So, what happens if you put someone’s toothbrush in the toilet? You might be wondering if someone would do that in the first place, but it happens. Maybe someone did you wrong, and you want to punish them by dipping their toothbrush in the toilet. Like this Australian Married At First Sight contestant who used his wife’s toothbrush to clean poo from the toilet in a bid to punish her for her cheating.
After finding out that his new wife had kissed another contestant on the reality show, David Cannon decided to revenge by using his wife’s toothbrush to clean some real poop from the toilet bowl that didn’t go down with the flush. David then went ahead and gave the toothbrush a little spin under the water so the wife won’t find out and returned it to the holder.
What do you think happened after this? Of course, the wife was pissed beyond measure, but what else do you think happened? Other than the frustrations and emotions that will run after such a discovery, what are the health implications of this act? Let’s find out.
Can Someone Get Sick if You Put Their Toothbrush in the Toilet?
From the story above, putting someone’s toothbrush in the toilet will make them furious, and they might completely lose trust in you. It might look like a joke, but it’s an expensive one.
From a medical perspective, it’s no secret that the toilet has a lot of germs lingering on the toilet bowl, floor, or sink. So, your toothbrush being in the toilet means it can catch something like the toilet plume that comes from flushing the toilet.
Research shows that flushing the toilet without the lid on releases different pathogens, fecal matter, and water particles that blast through the air and stick to surfaces. These particles expose one to pathogens such as noroviruses, adenoviruses, C. difficile, and E. coli.
Well, there is no evidence showing that people get sick from toilet plumes. But it is technically possible to get sick from this excretion. This is especially true if a person with a highly infectious disease like norovirus uses the toilet.
So, putting someone’s toothbrush in the toilet can make them sick. This is especially true for pathogens that are highly concentrated in feces, are highly infectious, can survive on hard surfaces for weeks, and are resistant to certain cleaning agents.
What Happens When a Toothbrush Goes Down the Toilet?
Toothbrushes are those things that shouldn’t be flushed down the toilet. But, in the event that your toothbrush goes down the toilet, there are two things that are likely to happen.
First, the toothbrush will travel straight to the sewage treatment plant, where it will sediment out and end up in the landfill. You will be lucky if this happens to you!
Second, the toothbrush may get stuck in the drain pipes and accumulate other stuff that is not supposed to be flushed down the toilet in the first place. Sanitary towels, wet wipes, condoms, and cotton buds are some of the things that might get trapped by the toothbrush. That means you will have the stress of dealing with a clogged toilet.
You can use a plunger or toilet auger to try and remove the toothbrush, but most of the time, you’ll have to turn the toilet upside down to unblock the toilet.
If you don’t want to deal with all these, don’t flush anything down the toilet other than poo, pee, and toilet tissue.
How Do You Disinfect a Toothbrush That Fell in the Toilet?
Most people will throw away their toothbrushes if they accidentally throw it in the toilet. But, if you decide to keep it, here are some ways to disinfect it.
Soak the toothbrush in hydrogen peroxide: This is the least expensive remedy. Studies show that soaking the toothbrush in just 3% hydrogen peroxide solution will help kill 85% of any bacteria found on it. To make this mixture, mix a teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide in a cup of water. Soak your toothbrush for 15 minutes, and you’ll be good to go.
Soak it in Listerine: Listerine brand mouthwash can kill 85% of bacteria on your toothbrush. The good thing is that this is something you might already be using. So, you will not go the extra mile of making a new purchase.
FAQs
Why Should You Keep Your Toothbrush Away From the Toilet?
While there’s no evidence of adverse health effects related to toothbrush use, you still need to care for your toothbrush. We have established that the toilet is full of germs that might end up on your toothbrush and cause illnesses such as norovirus.
Your toothbrush holder should, therefore, be kept away from the toilet. Also, make sure your toothbrush is well-cleaned and dried, and store it in an upright position.
Can You Get Sick if Your Toothbrush Falls in the Toilet?
As mentioned above, there’s no evidence of people getting seriously sick from using a plume-coated toothbrush. However, it is good to note that you could get sick if your toothbrush catches bacteria from someone with an infectious illness like norovirus.
Can You Catch Something From Using Someone’s Toothbrush?
Sharing toothbrushes means you’re possibly sharing saliva and blood. This exposes you to all manner of oral and general health concerns. Sharing a toothbrush exposes you to blood-borne viruses like hepatitis and herpes and other serious illnesses that live in the mouth and on the toothbrush.
So, What Happens if You Put Someone’s Toothbrush in the Toilet?
Putting someone’s toothbrush in the toilet might seem like good revenge, but it’s not. Besides being utterly disgusting, this act could expose the other person to illnesses such as norovirus. A good rule of thumb is to talk things out instead of playing costly games like this one.
Tell us in the comments if this is something you have ever done or would do.
