Sharing is one of the highest and defining aspects of the human condition. In the alchemy of sharing and altruism society is formed but even sharing has its limits. You would probably hesitate, hopefully for a long time, before sharing underwear even with the best of friends. Likewise sharing one’s significant other with friends, aside from as a tennis partner, is not an altogether pleasing prospect. Yet, these are obvious instances where the string of sharing reaches its limit, but there are also occasions where you are sharing things that you probably would not if you knew you were doing so. According to a new study one of the more disturbing examples of such unknown sharing occurs in a shared bathroom and we warn you, if you are a germaphobe, then look away now.
The new study involved examination of toothbrushes belonging to people in who used shared bathrooms. The average number of people sharing the bathrooms in the study was 9.4 as they were dormitory situations. While nine people would be a higher number than shares the bathroom in a normal house, it would not be unusual for five or six people to share bathing facilities and the principles of this study, scary principles though they be, would still hold true for those lesser numbers.
The testing revealed that regardless of how toothbrushes were stored 60 per cent of them carried faecal bacteria, yes that means bacteria from someone’s digestive tract. This would not be such a bad thing if your toothbrush carried your own faecal bacteria only but the researchers found that there was an 80 per cent chance that the toothbrushes were carrying faecal bacteria from someone else using the same bathroom.
OK, so take a deep breath and stay calm. The obvious question becomes how to properly take care of your toothbrush and thankfully the diligent academics of the University of Alabama have provided some guidance on this front.
First, you should thoroughly rinse your toothbrush with drinkable tap water after brushing to remove any toothpaste and debris. Soaking toothbrushes in an antibacterial mouthwash has also been shown to reduce the level of microorganisms on a toothbrush although in the most recent study mouthwash was not any more effective than hot or cold water.
According to the American Dental Association you should not store your toothbrush in a closed container or cover your toothbrush because a damp environment is more conducive to microorganism growth. Instead, storing your toothbrush in an upright position so that the bristles can air dry is recommended and if more than one toothbrush is in the same bathroom then separate containers are a good idea.
You love your friends and family and you want to share all you can with them, but maybe sharing faecal bacteria via your toothbrush is a touch too much intimacy?
