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How to clean your toothbrush  with hydrogen peroxide

How to clean your toothbrush  with hydrogen peroxide

chibueze uchegbu | December 19th, 2021


Learn How to clean your toothbrush  with hydrogen peroxide since it is regarded by most people as the Bacteria Killer on Toothbrushes

Keeping your toothbrush clean is yet another step to maintaining proper oral hygiene. To have cleanly oral hygiene is keeping to wise health saying that prevention is better than cure, that is, it is better to keep good hygiene to avoid oral diseases such as cavities, tooth discoloration, mouth odor, gingivitis, receding gum, and other tooth conditions.

For this reason, it will be appropriate to talk about keeping the toothbrush clean, because it is a tool for keeping the mouth clean.

The mouth can be a storeroom for bacteria if not properly cleaned, this is so because of food particles sticking to the teeth, which later react with the saliva and cause more bacteria. Aside from that, the mouth is an opening to the atmosphere where bacteria is deposited and can contaminate the mouth when contact occurs.

Furthermore, the toothbrush in the process of washing away the bacteria stuck to the mouth, some bacteria elements do not wash away totally from the toothbrush, if left without cleaning, it could lead to bacteria multiplying in the mouth; this is an unhealthy scenario for any individual.

How to clean your toothbrush  with hydrogen peroxide

To keep the toothbrush clean, there are various methods employed: including the boiling style, disinfecting with mouthwash, using vinegar, and other cleaning agents. Some use hydrogen peroxide to disinfect the toothbrush and keep bacteria elements away from the brush.

Hydrogen Peroxide is a cleansing agent, it kills bacteria, and is a wide home-use product for disinfecting only if appropriately used.

Also, it is safe and easy to use as it isn’t harmful to humans like other chemicals; it is home-friendly. The following methods are involved in using Hydrogen Peroxide to keep the toothbrush cleaned and free from bacteria:

  • The Soaking Style: This method entails that you soak the toothbrush inside A cup of water and one teaspoonful of 3% hydrogen and soak for about 15 minutes. Ensure that the water and hydrogen peroxide mix covers the bristles of the toothbrush completely so that the process of killing the bacteria element on the toothbrush will be absolute. After removing from the diluted hydrogen peroxide, ensure to rinse with hot water so that there wouldn’t be any remnant of hydrogen peroxide on your toothbrush for you to consume or swallow while brushing after disinfecting.
  • The Rinsing Style: This is another method of disinfecting your toothbrush. In doing this style, simply use three teaspoonfuls of hydrogen peroxide to rinse your toothbrush, immediately you do, rinse with hot water to ensure that the particles of the hydrogen peroxide are washed out. But a thing to note about this hydrogen peroxide is that it can weaken the bristles of the brush and eventually lead to its discoloration, for this demerit, is done at one’s discretion

Reasons to know why and How to clean your toothbrush  with hydrogen peroxide

  • It is Safe to Use: Hydrogen peroxide isn’t harmful, it is safe for home use for disinfecting surfaces and killing other bacteria around the house. When properly used in the home, it causes no harm unlike other chemicals, especially industrial that causes harm when used at home. Hence, if you are considering hydrogen peroxide as a cleaning agent and antibacterial, you have made the right choice and are on the right path of cleaning your toothbrush and keeping it far from bacteria.
  • It is Easy to Access: Hydrogen Peroxide is ubiquitous, it can be gotten over the counter from your local store and even online if you are a fan of buying stuff you need online. This makes it easy to get for your use, hence, you have no excuse for your brush to carry bacteria elements when you can easily get hydrogen peroxide to wash bacteria away from your brush.
  • It is an Effective Cleanser:  Hydrogen Peroxide is capable of cleaning your toothbrush properly because of its contents and ability to disinfect and wash bacteria away. If you decide to use hydrogen peroxide to disinfect your toothbrush, be assured that it is effective it is widely known and used for disinfecting bacteria-contaminated surfaces, items, and others.

