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How To Disinfect A Toothbrush After Being Sick

disinfect toothbrush

Have you ever wondered how to disinfect a toothbrush? Is it worth it? Do they really get that dirty?

Continued use of a toothbrush after recovering form an infection, e.g. common cold or influenza, puts your body at the risk of being infected with the same disease again. The toothbrush acts as a very fertile ground for the bacteria and viruses that cause these infections to breed and grow.

This stresses the need to disinfect your toothbrush immediately after recovering from any infection, especially the ones caused by viruses and bacteria.

How to disinfect a toothbrush with ease

How exactly would you disinfect your toothbrush successfully after recovering from a cold? The purpose of this post is to take you through the various methods you can employ to disinfect your toothbrush and make it safe for you to use again.

1. UV Toothbrush Sanitizer Effectively Disinfects your Toothbrush

UV Toothbrush Sanitizer

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UV Toothbrush Sanitizer
is a gadget that successfully sanitizes your toothbrush after you have recovered from a cold. The functioning of this device is based on a powerful combination of steam and dry heat which oversees the death of all the germs and bacteria hiding in your toothbrush.

The device is highly available and you can obtain it at your local pharmacy at an affordable price.

2. Dip Your Toothbrush in Some Hydrogen Peroxide

After recovering from a cold, soak your toothbrush into a hydrogen peroxide solution (preferably the one with concentration of 3% in 97% water). Allow it to stay in the solution for about 5 minutes and then remove it.

Thoroughly clean the toothbrush to remove the taste of hydrogen peroxide and flick off excess water on the bristles. Put it in a place where the bristles can dry well. That’s it! Your toothbrush is safe and ready for use again!

3. Use of Mouthwash

Since a mouthwash kills the germs and bacteria present in your mouth, it can kill those harboring your toothbrush as well. Simply put some mouthwash into some clean container and soak your toothbrush in it for several minutes to allow it to destroy the bacteria and viruses living in the bristles of your toothbrush.

Afterwards, clean the brush thoroughly to remove excess mouthwash and allow it to dry. Remember to pour the used mouthwash and clean the container thoroughly with hot water.

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4. Disinfect Your Toothbrush Using Your Dishwasher

Using a dishwasher to sanitize your toothbrush also works wonders. If the system cleans and disinfects your dishes, why shouldn’t it do the same to your toothbrush?

Simply put your toothbrush into the silverware compartment of your dishwasher for the disinfection process. Run it through the hot cycle and DON`T use soap.

5. Boiling Water Too Can Work the Trick

Though boiling water might be too hard on your toothbrush, it effectively kills most of the microorganisms harboring your toothbrush. It involves dipping your infected toothbrush in the boiling water for around 3 minutes and Alas!

It’s completely disinfected and ready to use again.

6. Microwave Also Sanitizes Your Toothbrush

Putting your toothbrush in the microwave after recovering from a cold or flu is the last great method in our list. Wet the infected toothbrush bristles and place it in a microwave for a total of 10 seconds to sanitize it.

However, I’d advise you to use the microwave as the last resort. Deepening on the material used to make your toothbrush, it’s likely to melt due to the high heat of the microware. Else, you can keep a close watch at the toothbrush as it gets sanitized to avoid this horrible incidence.

These are some of the best methods of disinfecting your toothbrush after being sick. The methods are much easier and cheap compared to the option of throwing the toothbrush away before it wears out and buying a new one. Now you know how to disinfect a toothbrush, it is something you should do regularly.

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