How To Clean Your Toothbrush With Hydrogen Peroxide
Toothbrush care can play a critical role in your dental and overall health, but most of us don’t realize the impact it makes. We are too comfortable thinking that brushing and rinsing with mouthwash would be efficient enough to avoid germs and infections. It was found in a recent study that the infection of the flu virus is spread in homes by contaminated toothbrushes.
Dentists have since begun to emphasize the importance of keeping your toothbrush clean to reduce the chances of catching the flu or being exposed to other bacteria and germs that cause diseases. Caring for your toothbrush will not only ensure fresher breath and cleaner brushing but will also increase the lifespan of your brush.
Make no mistake, there are wrong ways of caring for a toothbrush, so dentists have gone around educating children and adults alike on the correct procedures of caring for your toothbrush and the proper method of how to brush your teeth.
There are plenty of hygienic improvements that you can make around the bathroom, starting with where and how you store your toothbrushes and cleaning all the surfaces it comes in contact with like the holder.
What Not To Do When Cleaning Your Toothbrush
The biggest mistake that some people make when cleaning their toothbrush is using water that is too hot. The method of boiling your brush or rinsing the bristles with boiling water is not recommended. While heat can kill germs, the problem is that the heat can also warp and damage your brush. This can cause it to bend and lose the toothbrush’s full reaching potential, and your teeth will not be as clean as it should be.
Alternately, tap water that is not too hot would be as efficient a rinsing method as boiling water. The heat from boiling water is effective at removing germs, but it comes at a greater cost. Rinsing beneath a hot tap will wash off any residue of germs as effectively without damaging your toothbrush.
Another mistake people tend to make when cleaning their toothbrush is to use unsafe cleansers. These cleaners either do not kill all the bacteria or cause damage to the brush and bristles. The best-recognized cleansers for toothbrushes are mouthwash that contains alcohol, white vinegar, or hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) diluted in water.
Can You Clean a Toothbrush in Hydrogen Peroxide?
Yes, hydrogen peroxide is a safe and effective way to clean your toothbrush. Preferably the hydrogen peroxide should be of a three percent concentration, and of the top cleansers, it is perhaps the most celebrated.
It is an effective disinfectant that is affordable and safe to use within the prescribed precautions. However, be careful not to ingest hydrogen peroxide; it is a poisonous liquid that is mostly used as a cleaning agent or a bleach.
With that in mind, hydrogen peroxide should not be overused, as this will cause bleaching of the toothbrush’s colors.
Another option to clean your toothbrush is to invest in a UV-sanitizer. Using a UV sanitizer is an effective way to disinfect your toothbrush, but costs more than simply using hydrogen peroxide. Because of this, most people tend to stick with more conventional means.
How To Wash Your Toothbrush With Hydrogen Peroxide
There are several methods of cleaning your toothbrush with hydrogen peroxide, all of which are simple and uncomplicated. The primary method is to soak it in a container filled with a cleanser. In this case, use enough hydrogen peroxide to cover the bristles, there is no need to soak the handle.
Soak and Rinse
Leave your toothbrush in the hydrogen peroxide solution for up to fifteen minutes and then rinse with hot tap water. You can do this optionally from once a month to once a week. Some people even do this to clean their toothbrush daily.
While I do not think it is absolutely necessary to disinfect your toothbrush daily, you should definitely do it periodically. Especially after any illness.
Store Toothbrush in Solution
Another option would be to store your toothbrush in a hydrogen peroxide solution of 3% concentration that is refreshed once a day. How safe this method is considering the bleaching side effect will depend on the quality of your brush. While your toothbrush will certainly be clean, exposing it to hydrogen peroxide that often may cause discoloration of the bristles and brush.
Rinse in Diluted Hydrogen Peroxide
A quicker method is to rinse your brush in a hydrogen peroxide dilution with water every time before you brush. Mix a teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide with a cup of water, and rinse thoroughly with hot tap water before brushing.
These methods will ensure effective germ-killing that is necessary to guard your toothbrush. If you have an electric toothbrush, make sure only to clean the bristles in a little bit of solution if you are afraid it might damage the base of your brush.
Rinse with Mouthwash or Vinegar
Because hydrogen peroxide is mostly thought of as a heavy duty cleaner, some people are not comfortable using it to clean something that goes in their mouth. Luckily, there are alternatives to using hydrogen peroxide to clean a toothbrush.
Alternatives are mouthwash, vinegar, and baking soda in water. If you prefer to use these instead, the method stays the same. You can try these alternatives if you believe that hydrogen peroxide is a health risk.
Taking Care of The Storage
Many people tend to overlook it, but choosing the proper toothbrush storage and keeping it clean are just as important as cleaning your toothbrush.
Ensure that your toothbrush is always stored in a safe place away from harmful germs that might spill from the toilet. To do this, make use of a medicine cabinet that has good ventilation, but is at least placed away from the toilet, and an upright rack in which it can stand with its bristles exposed to the air.
Stainless steel racks are especially useful for their ease in cleaning and bacteria proof surfaces employed by hospitals. Taking care of these key points of toothbrush care will drastically decrease your exposure to germs and bacteria that cause diseases.
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Is Hydrogen Peroxide Safe for Teeth?
You can clean your toothbrush with hydrogen peroxide, but is it safe for your teeth? Because hydrogen peroxide is a bleaching agent, it is sometimes used to whiten teeth. In fact, many over the counter products sold for teeth whitening contain hydrogen peroxide.
Hydrogen peroxide whitens teeth by breaking down the molecules that stain your teeth. It is typically applied to the teeth by placing strips or gels directly on the tooth’s surface.
When using hydrogen peroxide to bleach your teeth, you must be careful to only use the correct dosage and the proper concentration. Do not use hydrogen peroxide with a concentration of over 3 percent.
Gum irritation, damage to the tooth enamel, and teeth sensitivity can possibly occur with overuse of hydrogen peroxide. However, when used correctly, the US Food and Drug Administration deem hydrogen peroxide safe for teeth.
Summary
It is important to clean your toothbrush regularly to avoid the spread of germs and sickness. A simple and effective way to clean your toothbrush is to use hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is a disinfectant that is safe to use, with certain precautions.
Hydrogen peroxide is also a bleaching agent that is also considered safe to use on your teeth. In fact, many over the counter teeth bleaching products contain some amount of hydrogen peroxide.
Other methods of cleaning your toothbrush are using mouthwash, vinegar, or a UV sanitizer. You must also remember to keep your toothbrush storage clean and disinfected as well.