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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Wash or brush teeth?

96 replies

FinallyHere · 02/02/2022 21:16

DH of many, many decades mentioned just now that he finds my use of 'wash my teeth' rather than 'brush my teeth' charmingly idiosyncratic.

No one has ever mentioned this before , thought, to be fair, it's possible that the number of people I ever mention my teeth to is pretty restricted.

So, lovely people of MN, AIBU to say 'wash my teeth' rather than 'brush my teeth'.

OP posts:
Gizacluethen · 02/02/2022 21:18

YABVU unless you use soap and a sponge.

dementedpixie · 02/02/2022 21:18

Have never heard the expression before

NotImpossible · 02/02/2022 21:18

I've never heard it - I'd say brush. But I don't discuss teeth with very many people either! Grin Is it a regional thing?

Merryoldgoat · 02/02/2022 21:20

That is one of the oddest things I’ve ever read on here.

SockQueen · 02/02/2022 21:21

I've never heard a native English speaker say it. Clean your teeth, maybe, but not wash.

BunsOfAnarchy · 02/02/2022 21:21

You using a dishmatic on them or something 🤣
NEVER heard that in my life!

Ohshittt · 02/02/2022 21:22

You can 'clean' your teeth but wash definitely doesn't sound right 🤔😂

BewareTheBeardedDragon · 02/02/2022 21:23

I grew up brushing my teeth but was influenced by an adult relationship and now say wash or brush fairly equally. My own dc tell me how ridiculous washing teeth is on a regular basis. I'm not entirely sure how this happened to me...

Antiqueanniesmagiclanternshow · 02/02/2022 21:23

I say clean my teeth

ABitOfAShitShow · 02/02/2022 21:24

‘Clean’ or ‘brush’ - never ‘wash’.

DuesToTheDirt · 02/02/2022 21:24

Yeah OP, you're crazy!

OnlyTheTitosaurusOfTheIceberg · 02/02/2022 21:24

Clean teeth or brush teeth but not wash teeth.

Mind you, I get teased for saying “dress” the Christmas tree instead of “decorate” it, so who am I to judge?

TotheletterofthelawTHELETTER · 02/02/2022 21:25

I’ve never heard it referred to as wash your teeth... yabu

MrsClatterbuck · 02/02/2022 21:25

I use clean or brush but did once hear a work colleague use the term wash which was the first and last time I heard it used.

Youdoyoutoday · 02/02/2022 21:26

Eww.... weird!! You can clean or brush your teeth, not wash!

DramaAlpaca · 02/02/2022 21:27

OP, are you Irish by any chance? DH is and he says 'wash'. I think it's a quite normal expression in the part of Ireland where we live, but I thought it was weird when I met him and have never quite got used to it. It's always 'clean' to me.

WhiteXmas21 · 02/02/2022 21:27

That’s so weird, I am ready a Lionel Shriver book right now and they talk about washing their teeth.
Never heard it before. We would say brush or clean in this house.

StoneofDestiny · 02/02/2022 21:27

Brush or clean, never wash. I've heard people say that and it's weird.

WhiteXmas21 · 02/02/2022 21:28
  • reading, not ready 🤷🏻‍♀️
Overthebow · 02/02/2022 21:29

YABU. I’ve never heard wash your teeth before.

NatashaBedwouldbenice · 02/02/2022 21:29

As a child we were told to "wash your face and brush your teeth" before bed. Have you merged the two?

babyjellyfish · 02/02/2022 21:31

I say "clean my teeth".

Luredbyapomegranate · 02/02/2022 21:32

You are… unusual.

Do you use a flannel?

MistyFrequencies · 02/02/2022 21:33

Clean or brush teeth. Never wash. That's weird.

Davros · 02/02/2022 21:33

I've heard "wash your teeth" in Ireland