Traveling with a toothbrush.

While traveling, people often need a way to store their toothbrushes in the bathroom where they won't touch any of the bathroom surfaces. Away from home, travelers may not have their usual toothbrush holders or stands, but they still want to keep their toiletries as germ-free as possible.

So what do they do? Time and time again, I've seen people keep their toothbrushes “clean” by positioning them halfway on the bathroom counter and halfway hovering over the open sink. It isn't just the result of where the toothbrush happens to end up — it's a deliberate choice made by many people. That way, it seems, no part of the head of the brush ends up touching any surface at all.

What people don't seem to realize is that by positioning the toothbrush this way, it does leave it in the direct, unprotected line of fire of someone else SPITTING into the sink. Instead of risking the brush bristles touching a bit of a (possibly) clean countertop, they ensure the entire brush head gets an uninterrupted stream of breath, saliva, germs, food particles, toothpaste, and phlegm right onto it. Add blood to that mixture, too, if the person has just flossed.

Maybe it's just me, but if I see a guest's toothbrush dangling partway over the open sink, I don't move it; after all, it isn't mine to touch, and presumably, they intentionally don't want any additional germs inflicted onto it. So... I just go about my typical bathroom business, including brushing, spitting, and rinsing into the sink, and sometimes their toothbrushes hover right in the line of that.

On an unrelated note, my mom and sister get sick every time they travel anywhere. ✍︎