A Healthier New Year Is Only A Christmas Stocking Stuffer Away

Dec. 14, 2009 - PRLog -- There’s a popular episode of “Seinfeld” that has left an indelible mark on America’s mind since debuting in 1997 and it goes like this: Jerry Seinfeld accidentally drops his girlfriend Jenna’s toothbrush into her toilet and before he has a chance to tell her - she uses it. For the remainder of the show, a now super germ-aware Jerry remains too grossed-out to plant a kiss on his gorgeous girlfriend’s toilet-tainted tooth brushed lips.

While the Seinfeld situation was comical, the reality is not so funny since even before Jenna’s toothbrush was doing the bristle stroke, germ experts agree it was already covered with millions of bacteria that could have included strep, staph and periodontal germs. With recent evidence suggesting periodontal (gum) disease increases the risk for heart attacks, stroke, diabetes and some cancers, having a near-flushed brush experience is definitely no laughing matter.

Wilbur Klapp, president of a Southern California-based company that produces a line of oral care disinfectants states that while millions of Americans are using antibacterial products to kill household germs, many are missing the one area where they should be fighting the hardest – the very toothbrushes they place in their mouths everyday. Klapp, whose “Spray it Clean Products” (http://www.sprayitcleanproducts.com) firm makes a spray called “Toothbrush Germ Fighter” suggests that the holidays are the perfect time for health-conscious consumers to put a little well spent money where their mouths are.

“With electric toothbrushes now annually hitting the Top Ten Christmas Gift Lists, the tradition of hanging a stocking by the chimney with care should be amended to include some important oral care, too.” says Klapp. “Viruses and bacteria live on an electric toothbrush just as well as a manual one - the germs just get a more exciting ride into our mouths.”

Experts such as the University of Arizona’s environmental microbiologist Charles Gerba have become famous for flushing out the truth about toilets and toothbrush contamination. Gerba, also known as “Dr. Germ,” warns people that every time a toilet is flushed, a plume of polluted water vapor carrying thousands of virus particles and hundreds of thousands of bacteria shoots up to six feet out of the bowl in all directions.

In 2004, Discovery Channel’s popular TV show, MythBusters, conducted an investigation on whether or not germs were really making the leap from toilets to toothbrushes. By the end of the thirty day test period, all twenty-four out of twenty-four bathroom-based toothbrushes and even two “control toothbrushes” stored in a kitchen cabinet tested positive for fecal germs. In fact, according to the American Dental Association, keeping a toothbrush in a cabinet or using a toothbrush protector actually increases bacteria so they recommend against the practice.

Even if everyone remembered to close the toilet lid before every flush, family dentists point out that when a person brushes, plaque and food particles are removed that can contaminate the toothbrush with bacteria, blood, saliva and oral debris. These same brushes are often stored in ways that allow them to make contact with other family member’s brushes or previously contaminated surfaces so even while consumers are scrubbing down shopping carts with disinfectant wipes and opening restroom doors with their elbows, their toothbrushes could be home serving up cold sore and strep virus cocktails like it was already New Year’s Eve.

“There’s a whole anti-germ drill people can go through when trying to sanitize their toothbrushes,” explains Klapp. “Everything from soaking the brush in vinegar to storing it in a hydrogen peroxide/water mix that needs to be changed every few hours. If parents won’t go through that daily ritual, there’s virtually no chance their kids will. Besides, who wants a smelly or potentially dangerous liquid sitting near a busy bathroom sink where it could be spilled or consumed by a child.”

On the high-tech end of the germ warfare spectrum, Klapp agrees that ultra-violet (UV) toothbrush sanitizers do offer some bite against bacteria but also points out that the electrical devices can be pricey, require their own regular cleaning and maintenance and often take up valuable electrical outlets and bathroom counter space.

“UV is great if you’ve got the money, time and space but oral care spray disinfectants make the most sense for being a safe, effective and inexpensive alternative,” advises Klapp. “Products like cherry-flavored “Toothbrush Germ Fighter” sell for under $10.00 and kill 99.9 percent of the germs on contact. The compact sprayer won’t clutter the sink area and can even be tossed in a purse or taken on a camping vacation. For anyone concerned with friends and loved ones staying healthy for the holidays, oral care spray disinfectants are the perfect gift companion to go along with a new toothbrush or as a thoughtful last minute stocking stuffer.”

While keeping children safe and preventing illness is always at the top of every parent’s Christmas Wish List, the imaginations of the young and the young at heart are captured by the miracles of Christmas and the anticipation of what will be lovingly tucked in a stocking and found under a tree come Christmas morning. And, of course, on the calendar’s horizon beyond Christmas comes New Years Eve, second only to Valentines Day as perhaps the most romantic evening of the year and filled with greater anticipation of a special Seinfeld-free midnight kiss and an important resolution to make 2010 not only a Happy New Year but a healthy one, too.

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About “Spray it Clean Products”

“Spray it Clean Products,” a division of K F Industries, Inc. is an innovative leader in the development of disinfectant products for the oral care industry. K F Industries is family owned and was founded with consumer health and safety in mind as an ethically based, environmentally sound eco-friendly company. All products are made in the USA, registered and approved for use by the government bureau of ATF, certified safe and carry a full 100% money-back guarantee. The company can be found on the web at http://www.sprayitcleanproducts.com