In maintaining good oral hygiene, there are actions one should take and inactions to avoid. Since we are discussing keeping the toothbrush cannas a means to maintaining oral hygiene and reducing bacteria contact and multiplication in the mouth, it will be interesting to identify other ways one can keep the Brush free from bacteria.

Guidelines to keep your toothbrush safe to use

The following guidelines can reduce Bacteria coming in contact with your toothbrush:

  • Keep away from Bacteria Zone: There are millions of bacteria elements flying in the atmosphere, hence, it is good to keep your toothbrush in areas with fewer bacteria; you can achieve this by not keeping it in your toilet or bathroom especially if your toilet is not properly aerated (bacteria thrive in humid conditions)
  • Use Toothpaste and Mouthwash with antimicrobial ingredients and Flouride: This will help to kill or lessen the bacteria that must have built up in the mouth and the one that has contaminated your toothbrush. This way, bacteria is got nothing on your toothbrush and tooth, hence, good oral hygiene and prevention from tooth diseases such as discoloration, cavity, receding gum, and the likes.
  • Keep the Bristles of your Toothbrush Way from Others: In the household, there are spots to keep things together, so also the toothbrush. Some keep their toothbrush together, this leads to contamination, as the bacteria level in your mouth differs from others. To keep your toothbrush and that of the other people in the household having a bacteria exchange, it is advisable to keep your toothbrush apart from others.
  • Change Your Toothbrush: Changing your toothbrush once every three months is a widely known fact to maintain good oral hygiene. Using the toothbrush for too long or when the bristles begin to fray tends to keep more bacteria elements stuck in your mouth; that is a red flag for oral diseases, as bacteria buildup could lead to a build-up of plaque, cavities, and gingivitis, and other oral conditions. Hence, change your toothbrush once in three months or when the bristles start getting weak.
  • Intentionally Combating Bacteria on Your Toothbrush: Bacteria are usually the root cause of tooth diseases, hence, fighting the root cause is necessary. Means such as boiling your toothbrush, using mouthwash that has fluoride, using vinegar, using baking soda and vinegar mix are all means to keeping the toothbrush clean and free from bacteria.
  1. Boiling the Toothbrush: This method kills bacteria through boiling water. You put your toothbrush into the boiling hot water, the heat will kill all unwanted bacteria.
  2. Using MouthWash: Mouthwash has Flouride that kills germs, if you use it to intentionally wash your toothbrush, bacteria stuck on it from the mouth and the atmosphere will be eliminated, which will avoid bacteria multiplication that would have occurred. That way, both your tooth and toothbrush are free from bacteria contamination.

3. Using Vinegar to clean the Toothbrush: Vinegar is a good cleanser, this also is done through the soaking it rinsing style. Vinegar has acetic acid that aids cleaning, hence, using it for cleansing the toothbrush is a good idea to keep bacteria far from the mouth and toothbrush.

General Take on the Use of Hydrogen Peroxide to Clean the Toothbrush

Hydrogen Peroxide is widely known to be a good disinfectant, it flushes bacteria away from surfaces and items, which is why it is very suitable to use in keeping the toothbrush clean and free from bacteria.

To use hydrogen peroxide to clean your toothbrush, ensure to do it properly using the rinse or soaking style preferably. It should be done at least once or twice a month to ensure that as you are keeping your mouth clean, the tool used is also free from bacteria; this will prevent other tooth diseases from occurring.

The soaking style is preferable because you will have to mix a considerable amount of water, that way, your brush is still intact in texture, unlike the rinsing style where you use the hydrogen peroxide directly on the brush, where it can lead to the weakening of the bristles of the toothbrush and can even lead to discoloration of the toothbrush. Ensure to not overdo it; do it moderately.

It is favorable to use hydrogen peroxide to wash bacteria away from the toothbrush because it is not harmful, even though it is a chemical; although, avoid swallowing, as it may become harmful if it comes in contact with the delicate organs of the body.

Also, it is appropriate to use on your toothbrush because it is home-friendly, although, it should be kept out of reach of the children, as they could misuse or swallow it.

