Momnesia

Gum is Not Enough to Clean a Dirty Mouth

So I finally got my Buzz kit in the mail, with the new Sonicare UV Sanitizer in it. For someone who can't sweep a floor, I was ridiculously excited to have a cleaning tool. Then again, I don't brush my teeth with the hardwood. So whatever dirt the dogs has tracked in doesn't make it into my mouth... or does it?!

See, the thing about dirt and dust is that it is airborne. And experts say that no matter how clean your bathroom is, it's never clean enough to eat off of. Your bathroom will always be teeming with bacteria and according to bug buster, Dr Greg Saenz from Environmental Testing Associates.

Dr Saenz: "Things that they've found in bathrooms that have caused problems are e-coli [which] can make people sick. There are certain kinds of e-coli. There are some salmonella bacteria that have been shown to cause people to get sick. There's staphylococcus aureus that people are always concerned about."

Saenz checks everything that a consumer might handle, particularly toothbrushes. As it turns out, every time you flush your toilet, you're creating a bacterial fountain. And how far from your toilet is your toothbrush? In our small apartment bathroom... not very.

Dr Gerber: "There's bacteria and viruses that were in the toilet and they're ejected out all over the rest room surfaces."

In extreme cases, we're talking salmonella, which can cause severe diarrhea; norovirus, which can cause gastroenteritis; and even hepatitis A, which causes liver disease. So not only do they land all over the place in the bathroom, on your toothbrush, you also breathe them in.

Dr Gerber: "You can breathe them in, but I'm more worried about brushing my teeth with them."

Dr Gerber says we should clean every day, using bleach for sinks, drains and the toilet bowl and disinfectant wipes for high-use areas like bench tops, taps and handles.