Left Your Electric Toothbrush in a Hot Car? What to Check

6h ago

Let an intact handle return to room temperature before you consider charging it. Check your manual and watch for signs of battery or housing damage.

If your electric toothbrush spent the afternoon in a hot car, leave it switched off and off the charger. If it looks intact and is simply warm from the car, let it return to room temperature and check the storage and charging instructions for your model before you use it again.

Look at the handle first

Check for a bulging or cracked housing, a leak, an unusual smell, or a handle that stays unusually hot. The U.S. Fire Administration advises people to stop using lithium-ion batteries that show changes in shape, excessive heat, leaking, or odd sounds. If you notice a warning sign, stop using the brush and ask the manufacturer or your local battery disposal service how to handle it. If it is smoking or burning, move away and call emergency services.

Inspect the detachable head and travel case as well. Look for bent plastic or a connector that feels different when you fit the head with the brush off. A spare brush can get you through tonight if you are unsure about the condition of yours.

Check storage and charging separately

Your manual may list different temperature limits for storage, use, and charging. Philips, for example, lists a wider storage range than charging range in one Sonicare manual. The numbers apply to the models covered by that manual. Look up your own model instead of assuming its limits are the same.

If you think the brush exceeded its storage limit, ask the manufacturer before you charge it. Tell them the model, how long it was in the car, and what you noticed when you found it. A cool handle can still need further assessment after excessive heat.

Move the wash bag with you

When you stop for lunch or arrive somewhere before check-in, take the toothbrush bag indoors if you can. The U.S. Fire Administration recommends keeping lithium-ion batteries away from direct sunlight and hot cars. Leaving the bag by the door or beside the rest of your luggage makes it easier to bring it in on the next stop.

General oral-care information. Prepared with AI assistance using the linked references. Cover illustration generated with AI.