Let’s start this article with a little riddle! What has teeth but never bites? A comb, of course! 🤣
A little humor never hurts! Today we’re going to brush, but not with just any brush, we’ll be using bamboo brushes. Once is not customary on our blog L'éco Mag, we usually like to highlight the benefits and uses of our signature plant: bamboo.
We use brushes for many household and hygiene tasks. In fact, they are most commonly used for brushing teeth and hair, but not only that. We can also use them to wash the body and to do the dishes.
Where we usually use a relatively polluting sponge, we have the option of using a dish brush that is just as effective. Bamboo toothbrushes are a good alternative to traditional plastic toothbrushes, and body brushes are recommended by naturopaths for their benefits.
So why all the buzz around these brushes, and why bamboo? It’s a question we’ll try to answer, in the hope that by the end of your reading, you’ll want to get one too 😉
Why bamboo brushes?
The answer is first and foremost ecological. Indeed, bamboo has undeniable ecological benefits: it grows without fertilizers or pesticides and at a speed that outpaces all competition. It is rot-resistant and therefore does not need to be treated or even varnished, which makes it a perfectly suitable material for making compostable bamboo toothbrushes.
As it is not prone to mold, bamboo is perfectly suited for making brushes intended to come into contact with water, such as the toothbrushes mentioned above, but also body brushes and dish brushes.
Its origin is what gives bamboo its downside. Indeed, bamboo does not grow naturally in Europe, so it is mainly imported from Asia, which tarnishes its eco-friendly image because of the transport involved.
Bamboo hairbrushes and combs
The advantage of bamboo and wood brushes and combs in general is that th'ey are not conductors of static electricity, which makes brushing and detangling your hair easier. Very pleasant to use, since their wooden handle is naturally non-slip.
How do you clean a bamboo hairbrush?
Here is a clean and effective method for properly cleaning your hairbrush. First, use a second brush to remove excess hair stuck in the bristles of the brush you are cleaning. Second, use a toothbrush soaked in vinegar and baking soda. Thanks to its properties, white vinegar will dissolve dead skin cells, and the abrasive side of the baking soda will dislodge impurities from your brushes.
Bamboo toothbrushes
Like cotton swabs, the toothbrush is one of the everyday items you wouldn’t suspect to be among the most polluting. 4.7 billion toothbrushes end up in our landfills every year. The problem comes in part from the various plastics used to make the handle of the brushes. These are difficult to recycle, unlike bamboo toothbrushes which are 99% compostable.
99% because the bristles of the brush, often made from soft nylon, are not compostable.
As for their effectiveness, bamboo toothbrushes follow the basic principle of toothbrushes: they clean and help prevent possible cavities, just like any other toothbrush.
Their advantage is once again ecological! I invite you to check out one of the flagship articles on our blog: Why a bamboo toothbrush? which will teach you why the bamboo toothbrush is organic.
Bamboo dish brushes
Rarely found in our kitchens, the bamboo dish brush is, just like toothbrushes, the brush to get for starting your zero-waste journey. It is customary to use a sponge or steel wool for washing dishes, but be aware that manufacturing synthetic sponges is very energy-intensive. For this simple and good reason, it is necessary to avoid this type of sponge. Indeed, a bamboo dish brush is just as effective as a regular sponge for cleaning and removing dirt from our everyday plates, cutlery, and household glasses.Hygienic bamboo brush for the back and body
Far more eco-friendly than a washcloth or a body sponge, this type of brush is ideal for brushing and removing dirt and dead skin found in hard-to-reach areas in the middle of the back. Equipped with a long handle and a detachable head that you can clip on and off depending on the area of the body you want to wash.
For an effective washing routine, it is recommended to brush the body with small circular movements starting with the feet, then the legs, gradually moving up toward the heart. Brushing the body regularly helps activate the skin, restoring suppleness and vitality, as it is a key eliminatory organ in naturopathy. Brushing restores the skin and its elimination functions, which are beneficial to the body, thus stimulating blood and lymph circulation and bringing back radiance, softness, and shine.
