It's a good idea to replace your toothbrush or electric toothbrush head every 3-4 months. But throwing away your toothbrush 3 - 4 times a year can also feel hard to do. It takes over 500 years to break down a regular plastic toothbrush, leaving behind hundreds or thousands of micro-plastics in our soil and oceans.
If you are reading this blog, you have probably already made the switch off plastic toothbrushes. If not, stop reading, and head over to our shop and grab a brush. But for now, we are hopefully going to inspire ways for you to upcycle and reuse those wooden toothbrushes.
Below are 6 ways to reuse your bamboo toothbrush:
1. Cleaning Tool - toothbrushes are not only scrubbing your teeth but great for getting those hard to reach corners and crevices around the house. Store them in a repurposed glass jar or candle holder under your sink or drawer / box. Here are some things that work really well for cleaning with a toothbrush:
- Clean shoes, bags, jewelry
- Scrub stains off of clothes and other fabrics
- Clean bike chains
- Get crumbs out of crevices in your car, office, and computer
- Sink and countertop seams
- Kitchen and bathroom grout
2. Scrub for Fruits and Veggies - A lot of fruits and veggies do not come washed and still have dirt, pesticides and other residues from the farm or grow-house. You should always thoroughly wash your fruits and vegetables before consuming. Some veggies, like whole carrots and potatoes, need to be scrubbed free of dirt. Your old toothbrush is a great alternative to a larger, possibly plastic alternative scrub brush.
3. Use to Comb your Eyebrows - if you are looking to fluff up those luscious brows, then a toothbrush is a great substitute for a traditional eyebrow brush. Make sure to soak the brush of warm, soapy water to remove any toothpaste residue and let air dry. Add to your makeup supplies and throw in a travel bag.
4. Herb Identifier - if you have a garden or potted herbs, this is a great way to remember what is what, especially if growing from small plants. Tagging the plants will help you know which plants you should give more water or sun too, if they seem to be struggling. Use a dark colored sharpie to write the name of your herbs or any plant.
5. Art Supplies - old toothbrushes are an essential tool to have in your art supplies. It can help remove old paint on paint brushes, add texture to a painting or piece of clay / pottery, or turned into art itself!
6. And if nothing else, COMPOST it. Just make sure to remove any nylon bristles before returning the bamboo to the earth.
Okay, so we gave you six ways to reuse that old toothbrush and prevent less landfill waste. We hope this was insightful and inspires you to help reduce our consumer footprint and upcycle all that we can in life. Because together we can make a lasting change and reduce the use of plastic. Cheers!