Don’t forget your toothbrush

I hate packing. It doesn’t matter how many times I travel, I always put it off until the last minute – and my unpacked suitcase sits around forlornly on my return until my husband’s patience runs out. With enough practice, I’ve got pretty good at remembering the essentials, but usually find there’s something I’ve missed out.

Apparently I’m not alone. The top five most forgotten items aren’t the obscure, but phone chargers, hairbrushes, sunglasses, toothbrushes and facewash – most of which I’ve omitted to throw in at some point. Only hairbrush and facewash escape, because I don’t use either (I have short hair and use a different type of cleanser, no jumping to grubby conclusions please).

The survey by Arm & Hammer (who’ve obviously got an interest in all things dental) found we’re over 10 times more likely to forget our toothbrush than our passport, despite using the former every day. I actually think it’s because we do that they barely register, they’re almost part of the scenery, unlike a passport which I check dozens of times in case it’s managed to grow legs and crawl out of my bag.

And annoying though it is, at least it’s easy enough to pick up a new toothbrush at the airport.

Image: Dan Lockton/Flickr