Is tooth brushing water from hot tap safer than from cold tap?

[David P]

In another thread we are currently discussing if it was safe make a cup of coffee from water which had been taken from the hot water tap (US: faucet) and boiled for a brief period in an automatic kitchen kettle.

See "Safe to drink boiled water from hot tap?" Google groups =

direct =

However what about brushing your teeth? Most people would brush their teeth using water from the cold tap in the bathroom.

Maybe, jus maybe, water from the hot tap in the bathroom is safer than from the cold? The following post in the original thread started off my line of thinking:

On 05 May 2006, Dave Plowman wrote in the original thread:

> ... but do you really want to drink water that has > been held nice and warm with a selection of dead spiders, flies, > bats, rodents and other loft inhabitants in it? > > how often do people have to be told the tank should have an > approved cover and venting to prevent this? > > It's not just drinking the stuff. If you shower or have a bath, > there's a good chance you'll get some of that water in your mouth > and eyes, etc. So it should be to a decent standard - not from the > graveyard of assorted species through your neglect.

My own hot water tank is in the roofspace and it gets a feed from the rising water main to the house and the tank has a tight fitting cover.

However the cold water tank in my roofspace is much older and had a damaged top and I can see the base of the tank is full of crud.

It seems that I am nrushing my teeth using water from the worse one !!!

This must be true in millions of households. Many have a heating system like mine with hot & cold tanks in their roofspace plus a hot water cylinder. {1}. And maybe they too have their cold water in the bathroom supplied from their tank in the roofspace.

In an old house the heating system is quite likely to be much newer (say five to 10 years) that the cold water system (say 30 to 40 years).

In future, should I use the hot water tap (before the water runs too hot!) to brush my teeth?

Thanks for any feedback Ravid

[Dave Fawthrop]

|In another thread we are currently discussing if it was safe make a cup |of coffee from water which had been taken from the hot water tap (US: |faucet) and boiled for a brief period in an automatic kitchen kettle. | | |See "Safe to drink boiled water from hot tap?" |Google groups =

|direct = | | |However what about brushing your teeth? Most people would brush their |teeth using water from the cold tap in the bathroom. | |Maybe, jus maybe, water from the hot tap in the bathroom is safer than |from the cold? The following post in the original thread started off |my line of thinking: | |On 05 May 2006, Dave Plowman wrote in the original thread: |>

|> ... but do you really want to drink water that has |> been held nice and warm with a selection of dead spiders, flies, |> bats, rodents and other loft inhabitants in it? |> |> how often do people have to be told the tank should have an |> approved cover and venting to prevent this? |> |> It's not just drinking the stuff. If you shower or have a bath, |> there's a good chance you'll get some of that water in your mouth |> and eyes, etc. So it should be to a decent standard - not from the |> graveyard of assorted species through your neglect. | | |My own hot water tank is in the roofspace and it gets a feed from the |rising water main to the house and the tank has a tight fitting cover. | |However the cold water tank in my roofspace is much older and had a |damaged top and I can see the base of the tank is full of crud. | |It seems that I am nrushing my teeth using water from the worse one !!! | |This must be true in millions of households. Many have a heating system |like mine with hot & cold tanks in their roofspace plus a hot water |cylinder. {1}. And maybe they too have their cold water in the bathroom |supplied from their tank in the roofspace. | |In an old house the heating system is quite likely to be much newer (say |five to 10 years) that the cold water system (say 30 to 40 years). | |In future, should I use the hot water tap (before the water runs too |hot!) to brush my teeth?

Stop worrying, the risks either way are minimal. One does not drink a lot of water when brushing your teeth.

If you want to avoid all risk stay in bed, which incidentally is more risky than getting up.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I've never seen an installation in a house with separate header tanks for hot and cold.

The bathroom basin should be really be fed with mains cold water, though. Baths and showers off the header tank to get adequate flow.

[Jeff]

No, you safer using cold water for drinking and cooking.

Hot water contains more lead because the water sits around more and lead enters hot water faster.

