How to Replace your Petroleum Based Plastic Toothbrush with a Bamboo One
I finally swapped my plastic toothbrush for a bamboo one.
About time. Let me tell you: as awake as I am (to the Present Moment) and as active as I’ve been to switch to a natural lifestyle (hopefully I’ll be posting more on this!) there are still certain things I’m finding difficult to even ‘see’ at times. Like using a plastic toothbrush and not thinking about alternatives.
Does this happen to you? I’m 51 at the time of writing this post and I can see how millenials and the younger generations don’t hesitate to scoff at plastic life and embrace a non-plastic one. It just comes SO natural to them! It’s almost as if they haven’t really lived the plastic life (which they have, this craze around plastic is relatively young – not the problem before I hear you complain, the craze!).
Again, so many things I’m happy – eager and ready even – to change, but there are ‘little things’ I can’t seem to see. So happy I’ve been able to spot the toothbrush problem.
Switching from Plastic to Greener Alternatives
There’s a lot of plastic I use and can’t see. Everything around me is plastic. It’ll take me time to spot every single little thing, but, let me tell you, I will beat this plastic-ingrained-life at some point.
My recent change has been the toothbrush. While at the chemist a while ago I spotted the LOVELY bamboo toothbrushes. Was it the design I fell for? Was it the ‘cool, chic, modern’ feel about them? Probably. After spotting them (and loving the design/look/feel) I felt a little chuffed (very pleased with myself) that I actually had fallen in love with something that’s supposed to be replacing plastic.
“Ooh, look at me, how cool and ‘conscious’ am I, uh?”. LOL.
It doesn’t matter. The point is that I had my heart set on the bamboo toothbrush and I was going to get myself one at some point and say goodbye – FOREVER – the the plastic one. I’m feeling it, I tell you!
Why a Bamboo Toothbrush?
Besides the obvious (toothbrushes have been made of plastic for… EVER and we need to stop this) there are other benefits I wasn’t aware of.
Benefits of Swapping Your Plastic Toothbrush for a Bamboo One
- Bamboo is a rapidly renewable and sustainable resource
- Naturally antimicrobial
- Biodegradable (eco-friendly)
- Decomposes after being disposed of
- Many come with charcoal-infused bristles which absorb and remove bacteria from the mouth
- Charcoal-infused bristles can also whiten you teeth by absorbing the tannins that stain them
Need I say more.
Swaping/Replacing: Time, Patience and it Will Happen
I didn’t buy the one at the chemist. Here in Spain the ‘farmacias’ are expensive when it comes to accessories. Where did I go? Aliexpress. I wanted to buy cheap bamboo toothbrushes because I wanted to check them out first. I found them really cheap and order a few sets. When I got them I was very pleased. I’ve been giving them away to all my friends and family, everyone happy to receive one.
I understand they’re not the prettiest or best quality ones but, hey, it’s a start. As I said before, I’m lucky to spot some of the ‘little-r’ plastic replacement needs (very necessary indeed!) but I’m getting there one thing at a time.
Now, swapping behaviours takes time. That’s ok. Getting started is all you would have to do and to get started we don’t need much.
- First order your bamboo toothbrush and keep using your regular toothbrush
- When it arrives, set it to the side and just keep using your regular toothbrush
- The ‘call’ will come at some point and you’ll want to ‘try’ your new bamboo toothbrush. Just try it and go back to your regular toothbrush
- Time might pass and that’s ok. Maybe a long time, still ok. At some point you’ll feel an ‘urge’ to use the new bamboo toothbrush. It will happen sooner or later, I can assure you. Just don’t worry about it and keep using your regular toothbrush til the ‘internal swap’ happens.
Patience and Understand Things Take Time
So, the ones I bought are not the prettiest. There are some really cool bamboo toothbrushes out there and I’m going to go through a few I’d like to buy at some point (below you’ll find Amazon affiliate links, I haven’t tested these toothbrushes but will want to buy these ones or similar at some point. At the end of the day, we always need to replace our toothbrushes so I’ll probably end up buying many, many different bamboo toothbrushes brands over a period of time).
Note
Don’t leave your bamboo toothbrush in water or wet because the bamboo will go mouldy. Mine did. Dry the handle after using them and you should be fine.
Keywords: bamboo toothbrushes, bamboo toothbrush, wood toothbrush, bamboo brush, wooden brush, brush with bamboo, organic toothbrush, biodegradable toothbrush, eco friendly toothbrush
