The bathroom is perhaps one of the places in the house, along with the kitchen, where we spend the most time. For this reason, it is very important to keep it clean, from the sink, the shower, without forgetting the toilet, considered one of the dirtiest areas of a house, according to the International Scientific Forum on Home Hygiene.
For many years, we have relied on a common object to clean it: the brushes, a product that causes a certain disgust and that casts serious doubts as to whether it is convenient or not. In fact, in some hotels (those with more stars) the presence of this object is already history because it is considered that, due to hygiene, they are not convenient.
Their use has been questioned because we often overlook the fact that they also need regular maintenance and cleaning and disinfection and, although there are no figures or data to corroborate this, it seems clear that they are not always given the attention they should. Moreover, in many houses it is a utensil that is kept in a corner, half hidden behind the toilet.
In some hotels (those with more stars) the presence of this object is already history because it is considered that, due to hygiene, they are not convenient
The most critical points of toilet brushes
Toilet brushes are used to keep this area of the bathroom clean. But what we’re really doing is passing bacteria from the toilet to the brush, which also traps fecal matter, which is totally unhealthy.
In addition, and to make matters worse, these brushes are placed in a humid place because the receptacle where they remain stored usually houses liquid mixed with traces of dirt. For all these reasons, the toilet brush is probably the object that accumulates the most dirt and bacteria.
The most widespread habit is to clean it only with water and then put it back in its moist container, a harmful habit that can lead to the proliferation of harmful bacteria in our daily environment.
We must bear in mind that, in the same way that we rinse the scourer after cleaning a surface, such as the kitchen counter, or put dirty kitchen cloths in the washing machine after using them, the toilet brush, if we do not want do without it, you should also wash.
The toilet brush is probably the object that accumulates the most dirt and bacteria
Because it is useless to disinfect the toilet by inserting a dirty and poorly sanitized brush. Despite everything, since they accumulate numerous bacteria, in few cases they will cause problems and be harmful, unless someone suffers from an intestinal disease.
How to use the brush to disinfect the toilet well
As we can see, not paying attention to the toilet brush can lead to the proliferation of bacteria, mold and, above all, persistent odors in the bathroom that we surely want to eliminate.
A brush is like sponges: we can change them, even carry out a cleaning and disinfection routine because it is key to wash what we use to clean. Therefore, it is recommended:
- Do not store the brush immediately after use.
- Rinse after each use, with the water that comes out when you pull the chain, and let it air dry (we can leave it hanging from the toilet, without it coming into contact with water, since some models have a piece on the handle that allows it to be suspended in the toilet).
- Wash it every week by submerging it in the brush holder in a mixture of boiling water and bleach, shake the brush in the water and rinse with clean water. Repeat this process using cold water with a few drops of bleach added and let dry.
- Some tips suggest replacing it every six months so it doesn’t become a hotbed for germs.
- Do not forget the brush holder, the brush holder, where many germs can accumulate. It is very important to empty it and eliminate the water that remains stagnant inside and pour bleach to disinfect it. It can also help to acquire a model in which the brush is a little suspended, that is, it does not touch the bottom.
The frequency will vary depending on the use we make of it, since a flat in which only one person lives is not the same as a home in which a large family lives.
Brush Options
Some microbiological recommendations rely on silicone brushes, a material that attracts fewer microorganisms than plastic because it is non-porous and resists the accumulation of organic matter in the toilet.
Silicone is therefore more resistant to microbial contamination because it also dries much faster than plastic, making it easier to clean and less likely to accumulate microbes. This also means that they do not need to be replaced as often.
In recent years, to make toilet cleaning less unpleasant and more effective, some toilet brushes are designed with single-use disposable heads. This prevents the transfer of germs from the toilet bowl to the brush.
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