Can someone please tell me how to store toothbrushes without a yucky mug or yucky tootbrush holder? It gets yucky so fast!

@Sussu, I hold the toothbrushes in a glass, of which I have another identical one. Every few days, I put the dirty one in the dishwasher and use the clean one. Stays clean and require very little effort.

Hm, does anyone have advice on the best way to clean radiators? My apartment has the old school big metal beast radiators and cleaning them is the most tedious and obnoxious thing in the world. There are so many crevices and nooks for the dust to settle into and become grime...

Sussu, I use a small, pretty glass instead of a mug and keep mouthwash in there for the head of the toothbrush. I then change the mouthwash every few days. I figure this probably keeps it cleaner than being enclosed in a container or sticking out of a mug.

Sussu,
Small holders, either attached to the wall or use suction cups that allow the toothbrushes to hang. There is much less space to acquire yucky-ness (and then clean) and still allows the brush to dry.

mtlyorel, no need for the snarky response. I keep mine in a holder to keep the bristles clean but because I share a bathroom, the holder gets grimy even with frequent washing. It'd be nice to find a good anti-toothbrush-scum magic cleaning potion! Also, mugs are reusable and cheaper than always buying paper cups.

sussu - the other thing you could think about is a really simple porcelain wall-mounted toothbrush holder. It might be easier to wipe down.

I'd also love to hear anyone's tricks for cleaning radiators. Dust + bathroom humidity + towel lint = caked-on radiator grime. I use a vacuum with a brushed nozzle attachment but I'm open to new ideas.

Great way to clean your toothbrushes is to soak them in Hydrogen Peroxide.

I always dry mine off before I put it away. I keep mine in a cup inside the medicine cabinet. I am a wee bit germ phobic. Drying it and placing it in a closed cabinet I don't worry as much about what is growing on it between changing them. Even with my toilet seat down during flushing, I always think about what they say find on most toothbrushes that are kept in the open in the bathroom. Like I said germ phobic.

I know what you means, sussu. A friend gave me a pretty Lalique vase that I thought would work for my toothbrushes. And, even though I rinse my toothbrush out every time I use it, a sticky yucky film (toothpaste residue) still collects there. So I gotta clean it out more often than I'd like.

Another idea for sanitizing toothbrushes is to pour boiling water over them and let them air dry. Also, I read somewhere that you can rinse out your toothbrushes and place them on high on the microwave to kill germs.

I tried out a bunch of things to try to keep my tiny medicine cabinet organized and tidy. The single best thing was also the cheapest - for 3 bucks at Amazon I got an adhesive hanger ("Hang Away Universal Toothbrush Holder"). You cut them apart, adhere them inside the medicine cabinet (so no toilet spray gets to it when you flush, ick), and voila, super easy and out of sight. Opens up a lot of space!

That said, I really can't see where the actual article's 20 tips are! I just see a bunch of ads and links to other articles. Hmmm.

Do you keep your toothbrushes inside the toilet or resting on the toilet seat? Or how can possibly “toilet spray” get onto the bristles of your toothbrushes? Sounds really absurd. By the way, keeping the little cap on the toothbrush like shown in the picture above is a bad idea, as it creates a humid habitat for fungi & friends. Simply letting it dry is far more hygienic. No bio-aerosoles of your sewage will ever reach it anyway.

I think some toilets can splash tiny droplets quite high, so even if you don't "keep your toothbrushes inside the toilet or resting on the toilet seat" there is a possibility for a little spray, which is kind of a gross thought. That said, I've never been too concerned about it. I close the lid to the toilet before flushing and keep it closed most of the time, and I replace my toothbrush pretty regularly, so I don't see the need to hardcore disinfect it. I liked the idea about having two matching glasses/containers and switching them out for cleaning in the dishwasher every few days.

YakkoDot, I too am a little irked by the 20 "tips." Even with tabbed browsing, I find it annoying to have an article comprised entirely of links to other articles, but that seems a trend with Apartment Therapy.

Good gravy! If you're worried about germs on your toothbrush, just stick it in the dishwasher when you run it.

They did an experiment on 'myth busters' and the toothbrush that gets manky with bacteria etc. from loo flushing turned out to be a myth.

Best tip is using one of your plain drinking glasses and changing it every couple of days, I'm gonna do that.

Not to be gross, but we live in an area that is rife with stinkbugs. You never know when one of those buggers will show up. As a result, we never keep our toothbrushes out in the open. I keep mine in a travel toothbrush holder inside the medicine cabinet and rinse it well before and after each use.

If I recall correctly, in that Mythbusters episode, ALL the toothbrushes got E. coli, even the one stored outside of the bathroom. I figured someone must have very poor handwashing technique or perhaps the toothpaste tube was creating cross-contamination. I don't think they definitively proved that contaminated toilet spray is a myth, so much as they proved that bacteria, even E. coli, is ubiquitous.

This may sound more than a little odd, especially coming from a guy. Like I said, I am a guy and have a lot of guy (and women) friends. After installing beautiful porcelain tiles in the bathroom, I noticed spots on the floor that I couldn't clean up. Turns out the splatter from standing caused the spots and it took the shine off the tile. Well, after some convincing, I, and the rest of the guys, now sit down to use the loo. The women also appreciate it, too. Also, I always close the lid before flushing.