Most sheeple don't realize that their toothbrushes are not immune to germs and filth. They wax on to waiters and waitresses about the little spots on their flatware and never think twice about sticking the same piece of plastic into their mouths for over a year. Would you use the same fork for that amount of time without cleaning it? It is time that we stood up as a population and said "I am not a Dirty Brusher! I am a Revolutionary!"
In the Unplggd bathroom, we take our toothbrushes seriously. To keep them clean, we usually soak them in hydrogen peroxide after use. This is probably unusual and it isn't super easy to do because it means you need to remember to come back to rinse the toothbrush off after letting it soak for a few minutes. As a revolutionary, you don't have time for such trivialities. Brushing is no longer a game, as we may have once believed. The establishment is not going to overthrow itself; you must grab the future by the handle and BRUSH.
Our friends over at Violight are pulling off a coup that free citizens will sing about for generations. Utilizing the spiritual light that permeates the ultraviolet spectrum, they have put together a portable system that kills 99.9% of bureaucratic incumbants in the supplied toothbrush.
We have been using the iZap for about a month... after procuring the necessary AAA batteries via the La Flour Dans le Noir (underground resistance, translation: "The Flour in the Darkness"). In these trying times, triple 'A's are hard to come by and we are sincerely grateful to those who risk and give their lives to keep Americans clean. The life of a smuggler is fraught with danger... but also creativity:
This may look like an ordinary toothbrush case, but hidden in the top is a secret UV lamp that comes on only when the lid is closed. This lamp will illuminate the bristles for several minutes to effectively destroy all bacteria from the current, crumbling regime.
When the new Utopia is brought into existence, it will be moments and fabulous products like these that will be the subjects of refrains for our anthems (of hope and justice). We of Unplggd implore you; do not sit idly by while germs of the old republic fill their coffers with the fruits of our toils.
Brush away the old, and usher in the new, clean mouths of Freedom.
Related Links:
Re(al)view: Oral-B Pulsonic Power Toothbrush
Comments (6)
my mum bought me a case similar to the one you store your toothbrush. she got it off an avon catalog for about $8! Sometimes though the light doesn't turn on when I close the lid. I have to close it a few times and then the light will go off. :\
Cup of hydrogen peroxide by the sink, drop your toothbrush in there between brushings, and you're done. Easy peasy, and no doubt way less expensive than this gadget.
I've never needed this before...neither have my parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, et al...so why would I possibly need this now in order to have a healthy mouth? It seems to me that people are getting waaaaaayyy too crazy about germs and all this antibacterial frenzy is going to cause major health issues in the very near future.
Oh one other thing... the article says "...and never think twice about sticking the same piece of plastic into their mouths for over a year." Who in their right mind would use the same toothbrush for over a year?! You should always replace it when the bristles start to splay out since they become much less effective at that point.
OK! Before things get too out of hand; I just want to add that this is a sub-$20 product (so maybe not worth flaming over) and may not be for everyone. We are also not equipped to test the germ fighting power of the lamp- though many dentists and hair care pros rely on the technology to keep their stuff clean- no reason to think it shouldn't work.
I recently had a doctor tell me that the human mouth is even dirtier than a dog's mouth- having a broader variety of germs and bacteria... something to avoid thinking about.
There are several schools of thought that suggest that many of today's illnesses start in the unkempt mouth and that we greatly underestimate the ill effects of an unclean toothbrush.
As mentioned in the post; we use peroxide to keep our brush clean because it really is like using the same fork without cleaning it for an extended period of time.
I have also never had a toothbrush splay out like that- I would tend to think that has to do more with the amount of pressure applied vs. the material used in the product, than a specific amount of time a brush is employed. Also, gross as it sounds; we did an informal poll and discovered that many people use their toothbrushes for over a year. We don't endorse this kind of behavior, but it happens. If you keep it clean; it's clean- no matter how long you keep it- why should it matter if the bristles are slightly curved?
Bottom line is that toothbrushes get dirty, it's up to you to determine how you handle that. We know things now that our forebearers did not and have forgotten things they took for granted; it's the way of the world.
Also, boiling the toothbrush for a few minutes every now-and-then works well too...no peroxide to wash off then.