Besides, why would you risk burns with hot water when cold is right there?

Jeff

[Bookworm]

Legionella is endemic in all water supplies at below 60C, (HSE Leaflet)

Legionella thrives (grows) at between 20C & 50C (HSE L8 Code of Practice)

Do a google search on Legionella and then see if you want to clean your teeth in water that has stood around for some time.

[tony sayer]

Gives your immune system a good workout!.....

[Tim S]

Back in 1997, before I went to the Baltics, I drank increasing amounts of cold-tank water for a few weeks. The tank was in a cupboard, not the roof so not very smelly.

My theory was, a few bugs would be a good thing. Don;t know how if it made any difference, but I was drinking small amounts of water from soviet plumbing and directly from countryside wells with no ill effect.

The woolly asbestos (probably) I found while nosing in a riser cupboard gave me more of a start!

Tim

[Weatherlawyer]

Use caustic soda for excellent results.

[Chris Bacon]

It's fine, and has been gone through before on uk.d-i-y, a Google or similar will show you. Your links don't work.

[Owain]

That's a cold water tank that supplies both cold and hot taps in the house. If it gets hot there is something seriously wrong with your heating system and you need to get it seen to before a tankful of boiling water descends through your ceiling killing you (as has happened)

That should be the central heating header tank and if it's also full of crud there's a liklihood your CH is too and needs cleaning out and inhibitor added.

Provided you have a fairly frequent turnover of water in the tank it should be fine. However, if you've been on holiday for several weeks in warm weather I would suggest running a few bathfuls of water first to freshen the tank.

No. Apart from the *warm* water being more likely to have bacterial or other contamination, the warm water will soften the bristles of your toothbrush, which means they will be less effective against plaque and gum disease, and all your teeth will fall out of your bleeding septic gingivae.

Owain

[Chris Bacon]

Some toothpaste (e.g. Maclean's Whitening, which I have some of in the cupboard) does contain caustic soda.

[Ophelia]

Ewwwwwwww Owain! You certainly have a way with words:)

[nightjar]

That is why the cold tap to the hand basin in my bathroom complies with the requirements for a tap that supplies drinking water.

Colin Bignell

[Roger Mills]

Indeed. I would not be happy to clean my teeth with water from *any* tap which wasn't directly mains fed. If my hand-basins had cold supplies from attic tanks (which they don't!), I'd use a jug of water from a mains supply - such as the kitchen tap, or even bottled water.

[unopened]

Why use water to clean teeth at all? I don't (...and no crack about using whisky, please). Apply toothpaste to dry brush, brush teeth, spit into sink, then wash remains away with a small amount of water, also used to rinse brush, which is then air-dried. Do twice daily after meals.

I started doing this after visiting Africa and seeing at first hand what people had to go through to get 'water' - actually muddy polluted muck - to use for drinking, cooking and cleaning; then learning how much water is wasted by people leaving taps running while brushing teeth during a not-so-recent water shortage.

On my recent visit to a dentist, he complimented me on my teeth, and expressed surprise that I hadn't seen a dentist for over 10 years - my teeth were as good as those who had regular 6-monthly check-ups. I simply needed a 25-year old filling replaced.

Frankly, I'd be more concerned about what lives on the average toothbrush.

Cheers,

Sid

[Adrian Tupper]

"Roger Mills" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

I'm wondering how on earth I'm still alive.

[Derek ^]

That's OTT.

Do it once per 24 hours and mouthwash with Chlorhexidine.

The bugs can't multiply enough in 24 Hr or less to establish a colony. even with a margin for error, ( a single late or missed session).

Put it in the dishwasher regularly to sterilise it.

DG

[Ophelia]

"Adrian Tupper" wrote in message news:Xns97BBBA6A1F04niceguyonzetnet@194.247.47.119...

[The Natural Philosopher]

That's why you have to ear a tinfoil hat when making soup.

What lead?

[Owain]

Or even a nice methode champagnoise - the fizzy bubbles help clean all the little crevices.

Owain