Brush & Rinse: Toothbrush Does Double Duty
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA 
on 10.15.07
Designer Scott Amron, whose electricity-themed designs have been featured here and here on TreeHugger, is no one-trick pony. He also works in the water medium, and has designed a rather ingenious toothbrush to make it easier to rinse when you're done brushing. "Brush & Rinse" employs a couple well-placed holes to redirect water from the faucet, switching your brush from "clean" to "rinse" by creating a water fountain that makes rinsing a quick and easy affair.
Says Amron, "No one should be using disposable cups for rinsing after brushing. No one should have to wash a glass or cup every time they rinse. No one should have to lap water from their hand. No one should be forced to slurp excess water from toothbrush bristles. Current methods of getting water into our mouths are sloppy, create waste, and place unnecessary stress on our bodies. And, people love water fountains."
We love the design's simplicity and easy effectiveness, and we aren't the only ones to have noticed; it was voted as I.D. magazine's "Best Concept" of 2007, and is nominated for a Cooper-Hewitt People's Design Award. Perhaps best of all, you can get one of these for just $3; for collectors and design nerds, the 27 original working prototypes are also for sale for $1,750 -- we don't recommend you use those for your everyday teeth-cleaning needs. The design will be on exhibit at the Red Dot Design Museum starting in November, and a little birdie told us that MoMA is interested as well, so stay tuned for more. ::Amron Experimental
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So what is wrong with having a simple re-useable cup sitting on your sink. You don't have to wash it every time you use it, your just sipping water.
Looks like another disposable plastic product. Does it really take more water to wash a glass than to blast a faucet on high while you try to catch water in your mouth without making a mess?
I know TH appreciates design and understands its role in sustainability, but this design promotes waste. On par for the artist.
"No one should have to lap water from their hand."
This is a joke, right?
Yes, it is disposable and plastic. However, it's getting more use out of something that we dispose of every month or so to keep it hygienic and well bristled. If it has a short lifespan, it may as well do more.
I think this is intended more for a TRAVEL toothbrush, where you might not have a reusable cup with you.
Looks like another disposable plastic product. Does it really take more water to wash a glass than to blast a faucet on high while you try to catch water in your mouth without making a mess?
It is recommended that you replace your toothbrush once every 3 months anyway. What is wrong with buying a novelty brush every now and again? Something like this can also help to maintain interest in brushing for a child (or adult with a child like joy for fun things).
Man, Republicans and environmentalists can sure take the fun out of everything.
i'm pretty sure using a cup of water to rinse your mouth uses less water then trying to shoot a fountain from a running tap. Not to consider the time you take to guggle your mouth and spit and repeat.
it would have been more honest to say its a product that brings more fun into your life then to put a tag of sustainbility on it..
I just cant see how this would ever be very useful.
On this topic, here's a great way to reduce waste (saves money too):
http://www.eco-dent.com/terradent.htm
i don't understand why this is on this website.
what is wrong with drinking from your hands ?
Looking at the picture it really looks like you need to use your faucet at full power for it to work, doesn't look environmental at all.
I drink from my hand (and see nothing wrong with that) and it only requires very low flow for a very short time... I gonna stick to that thanks!
This product is along the same lines as the "body water squeegee" device that Treehugger also "reported" on that removed excess water from one's body before toweling off in the shower because why would you use your hands.
This product is an answer to a question that no one was asking.