It used to be that if you bought a toothbrush, you could be reasonably certain it would fit in the toothbrush holders that are found in nearly every bathroom. For the last year or two, this has no longer been the case. This morning, my wife and I searched in vain through a very large collection at the local drugstore without finding any thin-handled brushes for sale. What is with these manufacturers? It is not one brand, but all of them that have done this. You would think that one manufacturer, at least, might decide to meet this unmet demand. But no, monkey see, monkey do, they have all done this. I have also looked in a dollar store and the local grocery with the same results. While I was looking this morning, another couple was obviously out on the same quest.
I think the toothbrush manufacturers have found that people prefer a fatter handle – easier to hold in the hand.
I feel your pain. Our tiny bathroom had above the sink two ceramic holders fastened to the wall – one a toothbrush holder made for the thin rectangular handles of old, the other a soap holder (the kind without a drain that would let the soap soften and marinade in its own soap broth). Since both holders were obsolete and unusable and blocked access to parts of the sink, I smashed them off with a hammer and replaced the tile behind them.
Most new toothbrush holders take the bigger ones.
I agree with you, found it out a few months ago when I bought a new toothbrush. …and now a hijack: Why are ALL toothbrushes now so damn firm. I feel like the enamel on my teeth is being sanded off. I 've bought 4 new ones, in the last 2 months, and even the ones marked SOFT or for SENSITIVE TEETH are way too abrasive. Didn’t the manufacturers do any testing before making them? I’m sorry I threw my old one away, the bristles were a bit splayed, but at least they were soft. We now return you to your regularly scheduled program.
Henry Petroski, the engineering professor at Duke who has written several books on the history of ordinary objects, has a whole chapter on toothbrushes in his latest book, “Small Things Considered”. He goes into this issue in detail. He uses it as an example of how designers can work very hard trying to solve one problem (ergonomics of the toothbrush handle, in this case), while forgetting about other issues.
Ed
Contrinuing the threadjack:
I’ve found the problem to be just the opposite… I remember buying “firm” brushes fifteen years ago that left me feeling like I’d really brushed my teeth. Now all I can find are “soft” and “medium” brushes that give me no more than a “just-swished-toothpaste-around-in-my-mouth” sensation.
The changes in the handles of toothbrushes isn’t just about the comfort of the handle in the hand, but about positioning the brush in the hand to optimize the work that the brush does in the mouth.
Just as well to keep your toothbrush in the cabinet anyway, consider the bacteria that fly around the air in there. That extra protection can’t possibly hurt.
What I want to know is why, when I finally find one I like, I can never, ever find it again. All the molds are broken, every web page is taken down, the blue prints are destroyed, and the workers are shot.
Mythbusters on the Discovery Channel did a show on toothbrushes. One was left in the open in a bathroom, one was kept in a cabinet and other in the kitchen. A week later all were checked for fecal bacteria and all 3 had the same amount. It was determined all a toothbrush needs before use was a rinse under running water.