Third up in 3-for-Wednesday Reader Shout-Out: Kristin hunts down toothbrushes to fit old-time porcelain toothbrush holders.
She writes:
hi. i live in a tudor cottage built in 1940. i have 2 full bathrooms that have all original tile work and ceramic accessories including toothbrush holders over the sink. i would love to be able to use these but all the modern toothbrushes have really big and round handles that won’t fit in the holder. do you have any toothbrush brand recommendations for toothbrushes that will actually fit in these holder?
Thanks so much, kristin
I did a little hunting around and sent Kristin this link for Butler Gums here. Now I can’t find her blog (Kristin, so sorry, remind me and I’ll add the link), but I know she found another model on the very same website that she said would fit. Proof: That there is no detail too small for us retro renovators. Finally, I must note that I also advised: Use an electric toothbrush. Truly. I am also a woman of many dental sagas, this is good advice, I’m telling you.
12 recessed porcelain ceramic soap dishes, TP holders, towel bars 
Atomic starburst toothbrush holders by Starline 
75 sets of MIB NOS ceramic towel bars, soap dishes & toilet paper holders, in 7 vintage colors 
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LOL!! Thanks so much for addressing this. It drives me crazy that so many houses have the ceramic tooth brush holders and most of the modern toothbrushes don’t fit!
wow! this drove me crazy too! besides, i dislike the “new-fangled” style toothbrush. They ruined oral hygiene for me when they added the little rubber thing at the bottom of the handles, and it’s only gotten worse since. The toothbrush i’m using now just says “equaline” on the handle and it fits perfectly in our toothbrush holder. My toothbrush before was a “recycline”, it fit ok, but has an odd curve and some ridges that made it sit funny in the holder. Another brush that works really well is made by “fuchs”. that means fox in german. anyways, hope that helps.
I used to have the exact same problem! Try Rite Aid Drug Store-they have their own brand of plain colored flat toothbrushes that come in assorted colors & fit very easily in the original ceramic toothbrush holders that were installed in the 40′s, 50′s, 60′s & 70′s and they are under a dollar each!!!
I have a Reach toothbrush; it has a tapered handle with stripes.
Fits perfectly!
I use the cheapo (88 cents each!) toothbrushes from Big Lots, which sound similar to the ones Rob describes from Rite-Aid. Actually, this reminds me that i need to go stock up again.
Oral-B fits nicely too
I’ve found often that a store’s own brand of generic toothbrush (around me, anyway) tend to have more narrow square handles (easier to hold in my opinioni, too). And it’s not just the ceramic holders. My parents and I both have metal / chrome toothbrush holders like Hall-Mack made and it’s hard to find a toothbrush to fit them, too.
These fit too,from anthropologie. They also have 2 other non-wood styles,tortoise and white I believe.
http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=093600&catId=BEAUTY-TOOLS&pushId=BEAUTY-TOOLS&popId=LOUNGEBEAUTY&navCount=12&color=014&isProduct=true&fromCategoryPage=true&isSubcategory=true&subCategoryId=BEAUTY-TOOLS-BRUSHES&templateType=subCategory
I have a vintage metal toothbrush holder and regular brushes of today don’t fit. Thank you for this!
Often I see vintage toothbrush holders and would like to sell them in my shop, but always thought no one would buy them because of this very issue. Maybe I need to keep a case of them on hand. Buy a vintage toothbrush holder, get four toothbrushes free.
Ahhh we totally have this problem! Our house is circa 1962 and, for some strange reason, our bathrooms are circa the 1940′s. I just put a milk glass tumbler in the kids’ bathroom for their toothbrushes and in ours we just lay our toothbrushes on the ceramic tile mounted soap dish.
Ballard Designs used to hace skinny toothbrushes in zebra and lepard print, not sure if they still do.
The $1 oral B ones that are clear with rubber sides fit nicely. I think i got them at target.