How to clean the toothbrush

One of the essential hygiene items in every home is the toothbrush, necessary to keep our teeth and mouth healthy. Since we are little we should get used to having an oral hygiene routine that prevents us from cavities and major oral problems. For this, we have manual or electric brushes, with hard or soft bristles, also differentiated for the different parts of the mouth or all uniform, among other tools and adaptations of these for good hygiene. However, from time to time we must renew our toothbrush, but to keep it in the best possible condition and extend its useful life, we must clean and disinfect it often.

If you wonder how to clean the electric or manual toothbrush, keep in mind that the tips are the same and they can be cleaned in the same way, since the important thing is to clean and disinfect the head, the part with bristles with which we brush our teeth.

Mouthwash

We begin to explain how to disinfect a toothbrush , because not only do you have to clean it superficially, but you also have to disinfect it, using mouthwash. That's right, not only does it serve to take care of your mouth directly, but it is also one of the easiest and fastest ways to clean your toothbrush. Thanks to its composition, it will also eliminate all the bacteria and other germs that your brush may have accumulated. Follow these directions:

1. It is advisable to use a mouthwash or mouthwash with chlorhexidine , a very effective component for disinfection.
2. You should put some of the rinse in a glass and soak your brush in it for at least an hour.
3. After this time, you should wash it with plenty of water and your brush will be clean and disinfected.

Boiling water

Another of the formulas, much more natural and homemade, is to boil the toothbrush . Although chlorhexidine is very effective, with boiling water you will achieve very good results since the bacteria die with the high temperature. To do this, you just have to follow these steps:

1. Boil water in a pot or saucepan.
2. Still boiling, pour it into a glass or bowl.
3. Submerge the entire toothbrush or just the bristles.
4. Let it rest for two minutes. Just with that heat stroke it will be enough to leave your brush well disinfected.

Vinegar

Another easy method when cleaning your toothbrush is to use one of the best known and most effective natural disinfectants: vinegar. This ingredient is one of the most recurrent home resources when it comes to wanting to eliminate bacteria and germs, as well as bad odors. To disinfect the toothbrush with vinegar, follow these instructions:

1. First you have to give him a heat stroke. To do this, you can leave it for a couple of minutes under running hot water from the tap in your bathroom or kitchen.
2. Submerge it in a glass containing white vinegar .
3. Let it rest for a maximum of 2 hours.
4. Rinse the remains with cold water and let it air dry.

This product is very useful for cleaning and disinfecting a variety of objects and surfaces. Here we explain more about How to clean with white vinegar .

Baking soda and white vinegar

If we want to leave our toothbrush as new with a more powerful home remedy than the one explained above, what we must do is prepare a powerful natural disinfectant based on white vinegar and baking soda.

1. Mix baking soda with white vinegar in a glass, with a small amount it will be enough to cover the brush head with bristles.
2. Dip the toothbrush in the mixture.
3. Let it sit and clean for 1 hour (2 max).
4. Rinse the brush well with plenty of cold water to remove all traces.

This combination of products is one of the most effective for cleaning not only toothbrushes, but also a variety of surfaces and objects. Therefore, here we explain how to clean with baking soda and vinegar .

Other ways to clean and disinfect the toothbrush

For more ideas on how to disinfect your toothbrush, check out these other easy tips:

• You can disinfect the toothbrush with hydrogen peroxide . You will only have to submerge it in a glass with a little of this product, enough to cover the bristles, and leave it for a few minutes. You can do it up to once a week.
• You can buy a toothbrush disinfectant product , that is, one specifically for it. You can find them at your dentist's center or at a pharmacy.
• You can purchase a denture sanitizer , such as sanitizing tablets, to clean splints, dentures, or other dentures. Put water in a glass, place the brush with the bristles submerged and add the disinfectant tablet. Leave it for several minutes and then rinse well with water.

When to change the toothbrush

However, even though we are responsible and take care of and clean our toothbrush carefully, it is inevitable that, over time, the material will end up deteriorating. Whether made of plastic or wood, being in constant contact with moisture, brushes age. In addition, its recurring daily use will cause the bristles to end up bending, opening and softening, making your brushing not entirely effective. When this happens, there is no cleaning or disinfection that can save it; It's time to change brush.

Using a rough estimate, toothbrushes need to be changed every 3 months. However, everything will depend on the type of use that is made of it. If brushing tends to squeeze a lot, we should change the brush before three months. Even so, it is recommended not to exceed 4 months since it really loses capacity and no longer does its job quite well. Today in the market there is a wide range of brushes and products for which you can choose from cheap models to more professional ones that can ensure three months of effectiveness with guarantees.