The American Dental Association recommends replacing your toothbrush every three to four months, or sooner if you’re sick or the bristles become frayed. So what do you do with the brush when it can no longer clean your teeth? Dr. Pate suggests disinfecting your brush to prevent contaminating other areas, and trying these tips to make your old toothbrushes useful.
Around The House
Toothbrushes are useful cleaning tools because they can get into crevices that your sponge or rag cannot reach. The brush can clean between the bristles of your hairbrush or between the tongs of your forks. In addition, the long handle makes it easy to reach deep down into bottles or glasses. It’s also convenient to scrub grout and grime from the corners of kitchen and bathroom sinks. You’ve probably eaten while watching TV or using the computer, which leaves your buttons dirty and sticky. A clean, dry brush can also help remove dust between keys on your remote control or computer keyboard.
Beauty and Fashion
As you get dressed in the morning and notice an ugly stain on your shirt, you can spot-clean the area with a cleaning agent (or toothpaste!) and scrub with a toothbrush. The brush can touch the dirt that you don’t want your fingers to touch, making it easy to wash mud off your shoes. Furthermore, apply an abrasive agent on the bristles and rub your jewelry to help polish and shine. Rubbing a soft brush with water along your lips or skin can help remove dry pieces and leave your skin smooth.
In The Yard
After picking potatoes, pumpkins, and other vegetables from the garden, a toothbrush can be handy to scrub off rough spots and clean outer skins. In addition, stick the handle in the ground and label it to distinguish your plants. You can use the strong bristles to help clean blades, chainsaws, and other sharp tools that could injure your fingers and tear up a cloth. You can also use your old brush to clean your pet’s teeth. Human germs are different than animal microbes, so any bacteria from your mouth that is lingering on your brush won’t harm your pet.
Make sure you label your old brush and store it separately to avoid a mix-up with your good toothbrush. The best use for your toothbrush is to clean your teeth. Dr. Pate can show you the proper way to brush effectively. Contact Dentistry in Buckhead at 404-266-9424 to schedule an appointment.