Why you should clean your electric toothbrush more often

Due to the daily contact with water, saliva and toothpaste, residues (about one million microorganisms per brush head) are stored on every electric toothbrush over time – not only on the brush head, but also on the handle and at the charging station. However, at the latest when the device begins to smell uncomfortably, the teeth are no longer really clean or the gums ignited by spreading germs, it is time to clean the brush. How this works best and what tips the general hygiene is preserved should be explained in this article.

It is recommended to always exchange a brush head after three months. However, if the fine bristles have been very bent or worn beforehand, the cleaning effect (especially in the gaps) continues to decrease – and the risk of inflamed gums increases. In this case you should make earlier. As for the daily routine, you should clean your head thoroughly after each use under running water. Then it is recommended to roughly dry the bristles by shaking or knocking. Because the more moisture gets stuck in the brush head, the more germs or bacteria can multiply there.

Cleaning tips: A tried and tested trick to disinfect the brush attachment of an electric toothbrush is the use of a . Fill a glass so far with the fact that the brush head can be completely immersed in it and let it work in it for at least 30 minutes. Alternatively, there are also special UV cleaning stations for brush heads, for example from – According to the manufacturer, the device should kill up to 99 percent of bacteria and germs without chemicals.

Not only the brush head should be cleaned after brushing your teeth: the handpiece must also be freed from saliva and toothpaste lights- preferably under running water. Then dry the housing with a clean towel. But what if the first lime deposits are noticeable on the handpiece? In this case, you can use a proven home remedy: vinegar. Mix a few splashes with warm water. Then take a clean rag, moisten it with the vinegar mixture and thus clean the calcified. Then the handpiece is washed off again under running water. If stubborn deposits can no longer be removed, you can Use to clean the electric toothbrush. Because almost all models are waterproof, otherwise you could not keep them under running water without hesitation.

Important: Also on the charging station of an electric toothbrush, dirt and limescale residues are also noticeable over time. Depending on how stubborn they are, they can be removed with a damp lobe (and possibly some vinegar).

Regardless of whether you use a manual or electric toothbrush: If you travel, it is important to protect the brush head from dust and dirt – i.e. an ideal breeding ground for bacteria. Depending on what you have for a model, there are special protective covers or of the manufacturer. Or you use a commercially available . It is also advisable to always put the toothbrush in such a way that the brush head can dry in the air. If you don’t have a tooth cleaning cup at hand, there is also that can be attached to the wall.

Another important note at the end:
Never clean an electric toothbrush in the dishwasher because it would be much harm due to the high temperatures.