Dentist shares toothbrush cleaning hack – and explains how much dirt is on the bristles

Whenever we go on TikTok there always seems to be something new and fascinating to learn – from life hacks to cooking tips.

Recently the team over at My Job Quote have been scouring the social media platform to find the biggest cleaning mistakes we make in the bathroom.

And their findings show we all really need to give our toothbrushes a good and proper clean.

To show why, they picked out a TikTok video by a dentist from the US known as Dr. M, real name Suhail Mohiuddin.

In his clip, he explains that running your brush under the tap before and after cleaning your teeth, doesn’t actually make it very clean.

That’s because your brush is home to more than 100 million bacteria, according to a study by the University of Manchester.

Dr. M highlights this fact in his video, captioning his post by writing: “Did you know your toothbrush harbours a ton of germs!! This is how to clean it and keep you healthy.”

In the clip he explains how you should regularly clean your toothbrush, to rid it of any harmful bacteria.

He advises washing the brush head with soap and warm water daily, making sure to rinse all the soap off properly.

His second step allows you to ‘disinfect’ your brush.

To do this he mixes one teaspoon of three per cent hydrogen peroxide with one cup of water (237ml).

He then places the toothbrush in the mixture and leaves it to soak overnight before rinsing it off in the morning.

Alternatively, you can soak the toothbrush in antibacterial mouthwash.

If you don’t have mouthwash, dissolving a denture cleanser or a mixture of two teaspoons baking soda in water works just as well.

More than 161,000 people have liked Dr M’s video, with many thanking him for sharing the tip.

One person commented: “This is news to me. I never considered it, but it makes perfect sense. Thanks, Doc.”

Another said: “This is a great video! Will definitely be sharing this info!”

“Good to know,” replied a third.

Others were confused as to why no one had ever told them this before, while some wondered why you wouldn’t just buy a new toothbrush instead.

“I mean I thought we were just supposed to replace them?? I switch mine out every four to six weeks,” said a different user.

The response to this comment was: “You are supposed to replace them but you’re also getting germs on the brush every day so this is how you clean it.”

Do you clean your toothbrush? Let us know in the comments below.