Hydrogen Peroxide is easy to get, your local store or an over-the-counter pharmacy makes hydrogen easy to get, if it is easy to get, it gives more opportunity to keep the toothbrush clean, and in turn, the mouth clean and free from bacteria constantly, do it.

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how to clean toothbrush with vinegar

Tips on How to clean toothbrush with vinegar

chibueze uchegbu | December 1st, 2021


Do you know how to clean toothbrush with vinegar and keep your brush free from bacteria and other microbes?

The mouth carries bacteria from the food we eat and other exposure of our mouth to the atmosphere, which is why it is necessary to always maintain good oral hygiene.

Introduction to how to clean toothbrush with vinegar

Bacteria in the mouth over a long period can cause tooth diseases such as tooth holes, receding gum, and mouth odor, which are both discomforting and unhealthy to an individual.

For this reason, it is good to be conscious and deliberate about avoiding the entry of bacteria into the mouth, that’s why it is pertinent to discuss the cleansing of the toothbrush.

In the process of keeping the teeth clean by brushing, some bacteria from the mouth stick to the toothbrush and even multiply especially when kept in a wet condition for a long while.

The toothbrush is also a carrier of bacteria and if not properly handled to eliminate germs, the process of teeth cleaning will be a waste of time, as the bacteria from the brush will keep doubling.

Toothbrushes can carry bacteria for a long, it gets contaminated with bacteria when exposed to the atmospheric bacteria that can not be seen with the ordinary eyes, then from the mouth, which can be a bank of bacteria if not properly taken care of.

So while taking good care of your teeth, keep the instrument used (toothbrush) in keeping the mouth clean.

Disinfecting and keeping the toothbrush clean, there are various methods of doing so. It can be done by putting the brush in boiling water, using mouthwash to rinse, hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, and so on.

What matters is that in one way or the other, bacteria lurking in the brush are washed away. It’s seen therefore that there are various ways of keeping the brush free from harmful bacteria remnants that could affect the teeth, however, the use of vinegar will be discussed in this piece.

Vinegar is a cleansing agent, it contains acetic acid that kills bacteria on surfaces and in substances.

How To Use Vinegar to Have a Bacteria-free Toothbrush

Using vinegar to keep the toothbrush free from bacteria is very easy, it entails that you put the substance of vinegar that comes in contact with the toothbrush and allow it to react against the unwanted bacteria, and then be ready to use a bacteria-free toothbrush.

Below are ways to use vinegar to disinfect your toothbrush:

The Vinegar Rinse:

You can decide to rinse your brush using white vinegar or apple cider vinegar to wash out bacteria. This should be done when the brush is not about to be used.

You can do the rinse after brushing your teeth, then pour about a quarter quantity of cups into the brush to eliminate bacteria components from the brush. After this is done, allow your brush to dry properly before using it.

The Vinegar Soak:

Another way to use the vinegar is to soak the toothbrush inside the vinegar. You can either use apple cider or white vinegar to soak your toothbrush.

Scoop a few drops of water and get a quarter quantity of vinegar in a container and soak your brush for about 15-20 minutes to cleanse the toothbrush from bacteria that could lead to tooth diseases. Bacteria such as yeast, mold stay longer on brushes since the eye can not see them, it is better to be safe and disinfect your toothbrushes before using them.

This could be done every once a month bearing in mind that the toothbrush should be changed once in three months or whenever the bristles are frayed.

The Vinegar Mix:

Mixing some ingredients with vinegar is also a good way to keep the toothbrush clean and free from bacteria.

To disinfect your toothbrush, mix a half cup of water, two tablespoons of vinegar; it could be white or apple vinegar, then add a half scoop of baking soda and soak the brush in the container for about thirty minutes.

Immediately after you remove the brush, throw the mixture away and allow your toothbrush to dry completely before using it.

That way, accumulated and new bacteria stuck on the toothbrush will be cleaned. Vinegar is an active disinfectant against bacteria because it has antimicrobial properties; it was made to kill bacteria.

Bacteria are found in our environment, some are harmful, while some are not. The harmful bacteria should be avoided to prevent their harm.

