It’s only natural to share certain personal items with family and friends. However, not everything is deemed suitable for sharing.
Take the items listed below for instance – sharing these can cause the spread of certain diseases. So best to buy your own, and not lend or borrow these items to anyone no matter how close you are.
Toothbrushes
When you use a toothbrush to clean your teeth, the bristles gets contaminated with millions of germs, blood, bacteria, saliva, and oral debris.
Viruses and bacteria can live on the surface of a toothbrush for weeks. Studies have shown that a toothbrush can still remain contaminated even after it’s been rinsed until it’s visibly clean.
After brushing your teeth, clean the toothbrush thoroughly with tap water. Make sure you’ve removed all trace of toothpaste and debris.
If you have an illness or immune disorder, you may need to soak the toothbrush in antibacterial mouthwash for a few minutes.
Then let the toothbrush air dry. If there are numerous toothbrushes stored in one place, try to avoid direct physical contact with the others.
Razors
Razors are used to remove unwanted hair. However, when you shave, the blade also removes dead skin cells, surface dirt, and bacteria on your skin. Since using blades can cause cuts and abrasions, sharing razors can also cause blood-borne diseases such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or HIV to spread.
Therefore, it is important to only use your own razors. You can also consider using shaving foam as this helps decrease the risk of cutting your skin.
Wash the razor carefully and dispose of the blade right after you’re done.
Nail clippers
Bacteria, fungi, and warts hide on skin under your nails. Even if you borrow the nail clippers of a person who has visibly healthy nails, you are still at risk of infection.
You are more likely to get a fungal nail infection, HIV, or hepatitis B if the nail clippers make cuts on your skin.
Thus, it is advisable that you wash nail clippers with alcohol before each use. If other people are attending to your nails, it’s best to ask them to use your own nail clippers.
Pumice stone
A pumice stone is used to remove dead skin cells from the soles of your feet, particularly your heels.
When you rub a pumice stone against your skin, the risk of scratches increases. Sharing a pumice stone can therefore allow bacteria and fungi to pass from one person to another with great ease.
While sharing is caring, personal items should not be used by more than one individual to minimise the spread of certain diseases. Best to be aware of the risks involved, and protect yourself and others accordingly.
This article first appeared in hellodoktor.com and was reviewed by Dr Duyen Le. The Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.