How to Clean an Electric Toothbrush, Its Head and Its Charger

To clean an electric toothbrush, rinse the head and bristles under the tap after every use, wipe the handle with a damp cloth, and once a week take the head off and rinse the underside of the head and the metal shaft with warm water. Then let it air-dry standing upright. That is the routine Philips and Oral-B publish, and it matches the American Dental Association's advice for any toothbrush.

What the makers do not settle is the internet's favourite question: what to soak it in. This guide sets out the routine step by step, then checks each popular soak and gadget, vinegar, mouthwash, hydrogen peroxide, bleach and UV sanitisers, against what the ADA and the makers actually say, as read on 18 October 2026. The short version: rinsing and drying do most of the work, and no source we read says a brush needs more.

After every brush: the 20-second routine

Do this every time and the weekly clean stays easy.

1. Rinse the head and bristles under running water until the toothpaste is gone. Philips and Oral-B both give this as the daily step, and the ADA says to rinse a toothbrush thoroughly after each use.
2. Run the brush for a second or two with the head pointing into the sink, if you like, to shake water out of the bristles. This is our practical suggestion, not a maker instruction.
3. Wipe the handle with a damp cloth. Philips says this in its cleaning guide.
4. Stand it upright to air-dry. The ADA says to store toothbrushes upright and let them air-dry, and Oral-B says the same.

The point of the last step is drying. The ADA notes that storing a moist toothbrush in a closed container encourages more microbial growth than leaving it in the open air.

Weekly: the head, the shaft and the gunk underneath

Toothpaste and water collect where the head meets the handle, and that is where most of the grime people photograph comes from. Philips publishes a weekly routine, and it works for any brand with a removable head:

1. Take the head off.
2. Rinse the bottom of the head with warm water, flushing out the hollow underside.
3. Rinse the metal shaft on the handle with warm water.
4. Wipe the whole handle, paying attention to the seal around the shaft, the buttons and the base.
5. Let both parts dry before putting the head back on.

Philips warns against using sharp objects on the rubber seal or the buttons, because they can be damaged. A soft cloth or a cotton bud is enough for the seal. Never put the handle, head or charger in a dishwasher: Philips says never to use one for any Sonicare part, and Oral-B and the ADA both say dishwasher or microwave heat can damage a brush.

Soaks: what the sources allow, and what can damage the handle

Soaking is where advice online goes furthest beyond the evidence. The ADA says there is little data on toothbrush sanitising. It cites one study in which soaking a toothbrush in 3% hydrogen peroxide or Listerine mouthwash reduced its bacterial load by 85%, and it says there is no evidence that the bacteria found on toothbrushes cause adverse health effects. Neither Philips's nor Oral-B's cleaning pages we read recommends soaking at all.

Two cautions apply to any soak. A soak is for the detachable head only; handles are designed to be rinsed and wiped, not submerged, and Philips's weekly routine never puts the handle in water beyond a rinse. And whatever you soak a head in, rinse it well under the tap before it goes back in your mouth.

The charger base and the holder

The charger collects splashes and toothpaste drips. Unplug it before cleaning it, as you would any mains appliance, then wipe it with a damp cloth and let it dry before plugging it back in. Oral-B's iO Series 2 page says to keep the charger on a clean, dry surface and not to place it in water.

Holders and cups matter more than people think, because they decide whether the brush dries. Oral-B says not to keep a toothbrush in a closed holder at home, because the constantly moist environment can encourage bacteria; if you must use a covered holder, it says to choose one with small holes. An open cup or stand that lets several brushes stand apart is what Oral-B and the ADA describe. Rinse the cup and wipe the stand when you do the weekly clean.

Covers and UV sanitisers: what the evidence supports

Covers are for travel, not for the bathroom shelf. Oral-B says to keep a brush covered on the road, so it does not pick up dirt in a bag, but not at home. A cover over a wet head recreates the closed, moist container the ADA warns about.

UV sanitisers are the most-sold gadget in this space, and the sources are cautious. The ADA says that if you want a sanitiser device, look for one that has been cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration. Oral-B's guide goes further, saying there is no solid evidence that sanitisers keep toothbrushes cleaner than rinsing with water and letting them dry, and telling readers to be suspicious of products that make unrealistic claims. Philips sells a UV Brush Head Sanitizer and says it removes 99% of bacteria from brush heads; that is the seller's claim about its own product.

Taken together: a UV sanitiser is optional. If you buy one, check that it is FDA-cleared, and keep rinsing and air-drying, which the sanitiser does not replace. If you want something for travel, a vented travel case is the simpler buy; holders and cases for most brushes are sold through Amazonaffiliate.

Sharing a handle, illness and when to swap the head

Each person needs their own head. The ADA's toothbrush guidance rules out sharing, warning that it can pass bodily fluids and microorganisms from one person to another. If two people use one handle, give each a head they can tell apart, and store the heads so they do not touch.

How often to swap is the ADA's three-to-four-month rule, or sooner if the bristles are matted or frayed; Oral-B says every three months, or when its blue indicator bristles fade halfway. We found no source in our reading that sets a rule for replacing a head after a cold or other illness, so we do not give one. If you want a fresh head after being unwell, it does no harm. Our guide to replacement heads covers what a year of heads costs.

Mould on the brush: causes and when to replace

Dark or slimy residue inside the head or around the shaft usually means water and toothpaste have been sitting there. The fix is the weekly clean above and better drying: take the head off now and then so the shaft and the inside of the head can dry, and avoid closed holders and covers at home, as Oral-B advises.

If residue will not rinse out of the hollow of a head, replace the head; heads are the cheap, disposable part. If it is inside the handle's seal or the handle itself, stop and check the manual or contact the maker rather than prising it open. A damaged seal can let water into the handle, and Oral-B's two-year warranty, for one, excludes damage caused by failing to take proper care of the product. If you are worried about anything you see in your mouth, such as sores, white patches or bleeding gums, see a dentist; that is a mouth question, not a brush question.

The simplest clean brush of all

A manual brush needs no weekly strip-down: rinse, stand it upright, replace it every three to four months. The NHS says it does not matter whether you use an electric or manual brush as long as you clean all the surfaces of your teeth. If cleaning an electric brush has become a chore, that is a fair reason to go back to a soft manual one, which pays us nothing. If you are staying electric, our guide to using an electric toothbrush properly covers the brushing itself, our spec-sheet comparison of electric toothbrushes covers choosing one, and the BURSTaffiliate brushes are among those sold with a travel cap.