Ways to avoid the build-up of microbes

The following are ways, you can avoid the build-up of bacteria on your brush:

Always Keep in Cool Dry Place:

Humidity breeds more bacteria, hence, the need to always keep the brush dry always. Sometimes, one will notice that the root of the brush head is changing color from its original color, which happens mostly because of the presence of bacteria on the brush.

Therefore, to avoid brush breeding and multiplying more bacteria, it is better to keep it dry to prevent a favorable environment for bacteria

Do not Keep Toothbrush Side by Side:

Sometimes, we make the mistake of putting toothbrushes side by side with other people, it is not appropriate as bacteria from another person’s mouth differs from another, and could multiply when the brushes come in contact.

To avoid such, it’s advisable to avoid such cases, especially putting the brush in contact with a sick person’s brush.

Putting in the Right Environment:

Environments such as toilets and the bathroom are good spots for breeding bacteria. If possible, do not put it in the bathroom and toilet because that’s an easy ground for bacteria.

Another thing to note is to put your toothbrush in an environment where there is aeration; lack of aeration also causes an increase in bacteria such as mold, yeast which thrive in the toilet, if possible, avoid keeping it in the toilet, simply keep it in a dry cool place where air reaches the toothbrush.

Another thing is to avoid the atmosphere of bacteria contamination. As earlier noted besides bacteria from internal sources, there are also from external sources that can not be seen with the ordinary eye, it is best to keep your toothbrush in areas where there is less likelihood of bacteria contamination.

Doing the Brush Rinse With Mouthwash:

Using the mouthwash rinse as a disinfectant is also a profitable way to avoid bacteria contamination on your toothbrush.

The mouth rinse has a combination of ingredients that are useful in killing harmful bacteria in the brush, hence, using mouth rinse isn’t a bad option to keep your toothbrush free from bacteria contamination.

Changing Your Toothbrush When Due:

The recommended duration by a dentist is to use your toothbrush for only three months, then you change it, apart from this, the toothbrush should be changed once the bristles of the brush get frayed or weak.

That way, your toothbrush is in good condition to clean your mouth properly. Some people are in the habit of using the toothbrush for too long, most times due to negligence, the brush will be too old to even brush the teeth appropriately. If you are using an electric toothbrush, then you should change the head in intervals and disinfect it properly to avoid the build-up of bacteria.

Not Using A sick Person’s Brush:

The tendency of increased bacteria in a sick person is high, for this reason, it is wise to not use their toothbrush to avoid bacteria contact from your mouth and theirs.

Not just that, it is inappropriate to use another person’s toothbrush. You don’t want bacteria clashes after brushing your teeth, stay away from other people’s toothbrushes.

Final Thoughts on the Use of Vinegar to Clean The Toothbrush

I am confident you now know how to clean a toothbrush with vinegar. Bacteria buildup is the cause of most tooth diseases, hence, any form of bacteria contamination multiplying should be avoided.

When it comes to cleaning, vinegar is a perfect agent as acetic acid is one of Its ingredients; it’s a  big cleaning agent.

Acetic acid has antimicrobial properties; it kills bacteria. It is for these reasons that it is appropriate to use vinegar to kill the bacteria stuck on the toothbrush. A mouth and brush free of bacteria are best.

Bacteria have their way on toothbrushes because the mouth harbors bacteria a lot; when consuming food, the breakdown of food particles remaining in the mouth after a while increases bacteria in the mouth, which is why you must brush your teeth before going to bed.

The bacteria build-up in the mouth also transfers to the toothbrush, and if not properly disinfected and stored appropriately, the humid nature surrounding the toothbrush will also add up to multiplying and breeding bacteria on the toothbrush. Using a contaminated toothbrush is not an option if you love the good health and hygiene of your mouth and brush.

Generally, avoid keeping your toothbrush in a wet environment; a wet environment allows bacteria to thrive on the toothbrush. Another point worthy of note is to use the vinegar in various ways, you can decide on either white or apple cider vinegar to keep the brush in an antibacterial-free state.

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