How many toothbrushes do you think you have thrown away during your life Dental Chair? We are advised to change our toothbrush every three months, so in theory by the time somebody is 30 they will have already binned around 120 toothbrushes.
There are estimated to be more than 64 million people in the UK which could mean more than 256 million toothbrushes are discarded every year. That’s a very big pile of plastic but have you ever thought what happens to them? Here at the Oral Health Foundation we have taken a look at the potential uses for your toothbrush after it has finished its primary job of cleaning your teeth. What we have found is that we are remarkably creative when it comes to prolonging the usefulness of our little bristled friends.
Encouragingly, our research shows that 80% of us choose to repurpose our toothbrushes, so here are 10 best life hacks for your toothbrush which could save you valuable time and money and your environment.
Nail brush magic – Admit it, removing that stubborn dirt from beneath our nails can be difficult and even tedious. Use your old toothbrush to remove it in seconds! One person even told us they keep one in their handbag just in case they need to brush up on the go.
Wheelie good – A surprising number of people told us they use their old toothbrush to clean the chain on their bicycle water picker. Apparently, it is the perfect size to get into those little places.
Back to the bathroom – Some toothbrushes are never destined to leave the bathroom. By far the most popular use of an old toothbrush is to help clean those hard to reach cracks and crannies in the bathroom, and it certainly comes in handy for scrubbing the grout between the tiles Ultrasonic Scaler.