Electric toothbrushes are a great upgrade for our oral health, but knowing what to do with them once they're due for a replacement is tricky.
Similar to getting rid of any electronics after a declutter, it's important to dispose of toothbrushes properly. But before you get rid of our old electric toothbrushes for good, there are a surprising number of ways to put them to good use around the home.
I spoke to experts for their take on what to do with old electric toothbrushes when they're past their best. It turns out, there are four creative ways you can use them before you get rid - and trust me when I say, they'll make a world of difference to certain cleaning chores.
1. Use it as a grout cleaner
Cleaning grout in tiles is notoriously difficult, but an old electric toothbrush can make the job much easier. If there's still life in your toothbrush, you can use it in place of a sonic scrubber, which will cost you £35 on Amazon.
Many cleaning experts recommend these clever cleaning tools for tackling grubby grout. Even if the toothbrush is completely dead, the brush bristles are still ideal for giving grout a good clean.
'Because toothbrushes are soft, they're unlikely to cause damage and scratches on delicate surfaces such as tiles, making them the perfect cleaning utensil when scrubbing grout,' Steve Horner, hygiene expert at Cladding Monkey says.
2. Refresh kitchen utensils
The round head of electric toothbrushes is the perfect shape for certain kitchen items, such as cheese graters, garlic mincers, and blender blades. Again, the job is going to be even easier if you can switch your electric toothbrush on. If not, a manual clean can still give these awkward kitchen items a good refresh.
For stubborn stains, try diluting white vinegar with water and using your old electric toothbrush to scrub the solution in. It's the dream combination when cleaning stainless steel appliances in particular.
I recently stocked up on Miniml's white vinegar, and know it's going to last me a while. For the number of things you can clean with vinegar, it's really good value for money.
3. Give hairbrushes a scrub
Cleaning hairbrushes is not the easiest task, and unfortunately, it's something that needs doing fairly frequently. The brush head of an old electric toothbrush is the perfect tool for scraping old hair out of a hairbrush - I've tried this myself and can confirm it works.
There are hairbrush cleaning tools available to buy, but using your old electric toothbrush will do just as good a job. A cleaner hairbrush is definitely a welcome sight when getting ready in the morning.
4. Clean awkward crevices
As you can see, there's a bit of a theme emerging when it comes to what to do with old electric toothbrushes. They do make a world of difference to cleaning, and many awkward nooks and crannies around the home will benefit.
For instance, they're perfect for cleaning the rubber seals on fridge doors, which can get particularly grimy. Toilet hinges are another area that often get overlooked, even when we're deep cleaning a stained toilet bowl - but a quick scrub with your old toothbrush will get rid of any hidden grime.
'Old electric toothbrushes are also great for cleaning around the bases of taps,' Steve adds. 'Mineral buildup and grime tends to accumulate where taps meets the sink in both bathrooms and kitchens. The small head of a toothbrush can get right in there, while the electric element can make it much easier to clean these tricky spaces.'
How to recycle old electric toothbrushes
Eventually, you will need to dispose of your old electric toothbrush altogether, especially once you've used it for cleaning grubby areas. You can recycle it via an electrical recycling point, which can be accessed all over the country. Recycle Your Electricals has a handy online locator which will tell you where your closest drop-off point is.
Usually, electrical recycling points consist of large bins that you can pop your old electronics in. They can be found at local tips, but are often dotted about in public spaces, such as retail parks, as well.
Alternatively, check if the electric toothbrush brand you've been using has a recycling scheme. SURI, for example, recovers, recycles, and reuses the components of their electric toothbrushes. It's the ideal solution if you're interested in decluttering sustainably.
You shouldn't throw away old electric toothbrushes in the bin with the rest of your household rubbish, as this poses a safety issue.
'Many people don’t realise that electric toothbrushes contain hidden batteries, which can pose a serious fire risk if they’re disposed of incorrectly,' Scott Butler, Executive Director of Material Focus at Recycle Your Electricals, explains. 'It’s vital that we recycle them – to prevent fires, but to make sure valuable materials like lithium, copper and aluminium can be recovered and reused.'
Knowing what to do with old electric toothbrushes makes for a successful spring clean. And when you're done, just remember to dispose of them safely and responsibly.
