Can You Put a Toothbrush in the Dishwasher? (Okay You Can But…)
Some people are fans of doing the dishes by hand, and some prefer to put their mess into a dishwasher.
But what about toothbrushes? Can you place a toothbrush in your dishwasher too, or is it something that should only be washed by hand?
This article will answer that question for you!
Can you put a toothbrush in the dishwasher?
Sanitizing your toothbrush can be done in a few different ways. One way is to put it in the dishwasher. The high heat and detergent will kill most of the bacteria or germs on the brush. You can also soak the toothbrush in hydrogen peroxide or bleach for about 10 minutes before placing it in the dishwasher to kill nearly 100% of the germs on it.
Also, the more interesting part is making sure that your dishwasher is effectively cleaning your toothbrush. That means your general goal is to get rid of as much bacteria and germs as you can. So what are the factors we should consider? It’s the temperature of the water and how long your toothbrush will stay in. But long story short, you need to increase the temperature of the water in your dishwasher as high as possible, for at least a couple minutes. I’ll go into much more detail below.
You can place your toothbrush in a utensil rack inside your dishwasher. That way, your toothbrush won’t end up being flung around the dishwasher as it aggressively cleans your toothbrush.
You can put a toothbrush in the dishwasher on the regular cycle. However, it is recommended that you wash your toothbrush with soap and water every day.
How to clean your toothbrush in a dishwasher
There are certain steps that can be taken to disinfect it.
It is possible to disinfect your toothbrush in a dishwasher. You can either place the toothbrush in the silverware basket or use a dishwasher-safe case. Be sure to set the dishwasher on a hot water cycle and let it run for at least 30 minutes.
- Before you place your toothbrush in the dishwasher, you can place it in a cup of hydrogen peroxide.
- Let them soak for about an hour.
- Then, rinse them off.
- Finally, place the toothbrush in the dishwasher on a high heat cycle.
- Pick out your clean toothbrush and rinse it with water one more time to get rid of any possible detergent or soap that may be still in between the bristles.
Why might cleaning your tooth brush in a dishwasher help get rid of bacteria?
Dishwashers have a lot of advantages when it comes to cleaning and sanitizing items in the kitchen. This doesn’t change when it comes to toothbrushes. By putting your toothbrush into the dishwasher, you can also reap the benefits similar to how your dishes get sparkly clean and shiny.
While our everyday kitchen appliances can’t really kill all of the bacteria found on a particular item, dishwashers can do a lot of damage to germs and bacteria.
Dishwashers use water that is hot enough to kill bacteria
Because dishwashers use really hot water, up to 170 degrees Fahrenheit, there’s a good chance that it can stop the continual growth of bacteria or even kill it off. The FDA has explained that anything below 110 degrees Fahrenheit may leave things susceptible to bacterial growth. They also explained that in order to get rid of most of the bacteria in your everyday foods, you should aim to cook foods to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit for about 1 minute.
Today’s average dishwasher will clean the items inside of it with water that can range anywhere between 130 and 170 degrees Fahrenheit. Some studies have also suggested that if water can reach temperatures of 150 degrees Fahrenheit for an extended period of time, then that may be enough to kill 99.999% of bacteria.
Dishwashers can clean for hours
When you put your toothbrush in a dishwasher, you can be sure to know that the dishwasher can cycle several times, which will last up to a couple hours. Some of the more advanced dishwashers will scan how dirty the food is, and that will determine how long it will keep the water heated and run through its cycled phases.
It has been discovered that not only is heat the only factor that kills bacteria. Time is also a very important matter when it comes to the efficacy of bacterial removal.
For example, you can make a certain temperature reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the temperature that is known to kill bacteria, but only allow it to last for a moment. This won’t necessarily kill any bacteria if the heat is short-lived.
The minimum amount of time required to kill bacteria from your toothbrush is about 3 minutes at 145 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s even less than that if your dishwasher is capable of heating water up to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. At that point, the toothbrush only needs to be in that temperature range for about 1 minute.
How often should you put your toothbrush in the dishwasher?
How often you should put your toothbrush in the dishwasher depends on how often you replace your toothbrush. Generally, you should replace your toothbrush every 3 or 4 months, but if you are sick or have been ill, you should replace it a little sooner. However, you can also put your toothbrush in the dishwasher if you want to sanitize it.
It’s a good idea to clean your toothbrush in your dishwasher at least once a month to make sure you get all the germs out of it. If after 3 to 4 months, you notice that the bristles are still looking good, you shouldn’t have any issues if you want to save it for longer.
What not to do with your toothbrush in the dishwasher
You can use dishwashing detergent or hand soap on your toothbrush. These products are powerful and can really sanitize the bristles of your toothbrush. Stick to adding warm water and a little bit of dish soap if needed.
One thing you don’t want to do is not thoroughly clean off the detergent or soap from the bristles. It can be really hard to get that stuff out. That’s why I recommend placing it in the dishwasher where the hot water and the jet water sprays will get rid of all of that for you.
It is generally recommended that toothbrushes be replaced every 4 months. However, this can be lengthened to 6 months if the toothbrush is properly cared for.
The hot water may burn off the bristles of your toothbrush
Something I feel that it is important to add on to this topic is the fact that dishwashers can get violently hot. That means that it can damage your toothbrush if you place it inside a dishwasher at high settings.
If the heat inside the dishwasher is way too high, it’s possible that it might melt your toothbrush or even loosen the bristles from the head of the toothbrush. You may end up with a mess of tiny little bristles all over your dishwasher because it had melted it right out.
My recommendation here is just to set it up at a low to medium temperature when washing your toothbrush. Remember you’re not trying to burn the germs and bacteria, although it may help. You need to use a light detergent that will effectively kill whatever germs that lay on it.
Can you put an electric toothbrush in a dishwasher?
You should not put your electric toothbrush in the dishwasher.
The answer to this question is yes, you can put an electric toothbrush in a dishwasher. However, it is not recommended because the water pressure and heat could damage the toothbrush.
Even though most electric toothbrushes are designed to be water resistant, they aren’t particularly waterproof. That means that if you submerge an electronic toothbrush under water for a long period of time, it may damage the electric toothbrush itself.
High heat and harsh detergents can damage the body and motor of the electric toothbrush. Because there is an electrical component to electronic toothbrushes, damaging them can be extremely costly.
Many people will tell you that you can place your electronic toothbrushes in a dishwasher as long as you keep the heat on the low setting and don’t allow them to wash for too long. I just wouldn’t risk it though.
Author interesting articles: