Overview
There’s a common opinion held by many that says you should keep your toothbrush at least 6 feet away from the toilet. This isn’t always possible in smaller sized bathrooms, and therefore having a case for your toothbrush may be a possible fix. This goes one step further and has a UV light positioned directly in front of the bristles that is supposed to kill unseen bacteria and give you a clean brushing experience every time.
The Claim
The makers of the Zero Germ UV Light Toothbrush Sanitizer claims that their UV light works as a germicide to keep your toothbrush free from harmful germs and bacteria that could be making you sick. The UV light on the unit is located right next to your brush head so that it can do its job. They say it has an automatic timer so it automatically shuts off when it’s done. This helps preserve battery life and makes it a set and forget item.
The Hype
The television promo really tries to exaggerate the problem of an unclean toothbrush. First it starts off by saying that your toothbrush can infect other toothbrushes with germs. Then it brings up the possibility of toilet germs filling the air with each flush. They bring up the possibility that you might get sick by using your toothbrush. They say it kills off the H1N1 virus and swine flu, which seems like they are preying on people’s fears or at least trying to tap into the paranoia and capitalize on it.
The Cost
You can pick up a Zero Germ UV Light Toothbrush Sanitizer for $20 or less at various online retailers, and some buyers have said they’ve found it for less at discount stores. You’ll have to also factor in the cost of batteries since it’s battery powered, and the ongoing cost of replacing the batteries as needed as you go along.
The Commitment
You’d have to make this a part of your daily routine for it to be able to do its job. After using it for several days it would be something that you wouldn’t have to think about any more, and would just be incorporated into your automatic
Evaluation
The Zero Germ UV Light Toothbrush Sanitizer is based on the idea that UV light will kill the bacteria that is left on your toothbrush after brushing, and also shield your toothbrush from picking up bathroom germs from your toilet or sink. It’s supposed to kill the bacteria in 6 minutes, so your brush will definitely be ready by the next time you use it. It would be nice if there were some sort of official tests done on this to prove its effectiveness, but that would be pushing it for a product at this price point.
The Zero Germ UV Light Toothbrush Sanitizer gets mixed reviews with several people saying that theirs broke down within a few days, and others saying that it
didn’t work from day one. Others say it works fine and hasn’t let them down. For this reason we’re giving it a Try rating, but you basically have to believe in it for it to be a good buy. If you have your doubts or are skeptical that it can do what it says, it’s better to try the free solutions presented below.Our Recommendation
One way to make sure you don’t put a germy toothbrush in your mouth is to let the toothbrush dry completely between uses. This requires buying two toothbrushes for yourself, one for mornings and one for nights. That way the brush has a full 24 hours to dry, and plenty of the bacteria that would be on partially damp toothbrush will have dried up and died before you put it into your mouth. Another possibility is to use an antibacterial mouthwash like
If you have problems with saving money and keeping track of your spending habits then…
When you are looking for space-saving multi-purpose shelving products, you may want to purchase the…
Today's innovative advanced technologies have created many conveniences. The ability to read on the go…
Experiencing the luxury of owning a wireless speaker is a favorite of many people. The…
Home decor is a very individual and personal choice. A new product like Chasing Paper…
Keeping track of events and goals may be difficult for some people. Purchasing a product…
View Comments
This UV technology is used in industrial settings to sterilize. So the technology is sound. Question is, is this UV light strong enough to do the job. Surprised that the Zero Germ company has not done any testing that they are willing to share.
Do you ever watch "Bones"? the forensic Tv show? Anyway, I heard on that show that most people keep their toothbrush next to the toilet and that whenever you defecate, there is an amount of... debris? that makes it into the air. This debris makes it all the way onto you toothbrush in the form of tiny particles that cling to the bristles, so, each time you go to brush your teeth, you are in fact brushing them with shit. Not even your own shit, if you share a bathroom. So, either move the toothbrush, or buy one of these gadgets. You know what? just move the toothbrush.
I have never heard of these type of products until today. I had no idea they had created a UV light to spot germs on your teeth. For two hundred dollars I will pass and make sure I brush my teeth properly and then use mouth wash that is guaranteed to kill all germs and bacteria in your mouth. There must be a lot of people with a lot of money because I surely can't afford that kind of money for something like this.
With the sonicares "UV sanitizing compartment, Phillips is preying on the average American's ignorance about UV light and "sanitizing" or sterilizing anything.It's the same tactic febreeze uses with their "air sanitizer".Since the air in your home is constantly moving, it can't be "sanitized". The only p;ace you can find sanitized air would be in one of the sealed airlock rooms at the CDC or USAMRID* labs where research on airborne toxins in conducted.Hospitals don't sterilize/ sanitize surgical instruments using "UV light, they come from the manufacturer in sealed nitrogen filled packages. To "sterilize something you need superheated steam or boiling water. I can my own pickles every spring with cucumbers from my garden and to sterilize the jars/ lids,I was them in the dishwasher then submerge them in boiling water for 3 minutes before baking them in a 200 degree oven until they're dry. I then fill them with my pickles before giving them a "bath" in boiling water.. I don't use a steam canner because they're generally used for large batches by the bigger manufacturers and process dozens of jars at a time. At most I am making 3 or 4 jars of pickles or salsa at a time.Just my $0.2
Scotty
"why is it a penny for your thoughts, but you have to put your 2 cents in? Somebody's making a penny".
Steven Wright.
I don't know anything about this product, in fact it's the first time I ever read anything about it. However, I did buy the Sonicare uv toothbrush unit and I have serious doubts that it does anything to kill bacteria. For one thing, I used to rinse my toothbrush after every use with hydrogen peroxide and of couse because there is bacteria from your mouth to your toothbrush it foams. This lets you know that it's killing bacteria. And then I'd rinse the brush with water before using each time. This was quite effective and very inexpensive. Then my dentist insisted that I buy this fancy, expensive toothbrush system from her. So I've been diligent about making sure I run the UV light after each use. But then I got suspicious when after rinsing the toothbrush head and placing it in the unit why I was getting a crusty buildup at the bottom of the unit. So I rinsed the toothbrush head, AFTER it had the UV light sanitizing it, with the peroxide. And guess what? You got it...it foamed in a very heavy duty way; way more than when I was doing this on a regular basis. So my, not so expert but suspicious opinion is that it doesn't do anything at all. It's probably just a blue light blub that I've paid almost $200.00 for. Just another hype ripp-off product. That's my two cents worth...or in this case, $200.00 worth.
I need some sort of UV light solution to my toothbrush conundrum because first, I travel a lot and second, because I have a tiny ass bathroom. I always tell myself to bring the toothbrush out of the bathroom after using it, but of course I always forget to do so. I might hang one of these in the bathroom for home use and get one for the use on the road.