That mouthwash soak trick has honestly saved me a ton of hassle with my own kids’ brushes. I used to scrub them with hot water and soap, but they’d still end up looking kinda gross after a week or two. One thing I do now is rinse the heads really well after each use and let them air dry upright—makes a surprising difference. I will say, though, even with good cleaning, I usually swap them out every three months or so, just because the bristles get worn down. Still, stretching them a bit longer definitely feels less wasteful than tossing them all the time.
That’s actually really helpful to hear. I always feel like I’m fighting a losing battle with those toothbrush heads, especially with my youngest—he’s notorious for leaving his brush in a puddle of water at the bottom of the cup. Rinsing and letting them air dry upright sounds so basic, but when I don’t remind everyone (or do it myself), they get that weird musty smell pretty fast.
I’ve tried the mouthwash soak too, and honestly, it does seem to make a difference. I was worried it might break down the bristles or something, but after a few months, I haven’t noticed any problems. Still, I’m with you on swapping them every three months. Even if they look okay, the bristles start bending out and then it just feels like you’re brushing with a limp noodle.
Part of me wonders if we’re all just overthinking this stuff? Like, yeah, nobody wants gross buildup or bacteria, but sometimes I think the companies want us to change heads more often than we really need to. But then again, I’ve seen what happens when my kids “forget” to clean their brushes for a while...not pretty.
Anyway, thanks for sharing what’s worked for you. It’s kind of reassuring to know other people are dealing with the same little annoyances and not just tossing out brush heads every couple weeks. Small wins, right?
It’s kind of reassuring to know other people are dealing with the same little annoyances and not just tossing out brush heads every couple weeks.
Totally relate to the “musty smell” thing—my ortho made a whole speech about bacteria on brushes when I first got braces. Here’s what’s worked for me: after rinsing, I tap the brush a few times to shake off extra water, then leave it upright and not touching any other brushes. Every couple weeks, I soak it in diluted mouthwash just like you mentioned. Haven’t noticed any bristle issues either, but I do swap out every three months even if it looks fine. Honestly, I get a little paranoid about buildup since food gets stuck so easily with brackets. Maybe we are overthinking it, but I’d rather be safe than sorry...
That’s exactly what I tell my kid—drying it out makes a huge difference. We do the mouthwash soak too, but sometimes I wonder if it’s overkill or actually helping. Has anyone noticed if certain brands get musty faster? Ours always seems to smell off after a few weeks, no matter what.
