Ontario woman breaks record for largest toothbrush collection in the world

The only plaque you’ll find around Kelly Hardy is the one she received from Guinness World Records for the largest toothbrush collection on the planet.

“I didn't actually even know that it was something you could set a world record for it until a couple of years ago and then it became my new goal in life. So it's exciting,” the Mississauga, Ont. resident told CTV News Toronto in an interview.

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In total, Hardy has 1,618 packaged toothbrushes in her collection, which was certified by the British record publication as the world’s largest on March 9 after a 13 week wait.

“It was the longest wait of my life,” she said.

Hardy has been growing her arsenal of oral hygiene tools for the last 30 years and says the collection really started when she was 12 years old and purchased a toothbrush with a built-in floss dispenser.

“I was like, ‘that's so interesting, that toothbrush,’ and I never bought it the first time I saw it. But I kept thinking about it for a few weeks, like I'd see it and I said ‘I need that toothbrush’….that’s really how it all started.”

From there, Hardy’s collection grew, and eventually surpassed the previous record of 1,320 held by Russia’s Grigori Fleicher.

Among the toothbrushes she’s amassed, Hardy says there are a few that standout from the rest. Those include several brushes featuring The Simpsons, Star Wars characters, one shaped as the Eiffel Tower, and the first one she bought with the floss dispenser.

Kelly Hardy is seen alongside her toothbrush collection in this image. (Supplied)

To certify the record, Hardy displayed all of her toothbrushes on tables at a local school’s gym where each one of the brushes was counted, one by one.

“It took about 40 minutes to just count from one to 1,618,” she said, adding that Guinness requires record applicants of this sort to film the entire process in one continuous shot for review.

As well, a line-by-line inventory and photo of each brush was required.

Now that she’s set the record, Hardy was asked what she’ll do with the brushes.

“I have three daughters. So I always joke, “this is your inheritance,’” she laughed. “For now, I still love toothbrushes. I still like the hunt…So I'm still collecting but it is a bit more curated in that, I'm not just kind of adding everything that I don't have.”

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In the off chance her daughters don’t want the toothbrushes, Hardy said she’ll likely donate them.

As for what Hardy personally uses for her daily dental hygiene. The answer might surprise you:

“I actually just use the one that my dentist gives me.”

Hardy received confirmation of her successful record attempt from Guinness last month. 

Kelly Hardy displays her Guinness World Records certificate. (Supplied)