Toothbrush stand - a monumental dilema

[Max63]

Sounds trivial? Simple? We've got 4 (sometimes 5) toothbrushes in a glass cup, held on the wall. Most home do...you know what I mean. Now, if you return the brush while still dripping wet you'll get a liquid layer which will grow mold on some rubber handles. Even worse, some peolpe (sorry wife) don't wash the brush properly and the water gets clouded with paste (thats the water in the cup). Solution: use container with holes in bottom. Problem: same mixture goes directly to bathroom floor. Solution #2 - double bottom for container? I'd like to make this a weekend woodworking "project". Have you given it any thought? Do you have an ingenious solution on mind? appreciate your 2 cents... Max

[Puckdropper]

Make a stand to store the toothbrushes horizontal (bristle down.) Use a couple pieces of something like 1x2s with a set of matching holes for each brush. You can then put a base on it to keep the goo from the floor.

It's kinda like:

--\/---\/---\/---\/---\/-- __________________________

Puckdropper

[Upscale]

My first thought is a rack with cut outs that hold the head of the toothbrushes attached to a piece of wood that runs down the wall a little longer than the length of the tooth brushes and a shallow cup or something similar on a lower ledge ready to catch anything that drips. If you can't envision it, I can draw up a simple plan and post it to abpw.

[firstjois]

Sounds like you need a second bathroom for the kids. I know that is not a

2 cents solution but 4-5 toothbrushes in a cup sounds like a germ-spreading nightmare. Install a small shelf on the wall beside the sink with space for 4-5 plastic glasses (taller than cups) and use one toothbrush per "glass" then get them washed once a week in a dishwasher. Put the persons' names on the "glasses" with marker. You could fancy this up with a rim on the sink side or holes in the shelf for the "glasses" to sink into which would keep them from getting tipped over all the time. If the plastic glasses are hard to find then get the see-through party plastic glasses from the grocery and throw them away once a week.

BTW, it could be worse: a friend's parents gave each of her three kids a fancy electric toothbrush set up - works great on the teeth but the brush keeps moving whether or not it is in the kids' mouths and now the whole sink area is pox marked with toothpaste. She says this hardens like cement!

Josie

[Roger Shoaf]

Years ago the solution was simple. They had little racks that you slipped the brush into and it would dry. The problem with that is all the new and improved ergonomic, large, rubber coated, bent shaft, etc. designs that are forever changing.

For hygienic purposes, your design should hold each brush separate so you don't always catch your kids cold. It should be flexible enough to adapt to changing styles of brush designs, and aesthetically it should be pleasing to the eye and easy to keep clean.

Here is my idea. Get some Plexiglas or perhaps a small chunk of Corian and cut it into a round, oval or some sort of polygon. Around the edge you drill in two holes for each brush spaced about 3/8 apart. in these holes you will be gluing in some stainless steel rod/wire that can be bent to accommodate the brush head, hold the thing securely so the brushes do not fall off if someone bumps it a little trying to get their brush.

You can probably go to a welding shop and get a chunk of welding rod to make the wires. A place that TIG welds will have a wide variety of stainless steel filler rods that would do the trick.

This can be mounted on a bracket and a little drip tray can be mounted underneath on a separate bracket.

[Dave Hall]

Well my first thought is of the plastic toothbrush holder from the Dollar store that we use at home. It is a small container with a top that has, I believe, 6 holes in it that the brush handles go into and the heads stay up and separated from each other. That cost ...hmmm.. I believe a dollar (it matches the soft soap dispenser and the toilet brush holder - these probably cost a dollar too or maybe the whole set cost a dollar, I don't know). But if I were looking for a woodworking project I would consider some sort of rack or shelf with holes in it. Use whatever fancy wood and water resistent finish looks good in your bathroom. Into each of these holes would go a plastic test tube large enough for whatever fancy handles your famly's toothbrushes might have (you might be able to get these tubes in decorator colors, I don't know). The toothbrushes would go into these tubes heads up. Wash the tubes every now and then.

Dave Hall

[Silvan]

It does. I don't understand how two children and one tube of toothpaste can possibly make such a mess. It helps if I force them to brush their teeth separately. Except, then, of course, the one who goes first wants to fart around and stall just to get the other one in trouble.

It makes me kinda glad I was an only child.

[WilliaJ2]

Max, I've seen wooden brush holders, but what works in our house are the plastic self stick snap clips. About a dollar at most retail stores. There is a stick on type designed just for toothbrushes, but we found these work better. You can remove/replace the brush with one hand. For the "odd ball" ergonomic handled brushes, just place smaller portion of brush handle & they grip OK. We have these mounted on the inside of an oak medicine chest & the only real problem I have found is when hanging an odd ball brush & the bristles hit a shelf inside the cabinet - you don't realize this (other than having trouble closing door) until you grab it the next time & the bristles are all matted down! Rinsing the brush well and putting in there hasn't caused any mold problems - they air dry. I make more of a mess in there with shaving cream.

Do a Google search on plastic toothbrush holders for more.

Hope that helps, Big John

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