Two minutes is the length most health guidance gives for brushing your teeth, and it is also a handy size for a quick drill, a stretch, or a round of a game.
Why 2 minutes comes up so often
- Tooth brushing. The NHS advises brushing twice a day for about 2 minutes each time. Most people stop well short of that without a clock, and an electric brush timer is not always handy.
- The two-minute rule for tasks. In his book Getting Things Done, David Allen suggests that if a task would take under two minutes you should do it straight away instead of listing it. Start the timer and see how many small jobs you clear.
- Short exercises. A plank, a wall sit, a mobility drill or a stretch each fit in two minutes. For anything strenuous, stop when you need to.
- Quick rounds in games and classes. A two-minute brainstorm, a pair-share, or a drawing round keeps everyone moving.
- Tea and drinks. Some drinks need a short steep. Follow the instructions on the packet, which are usually more reliable than a generic number.
Get the most from this timer
Keep it where you can see it: on a phone propped against the bathroom mirror, or on a laptop in full screen at the front of a room. The sound is generated in your browser, so there is nothing to download. If you use it for tooth brushing, pick the Gentle sound under the timer so it does not startle you.
Need more time? Try the 3 minute timer or the 5 minute timer. For a shorter one, use the 1 minute timer.
Pace your tooth brushing in four 30 second sections
This page gives a short on-screen cue at 90, 60 and 30 seconds. One simple way to use them is to divide your mouth into four sections and spend about half a minute on each:
| Time on the clock | Cue you will see | Section to brush |
|---|---|---|
| 2:00 to 1:30 | (start) | Upper left, outside and inside |
| 1:30 to 1:00 | Next section | Upper right |
| 1:00 to 0:30 | Halfway | Lower right |
| 0:30 to 0:00 | Last section | Lower left |
The four-section split is just a convenient way to spend the time evenly. It is not a medical protocol, so follow any advice your dentist has given you.