Caring for and disposing of your bamboo toothbrush

Caring for your brush

How long it lasts

Looked after, a bamboo toothbrush lasts as long as a plastic one. Replace it every 12 weeks, or sooner if the bristles start to splay or you've been unwell.

Let it dry

Bamboo is a natural material and the one thing it doesn't like is sitting wet.

Store the brush upright in an open holder rather than a closed container, and keep it out of the shower. Somewhere it can dry properly between uses is all it needs.

What's normal

The handle may fade or lighten over time, particularly the part that goes in your mouth. That's the bamboo doing what bamboo does, and it doesn't affect how the brush cleans.

When the brush is done

Snap the head off and chuck it in the bin. If you can be bothered, pull the bristles out with pliers instead.

Either way, the bamboo handle goes in your compost or green waste bin, where it takes around three years to break down fully buried in soil. That's roughly 90% of the brush kept out of landfill, which is why we don't call the whole thing compostable.

The bristles are nylon. Some local recycling facilities accept nylon, so it's worth asking yours.

How to care for and dispose of your bamboo toothbrush

Bamboo dinnerware

Cleaning it

Hand wash, dry well and treat it kindly — a bit like your favourite wooden chopping board — and it'll stay looking good for much longer. With the right care, our natural bamboo tableware should last for years.

We don't recommend the microwave, oven, dishwasher or steriliser. Bamboo is a natural material with no fillers added to make it tougher or more heat resistant. It may not blow up your microwave or melt the silicone rings, but repeated heat, soaking and high temperatures can deteriorate the bamboo quickly, causing swelling, cracks and weak points.

Checking it over

Because bamboo is natural, give it a look now and then and stop using it if you notice cracks, splinters or damage.

Getting the suction to hold

Wipe the silicone and the surface underneath before you press down. Suction only works on two clean, flat surfaces — straight out of the box the silicone often has a fine layer of dust on it.

At the end of its life

It comes apart. The silicone can go to TerraCycle rather than landfill, and the bamboo breaks down naturally in compost or green waste.