Creative Dorm Room Hacks and Health Tips for College Students

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 20, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- With space at a premium in college dorm rooms, you need to come up with ways to maximize it and protect your health (and your sanity) in any communal living areas. Watch this segment from The Lifestyle List at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDBXJAnfrNI to learn how to maximize storage space and save money on dorm room organization and health must-haves.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160919/409551
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160919/409552

What about bathroom sharing tips?

It is widely known that viruses are rife and easy to spread from person to person in communal living places. These can be passed on via infected droplets lurking in the air or on shared objects and surfaces.  A major target for contamination is your toothbrush, and when living communally in a college environment they're at even greater risk.

Bathrooms in shared living environments are notoriously skanky. According to a recent study at the University of Manchester, there are more than 10 million bacteria on your toothbrush right now. That means there are considerably more bacteria on your toothbrush than your average toilet seat - which has 50 bacteria per square inch, or average public lavatory floor - which has 2 million bacteria per square inch.

Most people don't realize that every time you flush the toilet, an aerosol spray of tainted water is released with droplets able to land as far away as 10 feet. Researchers from the University of Alabama found that toothbrushes stored in the bathroom - in other words all of them - are contaminated with a wide range of bacteria including fecal matter lingering in the bristles. Toothbrushes aren't particular about whose fecal matter it is, so it's likely it won't just be your own that is going into your mouth every time you clean your teeth.

It is likely your toothbrush will be exposed to numerous invisible contaminants in the months that you use it. It may also be exposed to cross contamination from other toothbrushes it is stored next to – good reason to keep your toothbrush on its own and protected.

Keep It Clean & Fresh

Fortunately, you can safeguard your toothbrush with a Steripod toothbrush protector which clips on to any manual or electric toothbrush, creating a protective 'pod' (kind of like a crash helmet) surrounding the brush head and shielding it from both airborne and cross contamination. Steripod is designed to keep a toothbrush clean and fresh, protecting it against environmental contamination using thymol encapsulated in plastic dotted with tiny holes to release vapors creating a safe environment to store your toothbrush between uses.

Steripod has been specially designed so that air can circulate freely which means your toothbrush can dry naturally. Contaminants require a moist atmosphere to multiply most effectively, so the drier your brush, the lower the risk of bad bugs on your bristles.  It does not require batteries or cables.

Here are top tips from Pediatric Dentist Danielle Gilbert-Fowler, D.M.D. of Palm Tree Pediatric Dentistry to ensure your toothbrush remains as hygienic as possible.

1. Don't flush where you brush
   
   If you store your toothbrush near your toilet make sure you close the lid when you flush to minimize the dispersal of contaminated water droplets.
   
   
2. Replace your toothbrush regularly
   
   Make sure to replace your toothbrush and Steripod every 3 months. getsteripod.com/#remind will send you a reminder every 80 days to replace your pod and toothbrush. If you've been suffering with a cold or flu replace your toothbrush rather than risk re-infecting yourself.
   
   
3. Don't share it
   
   Never be tempted to share a toothbrush, even with your loved one. And avoid contact with other toothbrushes that may be stored in the same vicinity. 

Get your pod on  
Steripod comes in a wide range of colors so you can identify your brush from other bathroom sharers. A pack of two gives six months protection and costs $5.99. Steripod toothbrush protectors are available nationwide at Bed Bath & Beyond, CVS, Target, Walgreens, Walmart, Whole Foods Market and online at Amazon or GetSteripod.com.

Steripod product samples are available for media review and/or giveaway by request.

Media Contact:     
Kris Ellenberg
Email
3104301772

SOURCE Steripod

Related Links

http://GetSteripod.com