one.

• Keep toothbrushes in your medicine cabinet or several feet from your toilet. If you leave your toothbrushes out in the open, every time you flush the toilet, bacteria can settle on them and increase your risk of illness.

• Store worn-out toothbrushes in a zippered plastic bag under your kitchen or bathroom sink to use when cleaning crevices and corners.

References

• Good Housekeeping: Protecting Toothbrushes
• "Organizing Plain and Simple"; Donna Smallin; 2002
• American Dental Association: Statement on Toothbrush Care: Cleaning, Storage and Replacement

Resources

• Real Simple: Speed-Clean Your Bathroom Checklist
• Good Housekeeping: Remake the Medicine Cabinet