How to Clean an Invisalign Retainer

Invisalign retainers straighten your teeth and keep teeth straightened without you having to wear noticeable steel braces out into public. Just as with any standard retainer, cleaning your Invisalign retainer on a daily basis is recommended to remove food particles, bad odors and germs from the retainer. An Invisalign cleaning product thoroughly cleans your retainer without causing any damage, but the product is only available in the United States. Those unable or unwilling to purchase Invisalign cleaning products are also able to use a homemade solution.

Things You'll Need

• Water
• Invisalign Aligner Cleaning System
• Cup
• Soft-bristled toothbrush
• Hydrogen peroxide or white vinegar

Show More

Instructions

Invisalign Aligner Cleaning System

• 1

  Rinse the Invisalign retainer under a gentle stream of lukewarm running water. This helps break up and eliminate any stuck-on food particles.

• 2

  Fill a clean cup or the Invisalign Cleaning Tub with 1 to 2 cups of lukewarm water. Use enough water to submerge all of the retainer.

• 3

  Pour one pack of the Invisalign crystals into the water.

• 4

  Place the retainer inside the cleaning solution. The Invisalign website recommends soaking the retainers for about 15 minutes.

• 5

  Remove the retainer from the solution. Rinse it once more with lukewarm water.

• 6

  Saturate the bristles of the soft-bristled toothbrush with tap water.

• 7

  Scrub both sides of the retainer gently to remove any leftover particles found on the retainer.

• 8

  Rinse the retainer thoroughly one final time. Place the retainer either back into your mouth, or dry the retainer completely before placing it back into its case.

Homemade Remedies

• 9

  Rinse the Invisalign retainer thoroughly with lukewarm water.

• 10

  Mix an equal parts solution of lukewarm water and hydrogen peroxide or lukewarm water and distilled white vinegar in a cup. Both solutions remove stains and bacteria from Invisalign retainers. The Animated Teeth website recommends using the water-and-vinegar solution if attempting to remove darker stains, such as those caused by tartar, from your retainer.

• 11

  Soak the retainer in the solution you created in Step 2 for roughly 15 minutes. Make sure the entire retainer is submerged, and add more liquids to the cup to submerge the retainer, if necessary.

• 12

  Repeat Steps 5 through 8 from Section 1 to finalize the cleaning process.