The average electric toothbrush doesn’t last very long. Many people throw theirs away when the battery starts failing after 3–5 years. The devices also tend to break relatively quickly due to intensive daily use and poor maintenance. Humid bathrooms and improper charging don’t help either. For a layperson, repairing them may seem difficult—but the good news is: it’s definitely possible!

Common problems with electric toothbrushes

According to the RepairMonitor from our Repair Cafés, the top five issues are:

1. By far the most common: the battery no longer charges properly
2. The on/off button gets stuck
3. The device is no longer watertight
4. The toothbrush vibrates too much or too little
5. The toothbrush makes too much noise

Handy tips to prevent problems

With these tips from repair platform Mr Again, you can extend the life of your toothbrush:

• Clean it after every use: rinse the brush head and metal shaft to prevent toothpaste buildup
• Always use original chargers and brush heads
• Store in a dry place
• Keep it safe from falls

Repairing your toothbrush yourself

You’ll need some technical tools and know-how, but the online guides from repair platform iFixit can help. iFixit offers free step-by-step guides for opening up toothbrushes and replacing batteries or motors for different models.

Calling in expert help

“I had no idea these things could be repaired!” is the most common reaction Rob Kruizinga—also known as the “Toothbrush Bear”—hears. After repairing his own broken toothbrush, he started a dedicated repair service for electric toothbrushes.

“Repairing is a win-win,” he explains. “In the Netherlands, we throw away about 1 million electric toothbrushes every year. That’s a mountain of waste! Repairing prevents waste, saves raw materials, and avoids the CO2 emissions from producing new devices—often on the other side of the world.”

As an industrial designer, Rob is passionate about circular design. “My dream is the ultimate self-repairable toothbrush—so I can close my shop.” What started as a hobby has become serious: he now receives broken toothbrushes from all over the country.

If you’re looking for a repairer nearby, just visit a Repair Café.

Repair your electric toothbrush yourself—or drop by a Repair Café!

Need help fixing your electric toothbrush? Visit a Repair Café near you. Prefer to do it yourself? Find a step-by-step repair guide on iFixit. You can also use these guides to prepare for your visit to a Repair Café, so you’ll know what to expect.

Het bericht Repairing Electric Toothbrushes verscheen eerst op Repaircafe.

Many Repair Cafés regularly receive visitors with audio and video equipment. Older appliances, in particular, such as record players or CD players, are often offered for repair. They often have problems with wear and tear. The good news is that they can often be repaired and will last for years to come. About half of all audio and video devices submitted to the Repair Café are successfully restored.

This is evident from the RepairMonitor, an online system in which repairers from all over the world keep track of the things volunteers repair in their Repair Café. Thanks to this data, we can also precisely see what the most common causes are when, for example, a CD player stops working.

Repairing CD players or DVD players

The problem with CD players and DVD players is often the lens. The lens can no longer read the CD or DVD. It also regularly happens that the tray in which the disc must be placed no longer functions properly. Sometimes, it won’t even open at all.

Such problems can often be solved simply by cleaning the lens or lubricating the CD or DVD tray. “All you need is a little alcohol and a cotton bud,” says Mark van Maanen of Repair Café Enschede-Zuid in the Netherlands. Sometimes, running a cleaning CD can also solve the issue.

Thanks to such minor actions, 151 of the 330 CD players entered into the RepairMonitor were repaired. Unfortunately, this isn’t always possible. Sometimes, the device cannot be adequately dismantled, or it’s unclear what exactly was wrong. In the case of DVD players, 119 of the 226 repairs carried out were successful.

Repairing tape recorders or record players

Record players and tape recorders are less frequently brought to a Repair Café, but they are often several years older. This means they’ve suffered even more from the effects of age. Dust, weak wires, a stretched spring: these are all problems that are difficult to prevent. Fortunately, such problems can often be solved relatively easily.

Old tape recorders are generally good to repair, especially at the Repair Café!

In the case of a record player, the spring can be re-tensioned or the wire replaced. Sometimes, cleaning or lubricating the record player can also help. Tape recorders also need lubrication and cleaning. Philip Leenman of Repair Café Bussum (the Netherlands): “Small things, like a fuse, a ring, a wire, a screw, we have them all in stock. Cleaning is no problem either.”

Most things can be repaired, says Mark from Repair Café Enschede-Zuid. And often, the visitor learns something as well. “Some people find it very interesting and want to take a look. They think, ‘Oh, that’s not so difficult’. I’m glad when I get to explain to them what I do.”

Repairing audio and video appliances with a personal history

People bring their appliances to a Repair Café for all sorts of reasons. According to Frans van de Pavoordt of Repair Café Eindhoven-Blixembosch (the Netherlands), there are roughly three categories of visitors. “Some consider the environment. They think: ‘everything I can repair I don’t have to throw away, and that’s better for the environment’. The second group may or may not have the money to buy a new appliance. The third group, if you ask us, is the most fun. These are the people who bring in something old that has a personal history. These people are attached to the object.

For example, Frans once had a lady come to him with a very old tube radio that had broken down. Her parents had bought the radio with the money they had received on their wedding day. Frans finally managed to repair it after a long search for an original part. “The funny thing was that years later, a car came driving through my street. The window opened, and someone shouted: “Frans, it still works!” It was the lady with the radio.

Repair your audio or video appliance yourself or drop by the Repair Café!

Do you need help repairing your audio or video equipment? Then come to a Repair Café in your area. Want to do the repair yourself? Then find a repair guide at iFixit! You can also use these step-by-step guides to prepare your visit to the Repair Café. This way you can read what to expect.

Het bericht Repairing audio and video equipment verscheen eerst op Repaircafe.