Scummy electric toothbrushes

[beautyspot]

I've got a Philips Sonicare (£££s !) and I love the action from it but it just gets so dirty inside. I clean it after every use (take off the head and rinse inside the main part and dry) but it's still black and yeuch. I even try to clean it with cotton buds but it doesn't do a proper job.

Has anyone had a good, easy cleaning, electric toothbrush?

I just buy a cheapish one for about ten euros and replace it every few month when it goes all gunky.

I have had a sonic care for 5 years now and never have this issue - are you sure it is not faulty? I have cleaned it out possibly 3 times over that time and it was never black or gross -just a small amount of dried toothpaste?

Perhaps you shouldn't wash it inside? Could it be that it can never really be completely dried, and therefore you are actually introducing moisture to fester in there?

I just rinse the head (still attached to the handle), towel it dry, and replace on the charger base.

Are you using too much toothpaste, and your saliva is dribbling down ttys head to the joint? I always do outside then inside, top jaw first, because I find that that minimises the dribble factor.

I used to have an electric toothbrush and I didn't find the main bit got dirty either. I never used to rinse it after use, just the head.

Occasionally if it did look a bit gunky (which was possibly about once every few months) I'd let it dry out and then clean it.

Also didn't leave the head on between tooth brushing - I shared it with my sister and we had separate heads so just took them off after use.

Ha ha pretty candles but I don't think I am dribbling - but can't be sure!
I'm living in tropical Australia just now so perhaps it's the humidity here that's causing the problem. I'll treat myself to a new one when I get home and see how that goes.

Aaah reading your replies again it sounds like it is a possiblity that because I've started washing inside the unit + the humidity here, that has caused the problem?

Yes possibly. I'd leave it to dry out and not leave the head on between brushings. Don't rinse it! Just scrape the dry gunk off if it gets really bad.