I saw a Reddit post that made me cringe with shame last week – in an entry shared to r/mildlyinfuriating, a site user shared their partner’s “gross” electric toothbrush stand.
OK, mine isn’t as bad as their caked-on, browning situation. But I’m not going to lie; if the cast of Queer Eye burst into my home right now, I reckon a close-up shot of my charging station would be pretty damning.
According to Oral-B, though, the fault might not lie entirely on my (admittedly lazy) shoulders.
For people living in hard water areas – thought to be around 60% of the UK – cleaning the tool isn’t as simple as it is in softer water spots.
How does hard water change how you should clean your toothbrush?
Per Oral-B, it’s important to rinse your electric toothbrush after using it.
In softer water areas, the brand adds “simply [wiping] down your electric toothbrush holder and electric toothbrush stand every so often” should be enough “to remove debris and dirt”.
But when you live in a hard water area, it suggests that simply letting your toothbrush breathe after a quick rinse isn’t enough – and the resulting build-up might affect your toothbrush stand too.
“Especially when you live in a hard water area, you are advised to wipe dry” your toothbrush and stand “instead of leaving [them] to air dry”, Oral-B said.
That’s because the insoluble minerals which are more present in hard water, like calcium and magnesium, stay behind when the liquid evaporates.
That leads to the chalky, hard-to-clean stains too many of us are familiar with.
How can I get rid of existing electric toothbrush build-up?
If your electric toothbrush is looking a little worse for wear, you’ll likely be able to get it off with hot water and a cloth.
If the stain is really hard to budge, mild detergents can work for the handle or base – but make sure not to use it on the head.
As for your toothbrush stand, unplugging it, wiping it with a damp cloth, and then leaving it to dry fully before reusing it should do the trick.
Additionally, you should both clean and dry the head and base of the toothbrush separately.
That way, moisture (which bacteria love) won’t stay trapped between the two sections of your brush.