This flu season has been a shocker this year. I know so many that have been sick. One of my friends even popped a rib from coughing so hard.
Now I haven’t researched it completely, so I am unsure if germs left behind on your toothbrush after being sick will cause you to become sick again. However, I just don’t like risking it and much prefer to know I am putting a hygienic toothbrush in my mouth, which is why I disinfect our toothbrushes.
How to clean a toothbrush after being sick
Follow the directions below to clean your toothbrush:
- Soak your toothbrush in an antibacterial solution (vinegar or mouthwash) for a few hours which will kill most of the bacteria and germs.
- Rinse under hot water.
- Allow toothbrush to dry completely.
This tip is also good if you have been travelling and your toothbrush has been left wet in a toothbrush holder or just sitting in your makeup bag.
If you have a little one that is biting on a teething ring, you could follow these step to clean the ring too!
8 Things I like to Clean after Cold and Flu in the home
To avoid exposing cold and flus to other family members, there are things to clean and disinfect during and after to help prevent the spread of germs and bacteria. Try my very simple, inexpensive and effective homemade options.
- Linen
- Commonly touched places such as lightswitches, fridge and door handles etc
- Stuffed teddies
- Bathroom and toilet
- Toothbrush
- Electronic devices and the remote controls
- Lounge room cushions and throws
- Rubbish bins.
READ MORE: 9 things I like to Clean after Cold and Flu in the home.
10 comments
Never thought of disinfecting toothbrushes. We all got the flu here too, my husband the worst affected of course! Great idea.
Hope this tip will help you and the household
Yes yes yes!!! We have an immuno-suppressed kidlet and after the Vomit Comet has landed here, I like to wipe down all STS – ‘shared touching surfaces’ like tv remotes, light plates, door knobs, bathroom faucets, etc. with a non-toxic (or, heck, sometimes bleach) cleaner so our immuno-suppressed darling can bounce back just like the rest of the family.
So true Mary. There is so much more than Toothbrushes to clean after having a sickness in the household like those nasty bugs.
Thanks Katrina. I’ve always cleaned our toothbrushes in Vinegar, because they must hold so many germs but I’ve honestly never googled if/how other people do this. It was good to see I was doing it right 🙂
I put my toothbrushes through the dishwasher twice a week
I clean our toothbrushes once a month in denture cleaner, like Steradent or Polident. My dentist suggested it.
When my toothbrush needs a “germ job”, I soak it in peroxide right from the bottle. Once a week I soak it in scalding water for about 3 minutes. (I cite tips.net as the source for that.)
Excuse the forgetfulness—after the peroxide soak, I rinse my toothbrush, but if you don’t mind the taste of peroxide, you can use the toothbrush right out of the soak without rinsing it.
That’s a different approach. Thanks for sharing. Kat.