One of my favorite parts of TikTok is the never-ending list of product recommendations. It’s so easy to get an honest review of sustainable swaps you’ve never heard of or seen before. Naturally, that’s how I came across my favorite new sustainable bathroom swap: a trusty tongue scraper.

I’ll be honest—I try my best to take care of my oral health, but there’s always room for improvement. It wasn’t until I learned more about tongue scrapers that I was doing all parts of oral care super consistently.

Tongue scrapers work by removing bacteria from your mouth. Not only does the bacteria cause bad breath, it also can lead to diseases of the mouth like gingivitis, hinder your sense of taste, and give your tongue an unsightly white cast. So, I decided to give one a try. What did I have to lose?

Making the Switch 

Scrolling on TikTok, I’d seen a tongue scraper on my For You Page quite a few times. I’m not sure how I ended up on #DentistTok, but I came across a video from a dentist talking about great products for your mouth and teeth. Lo and behold, one of those items was a tongue scraper.

Looking for a sustainable option, I went with the Copper Tongue Scraper from the Brightly Shop. Copper is naturally antibacterial and antimicrobial. With proper care, it will stay clean—and I know I’m not unintentionally putting something into my body that shouldn’t be there.

The best part is that this scraper can be used over and over again. And once it’s reached the end of its life, it can be completely recycled. Learning all of this, I was sold on the product. I wouldn’t say that I had bad breath to begin with, but I do like to eat some smelly foods—major garlic and onion fan here!

Giving the Tongue Scraper a Try

That night, I was ready to go. To put it the tongue scraper to the test, eating some street tacos with grilled and raw onions (*chefs kiss*). After dinner, I flossed, plaque picked, tongue scraped, mouthwashed, then finished by brushing with my bamboo toothbrush.

Using the tongue scraper was easy: You first brush your tongue with your toothbrush to disrupt the bacteria. Then you gently scrape your tongue a few times, and rinse in between each scrape until what you see coming off runs clear.

As I scraped my tongue, I could see all the residue that was being removed. It was kind of gross, but also very satisfying! Immediately after using it, I could already feel a difference. My mouth felt super fresh!

When I say peak freshness, I mean peak freshness. (Onions, who?) Even the next morning my breath was still pretty fresh.

Final Thoughts

Prior to using my copper tongue scraper, I had minimal experience with tongue scraping. I’ve used a few plastic toothbrushes with tongue scrapers on the back, but this is a much more effective and sustainable option.

Overall, I love my tongue scraper. Just ask my co-workers, who have heard me share the perks many times! To some, it may seem silly to love an oral care tool. But it helps to remove plastic from my routine, and it’s a completely natural way I can take care of my body on a regular basis.

I’m excited to do my oral care routine along with my skincare and hair routines each day, which wasn’t the case before. Try it out for yourself—I don’t think you’ll regret it.

Oral Care, Sustainable Bathroom, Tongue Scraper