To wonder why people/it’s considered normal to keep toothbrushes in bathrooms?

[Exemptfromcontent]

Why is it considered normal for toothbrushes to be left in bathrooms, near toilets, poo particles just flying around. Even if everyone guest and children/husband remembers to put the lid down before flushing.. it’s still somewhere where people poo, why keep something you put in your mouth in there?!

Our toothbrushes live in the kitchen, I just load up with toothpaste, brush, then spit out in the bathroom, rinse toothbrush and return it to the kitchen.

AIBU to think in hindsight, the bathroom is a really weird unhygienic place to keep toothbrushes or am I being a bit germaphobey 🤣

Toilet is not in the bathroom.

Toothbrushes live in cabinets. - I even had chargers put in cabinets when rewiring.
My H laughs at me but in hotel rooms I hide my toothbrush away if cleaner due, he leaves his out - I think he’s dicing with death 🤣

Yes, that's a good point.

Do you also wash your hands after taking your knickers off at night and after handling laundry or anything dirty laundry has been carried in?

In public loos do you wash your hands after opening the door because not everyone washes their hands after using the loo before they open the door?

Life's too short, a few bugs are good for your immune system, gives it something to do 😷

We keep ours in the cupboard in the bathroom for this reason.

You're technically correct @Exemptfromcontent .

However, I have never in my life heard of anyone getting even minorly sick from all the faecal matter particles and airborne germs in the bathroom, so for me it's firmly filed under being a complete non-issue. Which I suspect is why people who do it don't care.

Did you also know that you're constantly, incessantly and irremediably covered in bacteria, viruses and fungi, both inside and out? All of your skin, including your hands, inside your mouth and nose, all through your digestive system and guts? Our immune systems are made to deal with exactly this kind of issue, and moreover we live symbiotically with the vast majority of bacteria, viruses and fungi which inhabit us - we would in fact become very ill and die if we ever managed to make ourselves sterile.

There are also tons of bacteria, viruses and fungi in the air you breathe daily, on every surface and in every situation in your life - and again, obsessively trying to get rid of them is highly linked to people suffering higher instances of respiratory distress from strong chemicals and also skin, respiratory and eye allergies and inflammations.

So yes, on balance for me, it's simply that you're being a germaphobe! 😁

Sorry but that sounds obsessive. Human beings aren’t designed to live in a sanitised world.

Unless you’re wearing a fully fitted mask when you enter the bathroom, you’ll be breathing in those ‘poo particles’ anyway.

Our loo isn’t in the bathroom, it’s separate, and I would never be happy with any other arrangement (1940’s house, UK)
But our toothbrushes are still kept on a stand in the cupboard under the sink, with bristle covers on each one to prevent any cross-contamination from anything/one else….

I don't have a bathroom cabinet but my toothbrush lives on a shelf hidden behind a small drawer unit and away from the loo.

I always put the lid down before I flush anyway and it's only me that lives here.

Happy to say in all my considerable years where the toothbrush was kept on the sink in the bathroom in a holder, neither me or anyone I have ever known has been ill due to their toothbrush being on display. Pretty sure if it was that much of a danger to us all, we would have heard about it by now. 🙄

I keep them in the bathroom because that's also where I wash my armpits, wash my bum, clean between my toes, behind my ears and anywhere else that's dirty.

The only people who I ever knew who kept toothbrushes in the kitchen were my grandparents. That was because they didn't have a bathroom!!!

Those other people in the house who use those toothbrushes....do you ever kiss them?

I use a cover as it comes with the head for my electronic toothbrush and I've never considered the bacteria from it being damp before, but you're right.

There are germs of one description or other everywhere. A germ free existence would be detrimental to human health.

OP, do you never touch anything in public? I remember reading something once about the number of germs on the pole of the tube - including fecal particles. Everyone knows public transport is filthy and washes their hands as soon as they get somewhere, but what about other things that are more innocuous? Products in shops tgat other peole have picked up and put down? The shopping trolley or basket handles? Cash?

We have wall cabinet for our toothbrush etc and keep the door shut and the loo lid down.

Apologies I haven't read the whole thread but OP you should watch the episode of Mythbusters where they test having toothbrushes in the bathroom as opposed to anywhere else.... They discovered that you get toilet bacteria on your toothbrush even when it's kept well away from toilets and in other rooms. They also discovered that the amounts (even in the bathroom) are miniscule compared to what is needed to harm you and your stomach and gut deal with it without issue. If it was a huge problem we'd have died out as a species by now....

Mythbusters is great! Really informative and entertaining.

I’m not worried about getting ill, I’m not even that worried about germs in general.. it was just a theoretical question of why we poo where we put toothbrushes in our mouth but eating in the bathroom is considered gross. It just doesn’t make sense to me.

the thought of stale poop particles swilling around my teeth for two minutes is somehow a bit worse than breathing in potentially fresh poop particles that go straight to the lungs 😂

My loo is separate from the bathroom, so I don't have a problem.

I think you're more likely to get lurgies from using a toothbrush that has been sitting damp in a cupboard with your mouth bacteria breeding on it.

This ⬆️!

You are worried about germs and getting ill.
You think that spitting is gross and weird and you're prepared to inconvenience yourself in order to avoid perceived contamination.
Please read the thread to get people's assurance about this. It's really not a problem to leave toothbrushes in a bathroom.

Our toilet is special when we flush the supersonic particles they float around the whole house so we all sit under the dining table with tin foil hats on our heads and sing Cher songs

Winner⭐️. Because this whole thing is so batshit.

Spitting is gross? Brushing your teeth to remove food debris and plaque then spitting all of that into a sink is pretty gross, got to be done but it is gross.

sounds like you know me better than I know myself, impressive.

Your head is still attached to your body whilst poo is coming out of your bum so you're inhaling all those poo particles directly anyway.

Good grief. Read my post. Seriously. I'm only trying to help you with your problem, but I think I'm out if you're just going to be this illogical.
Read the comments on the thread.
Good luck.