# Do you wet your toothbrush before brushing? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 6, 2006, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing/355707 "2006-05-06T22:30:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing/355707/1 "2006-05-06T22:30:49Z")
The recent thread about leaving the water running while brushing got me wondering about this. Some of the respondents implied that they don’t wet their toothbrush before brushing their teeth. That’s freaking disgusting! A few times, I’ve been absentminded and started brushing my teeth dry, and it’s like sucking on sheetrock dust. I polled a few of my friends, and none of them admitted to doing this. One of them did claim that she knew someone who did, though. So, what side of the fence do you fall on? And if you’re a dry brusher, how can you stand it? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing/355707/2 "2006-05-06T23:06:34Z")
Take brush from stand. Turn on water. Wet brush. Turn off water. Apply toothpaste. Brush. Turn on water. Rinse toothbrush. Return to stand. Spit. Turn off water. Rinse and gargle with Listerine 30 seconds. Spit. Whee! ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing/355707/3 "2006-05-06T23:14:32Z")
My ex-gf brushed without getting the brush wet. I told her that only savages brush their teeth in that manner. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing/355707/4 "2006-05-06T23:52:47Z")
What? No toothpaste? I don’t wet the brush if I brush with my mouthwaste first. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing/355707/5 "2006-05-06T23:55:50Z")
> [@Absolute](#): > > Do you wet your toothbrush before brushing? Yes. ---
**Author:** ![stretch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@stretch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stretch)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing/355707/6 "2006-05-06T23:59:11Z")
Yes. ---
**Author:** ![Frosted\_Glass](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frosted_glass/32/3926_2.png) [@Frosted\_Glass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frosted_Glass)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing/355707/7 "2006-05-07T01:02:15Z")
I wet my toothbrush, apply toothpaste and then I slightly moisten the toothpaste. ---
**Author:** ![pokey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ebca7d/32.png) [@pokey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pokey)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing/355707/8 "2006-05-07T01:12:04Z")
I don’t wet it. The toothpaste provides enough moisture for me. Maybe I use more toothpaste than I’m meant to, but life’s short, might as well live it up. ---
**Author:** ![Spongemom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Spongemom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spongemom)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing/355707/9 "2006-05-07T01:17:58Z")
> [@ouryL](#): > > What? > No toothpaste? > I don’t wet the brush if I brush with my mouthwaste first. 😛 I’m afraid to ask. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Duality](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.duality/32/4098_2.png) [@Mr.Duality](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Duality)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing/355707/10 "2006-05-07T01:55:20Z")
Every time. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing/355707/11 "2006-05-07T05:33:16Z")
My toothbrush has been sitting wet in the bathroom all day/night collecting who knows what from the air. I usually run it under hot water for a few seconds just in case something is growing on the bristles. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing/355707/12 "2006-05-07T05:37:54Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > My toothbrush has been sitting wet in the bathroom all day/night collecting who knows what from the air. I usually run it under hot water for a few seconds just in case something is growing on the bristles. Same here. And I’ve taken to putting a cap on top of the brush after I’m finished with it. ---
**Author:** ![gfloyd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d2c977/32.png) [@gfloyd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gfloyd)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing/355707/13 "2006-05-07T06:41:04Z")
I always do. I do find it strange that my best friend wets it after she applies toothpaste, though. ---
**Author:** ![sundog66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@sundog66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sundog66)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing/355707/14 "2006-05-07T07:56:29Z")
Yes, twice. Once before applying the toothpaste, and once after applying it. ---
**Author:** ![some\_white\_dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b487fb/32.png) [@some\_white\_dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/some_white_dude)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing/355707/15 "2006-05-07T09:51:00Z")
> [@sundog66](#): > > Yes, twice. Once before applying the toothpaste, and once after applying it. Me too. And I tell myself every time that it doesn’t make any sense. ---
**Author:** ![mike1dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@mike1dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mike1dog)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing/355707/16 "2006-05-07T10:06:39Z")
Twice, once before I apply toothpaste, once after. ---
**Author:** ![Stainz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Stainz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stainz)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing/355707/17 "2006-05-07T17:42:46Z")
Yep, twice. Wet brush, apply toothpaste, wet brush … I also wet it after every time I spit the toothpaste out … ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing/355707/18 "2006-05-07T18:11:27Z")
I am, also, a toothbrush wetter. ---
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing/355707/19 "2006-05-07T18:55:35Z")
I used to brush dry. Then I found that wetting the brush first made it easier to rinse off the excess toothpaste that had become embedded between the bristles. Less gunk in the bristles, less gunk for germs to build up on, I figure. ---
**Author:** ![bittersweet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c57346/32.png) [@bittersweet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bittersweet)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing/355707/20 "2006-05-07T19:03:31Z")
> [@Frosted Glass](#): > > I wet my toothbrush, apply toothpaste and then I slightly moisten the toothpaste. Me too. I have very sensitive gums, and I find this helps a bit. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wet-your-toothbrush-before-brushing/355707.md?page=2)