It is important to Sanitize your toothbrush often. Sanitizing keeps you healthy and safe. Just add this to your weekly cleaning schedule.
How do I disinfect my toothbrush after being sick? Soaking your toothbrush in either of these will kill most germs and bacteria.
- Mouthwash
- Hexidine
- 5% Vinegar
- 3% Hydrogen peroxide
- Using salt water
- Dettol
- Hot water 50 degrees
In my village my grandparents used neem sticks to brush their teeth with.
Meeswak, babul, neem sticks were commonly used as a toothbrush.
Around 1935 toothbrush was invented and it has been accepted in almost all households.
No one seems to use the traditional neem stick with salt.
Now toothbrushes are spreading bacteria, germs and causing health hazards.
In my house we use a herbal tooth powder and herbal toothpaste.
My son uses charcoal powder with coconut oil and salt once a week. I cannot stand charcoal powder but try it once in a month.
Don’t use charcoal powder daily. It will strip off the teeth coating and make your teeth sensitive.
Top 5 Ways to Sanitize a Toothbrush
Let’s take a look at some easy ways to Sanitize your toothbrush.
#1 Salt
Most bacteria do not thrive in salt. Soaking your toothbrush for 5 minutes in salty water will kill most baceria.
Take 2 TSP salt, add to 240ml water. Soak the brush for 5 minutes.
Some bacteria will still remain as they have adapted to living in salty environment.
People prefer it because this method is safe, natural and you always have salt at home.
#2 Dettol
Dettol kills most bacteria on the toothbrush. Not all will die as per one research I read.
Soak toothbrush in dettol. Rinse thoroughly and use the toothbrush.
Some people can’t accept the smell. This method I personally don’t feel comfortable about.
You can instead look at using Listerine mouthwash.
They claim to be 💯 % effective.
#3 Hydrogen Peroxide
3% Hydrogen peroxide can kill most baceria.
I went through multiple research papers. One said it killed almost all germs and bacteria.
Another one said it was 100% effective.
Soak toothbrush in hydrogen peroxide for at least 5 minutes.
You can leave it in hydrogen peroxide for a day.
I have done that and reused the liquid to clean the washbasin.
I personally found the toothbrush sparkles. I have read it sterilises the toothbrush well.
I am hesitant to use a cleaner on my toothbrush so I stopped using hydrogen peroxide.
Instead there are hydrogen peroxide mouthwashes available. You can dip your brush in these for a minimum of 5 minutes and maximum 24 hours.
After soaking rinse thoroughly and air dry the toothbrush.
Check out the Hydrogen peroxide mouthwash
#4 Vinegar
Vinegar can kill bacteria. This is recommended by dentists.
I leave my toothbrush in it for a day.
I prefer this method as it is natural.
I have added this to my weekly routine. If you are in the flu season or if there is sickness in the house, why not make this a daily routine?
Remember to use distilled white vinegar only.
Check white vinegar on Amazon
#5 Hexidine
Hexidine is antibacterial and is said to be 💯%effective in killing bacteria and germs.
I found a hexidine mouthwash. You can also use hexidine as is, to soak your toothbrush.
Soak for 5 minutes, rinse well and air dry.
#6 Hot Water
Hot water kills most baceria. A white paper I read said 45 degrees to 60 degrees is enough to kill most bacteria.
Some sites suggest soaking in boiling hot water. This will melt plastic and I am hesitant to use this method.
My method?
This is what I am doing.
- Get a new toothbrush once a month or 2 months
- Use the Ayurvedic toothpowder mentioned above
- Sterilize often using vinegar
- Brush with salt often which helps sterilise and cleanse
Can you get sick again from your toothbrush?
As per the articles I have read, our body creates antibodies to kill those bacteria.
So you will not get sick again. Make sure you have sterilised the toothbrush properly.
If there are other bacteria and virus you can get infected again.
Can you reinfect yourself with a bacterial infection?
You can if you have not sterilised properly. Make sure you sterilised hand towels, switchboards, door knobs.
I heard bacteria can live on toothbrush from few hours to 3 days. So I throw my toothbrush often.
Should I throw away my toothbrush after a cold sore?
It is best to discard your toothbrush at the beginning of the cold sore treatment.
Purchase a new toothbrush, a small tube of toothpaste.
Once you are healed throw the toothbrush and toothpaste.
What kind of germs typically live on a toothbrush?
There are millions of germs and microorganisms living in our mouth. Not all are harmful.
When we brush, especially to remove plaque, our toothbrush gets highly contaminated with
- Blood
- Saliva
- Bacteria
- Oral debris
- Toothpaste
Bacteria are present in the checks, tongue, palate, tonsils and gums.
Some of the common genuses of bacteria throughout the mouth are Streptococci, Neisseria, Fusobacterium, Prevotella, and other anaerobic bacteria. Src
