You just purchased a brand new toothbrush, cracked open the case, and brushed your teeth for a few minutes. It felt great, but the moment you put it in the holder on the sink in the bathroom, you are actually exposing it to some harmful things.
A lot of people simply don’t want to think about what could be crawling around on their toothbrush because that’s the one thing they’re going to stick in their mouth. There are actually thousands of potential germs and bacteria that could be crawling all over your toothbrush at this very moment.
Here are four potential threats you might want to consider that may be residing on your toothbrush and hopefully that guides you to put it in a place that is a bit more sanitary.
1. Toilet Spray. When you go to the bathroom and flush the toilet, that stirring of the water is actually spitting up very tiny molecules of water and waste matter. It floats around in the air before settling down on surfaces, including the sink, floor, and possibly even your toothbrush.
2. Bacteria. The bacteria in your mouth, when you brush your teeth, transfers to the toothbrush sometimes. If it sits there long enough in a warm, humid environment, it may not dry up and die. The time you brush your teeth again, you could be putting it right back in your mouth.
3. Germs. Germs from other people, animals, and more linger just about everywhere you go. A lot of it gets inhaled in the dust you breathe on a regular basis. Your body is adept at getting rid of those germs, but when you ingest it through your stomach, that can affect you differently.
4. Chemicals. When you spray cleaning chemicals in the sink, in the toilet, in the bathtub, or even on the floor, some of that can filter around and land on the toothbrush. It might not seem like such a big deal, but some people may have an allergic reaction to certain chemicals and toxicity can build up in your body over time.
It’s best to store your toothbrush in a cabinet that isn’t exposed to all of these potential contaminants. Once the toothbrush completely dries, all bacteria and germs that are on it will likely die off pretty quickly.