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Dentist's warning about where you store your toothbrush will quickly make you change one bathroom habit

By Rachael Gavin|

B?athrooms are known for being germy places, but when you have a tiny one that includes a toilet there is a very gross problem you need to know about.

Dentist Dr Jordan Brown ?revealed the disgusting fact about where we store toothbrushes in a video on his TikTok channel.

He shared his simple test to work out whether your toothbrush is at risk of picking up airborne germs from the toilet.?

Watch the video above.?

"Everyone needs to know this about their toothbrush. ?If you can see your toilet and your toothbrush in the same vision without moving your head, there's a 99 per cent chance you have fecal matter on your toothbrush," he said.

"Aerosols from your toilet spray up in the air and they get everywhere including on your toothbrush."

Dentist toothbrush storage bathroom toilet hygeine
If you can see your toothbrush and toilet at the same time, you need to flush with the toilet seat down. (TikTok/@drjordanbrown)

This claim is backed up by scientist John Crimaldi and his team who discovered particles from the toilet can reach as high as 1.5 metres after flushing.

However, this experiment was done with just tap water, and Crimaldi warned fecal matter could change how aerosols from the toilet spread "in unpredictable ways".

You might be thoroughly freaked out by now, but there is one very simple way to fix it: put the toilet lid down before you flush. Once you get in the habit of doing that, your toothbrush and everything around the toilet will be less germy.

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Dr Brown's toothbrush warning has gone viral online with 1.2 million views so far.

The comments section of the video revealed quite a mix of toothbrush storage habits.

Some either already flush with the lid down, though admitted other family members don't, or they have a toilet in a separate room so they don't have to worry about aerosols from the toilet hitting their toothbrush.

Toothbrushes in the bathroom
Toothbrushes need to air dry and be replaced every few months. (iStock)

Others revealed they have a cover on their toothbrushes, with a few having both the covers and keeping it in the drawer.

Unfortunately this is also a hygiene issue. Covering a wet toothbrush with a cover means that your toothbrush doesn't get a chance to dry out. This damp environment is a breeding ground for bacteria, which will multiply underneath the cover.

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According to Colgate, the best practice for a clean toothbrush is to rinse it under hot water? and store somewhere away from anything that can contaminate it so it can air dry.

We're also advised to have our own toothbrush and change our toothbrush every few months, or sooner for kids or if we're ill.

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