Find a good place away from the toilet and as far away from splashing water as you can. You can invest in a wall-mounted toothbrush holder or a holder with a lid (as long as there is enough airflow to dry the toothbrush!) or use the medicine cabinet.
Toothbrush Storage On the Bathroom Counter
The bathroom counter is one of the best places to store your toothbrush. It's out of the way of busy areas in your home, like the kitchen, and it's easy to keep clean. Plus, you're less likely to forget to brush your teeth if your toothbrush is in plain sight.
The Bathroom Counter Is a Breeding Ground of Bacteria
There are several good reasons why you should not store your toothbrush on a bathroom counter. Not only is it musty and damp, which causes bacterial and viral growths, a bathroom counter is too close to the sink and toilet.
Either way, a cover is usually used as a way of protecting our toothbrush from outside germs and bacteria. We all want a clean toothbrush; after all, it is something that we use in our mouth! It's no secret that toothbrushes can harbor lots of germs, including bacteria and viruses.
The best solution is to keep your toothbrush in a corner of your bathroom away from the sink & toilet. If you're strapped for space, you can get a wall-mounted toothbrush holder to place high enough to avoid any splashing from the sink.
Where to Store Your Toothbrush. Probably the best place to store your toothbrush is on a shelf in your bedroom, or, if you store it in the bathroom, in a far corner, safely away from the toilet and the sink. You might also store it in a large closet where it is cool and dry.
Use a toothbrush holder that has lots of ventilation holes if you prefer to cover it when not in use. Just make sure you regularly clean the cover to prevent cross-contamination. It is also best to store a toothbrush with the handle down since this makes it easier for any water trapped in the bristles to drain away.
Take a minute to learn if brushing as you bathe is safe for your smile. Proponents of brushing in the shower say it's not as messy, which may be true on a person-to-person basis. They also often claim it saves water and time, reasoning brushing while rinsing off or waiting for conditioner to set is more efficient.
“The average person should be swapping out for a new toothbrush every three to four months,” explains Dr. Sienna Palmer, DDS, dentist at Meridien Dental in Santa Monica, CA. “This is recommended to ensure that the bristles are still effective and bacteria accumulation on the toothbrush is minimal.”
Just add some peroxide (3% is fine) into a small glass and put the brush head (bristles down) into the peroxide overnight. Peroxide is a very oxygen-rich environment. So, it does a very good job of robbing these low-oxygen-environment-loving thug bugs of a major condition they need to survive.
Whether you're headed to the break room or the restroom, bring your toothbrush with you. So long as you have access to a sink, it's a perfect time to brush. Keep it discreet: Some people find it a little odd when they see someone brushing their teeth in a public restroom, so be mindful or others.
Avoid storing your toothbrush in a plastic ziploc bag, even while traveling. There should be at least some ventilation given, especially if the toothbrush is packed up while it is still damp. The warm and enclosed area will take longer to dry, giving bacteria a greater chance to grow.
While brushing your teeth in the shower isn't an extremely common practice, one dental health survey has found that around 4 percent of Americans maintain this habit — or between 13 and 15 million people.
Toothbrush storage ideas
The best toothbrush storage location is a space where you can keep your toothbrush upright so it can dry out fairly quickly. A cup or toothbrush holder with a toothbrush lid will give each toothbrush enough air space to dry without contaminating each other.
If you wait for 2–3 hours your enamel will have remineralised, and you can brush without harming it. That's why it is better to brush your teeth first.
Wetting before softens toothbrush bristles and rinses off debris. Wetting after ensures the toothpaste melts into your toothbrush so it doesn't roll off.
While it may be surprising, a study has found that flossing first followed by brushing with a fluoride toothpaste is more effective in removing interdental plaque than brushing first, flossing second. In addition, flossing before brushing results in greater fluoride retention between teeth.
You should never store your brush in a closed or airtight container, as bacteria love moisture and will thrive in this environment. Instead, place the brush in a cup or holder in an upright position to ensure that it dries off thoroughly. Avoid putting it in a drawer or cabinet, as well.
After brushing, spit out any excess toothpaste. Don't rinse your mouth immediately after brushing, as it'll wash away the concentrated fluoride in the remaining toothpaste. Rinsing dilutes it and reduces its preventative effects.
What about leaving your toothbrush in the shower? Your hot, humid shower is the kind of environment that bacteria loves. So storing your toothbrush in there around the clock is a bad idea according to Craig, “Because it gives bacteria plenty of time to accumulate and grow while it's being stored in there.”
The bathroom is one of the most germ-infested rooms in any house, but leaving a toothbrush in a damp shower makes your brush (and mouth) a target for unwanted microbes. Given enough of the wrong types of bacteria, an extra germy toothbrush could even lead to diarrhea or skin infection.
The Benefits of Brushing Before Breakfast
That is why you may sometimes wake up with “morning breath” or a mossy taste in your mouth. Brushing first thing in the morning fights those bacteria and coats your enamel with a protective barrier that will help protect against acids in your morning meal.
A 3% Hydrogen Peroxide solution is a great choice if you want to kill all of the yeast, fungi, bacteria, viruses and mold spores living on your toothbrush.