How To Clean Retainers? 9 Different Methods

You might be wearing retainers but do you know how to clean retainers? Or are you just simply wearing it and think that it might be cleaned while brushing your teeth. Let me tell you that you should know how to clean plastic retainers and metal retainers. In this article, I will describe the easy ways that will help you in easy cleaning of the retainers. You will come to know about the different ways of cleaning the retainers with vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, etc. 

Every important detail that I will explain below will help you a lot in taking care of the retainers. So let us know how to clean retainers properly.

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How To Clean Retainers?

You will come to know different ways for how to clean retainers at home. In the following let us see what things you can use for retainers cleaning.

1. Use plenty of water.
2. Make use of vinegar.
3. Clean it with baking soda.
4. Using a retainer cleaner.
5. Use of Castile soap for cleaning.
6. Make use of Hydrogen Peroxide.
7. Cleaning retainers while brushing teeth.
8. Using a denture cleaner.
9. Using a Mouthwash.

9 Different MethodsTo Clean Retainers

Let us know about the different ways to clean the retainers in detail. We will discuss how to clean retainers with water, baking soda, vinegar, etc in the following.

• Use Plenty Of Water.

The ways for how to clean retainers with water are simple. Let us read them below.

1. You will not only need the water for cleaning but also you have to drink more water. When you drink more water it will reduce bacterial growth and prevent its building. 
2. This will also help in keeping the retainers moist so that dry mouth will be prevented. 
3. You will need to swish water several times in the mouth if you feel that it needs to be cleaned.
4. You can soak the retainers in the water for some time so that they will be cleaned properly.
5. Using a paper towel can help you if you do not have a retainer case to soak it. You will need to damp the paper towel and then clean it with water.
6. You can use a little warm water to clean it properly. Just you will need to pat dry the retainer.

• Make Use Of Vinegar.

Here I have mentioned how to clean retainers with vinegar. Let us see and understand how it is done in the following.

1. Take the required amount of vinegar.
2. Take an equal portion of the water of it,
3. Now mix water and vinegar in a bowl.
4. Use this mixture for soaking the retainers.
5. You will need to soak retainers for up to 15 to 20 mins in this solution.

• Clean It With Baking Soda.

You can use baking soda as a good natural disinfectant for cleaning the retainers. I will tell you how to clean retainers with baking soda below.

1. Take the desired amount of baking soda.
2. Add an equal amount of water into it.
3. Make a thick paste that will be able to stick to the retainer.
4. Apply the paste mixture on the retainer with a soft toothbrush.
5. Slowly brush the retainers.
6. Rinse the retainers with water properly to remove all the paste.

• Using A Retainer Cleaner.

The use of a retainer cleaning solution can be done if you do not have enough time.

1. You can use the retainer solution.
2. You will need to follow the instructions given on the packaging.
3. Ask your dentist for a retainer cleaner that will suit you.

• Use Of Castile Soap For Cleaning.

Castile soaps are a mixture of olive oil and coconut which is less harsh than other cleaning soaps. Making use of castile soap can be done for cleaning the retainers as given in the following.

1. Use the Castile soap.
2. Add warm water and make a mixture.
3. Soak the retainers for 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Use a toothbrush to scrub it gently.
5. Now rinse the retainers with cool water.
6. Place the retainers in the distilled water for some time before using it back.

• Make Use Of Hydrogen Peroxide.

Hydrogen peroxide can be used for cleaning the retainers and removing the plaque. In the following, there is a method for how to clean retainers with hydrogen peroxide.

1. Take 3 % of hydrogen of the required amount.
2. Now add an equal part of warm water into it.
3. Mix both water and hydrogen peroxide in a container.
4. Keep the retainers in the solution.
5. Soak the retainers for up to 30 minutes.
6. Rinse the retainers after 30 mins with warm water.

• Cleaning Retainers While Brushing Teeth.

The retainers can be cleaned by a simple method that is brushing. You will know that how to clean retainers with plaque.

1. Take a soft-bristled toothbrush.
2. Use a non-whitening toothpaste.
3. Gently and slowly brush on the retainers.
4. Now thoroughly rinse the retainers.
5. You should try to brush by removing the retainers as there may be some plaque under them.

• Using A Denture Cleaner.

Sometimes making use of a denture cleaner can be helpful for you to clean the retainers. Here is the safe way that I mentioned below for using a denture cleaner.

1. Take the retainer out.
2. Rinse it properly with water.
3. Now take the denture cleaner in a container.
4. Soak the retainer in it for up to 20 minutes.
5. After 20 minutes use a soft toothbrush and scrub it.
6. Rinse the retainer again with water thoroughly.

• Using a Mouthwash.

You can use a mouthwash for cleaning retainers. There are some steps that you should know for how to clean retainers with mouthwash. Let’s see these steps.

1. Use a nonalcoholic mouthwash solution.
2. Soak the retainers in it for up to 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Now rinse the retainers with cold water.
4. Gently brush it with a soft-bristled toothbrush.
5. Rinse the retainers again to prevent drying.

How To Clean Plastic Retainers?

There are some steps that you will need to follow for cleaning the plastic retainers.

1. Take a mild toothpaste.
2. Add clean lukewarm water to it.
3. Make a mixture of both.
4. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and apply this mixture to plastic retainers.
5. Gently brush the retainer.
6. To clean the deep areas and grooves make use of a cotton swab.
7. Now rinse every area of the plastic retainer properly.

How To Clean Metal Retainers?

To clean metal retainers you can make use of vinegar. You will need to follow the steps given in the following for cleaning the metal retainers.

1. Take the required amount of vinegar.
2. Take an equal portion of the water of it,
3. Now mix water and vinegar in a bowl.
4. Use this mixture for soaking the retainers.
5. You will need to soak retainers for up to 15 to 20 mins in this solution.

How To Clean Retainer Case?

To clean your retainer case you can do the following things to clean it.

1. You will need a bleach solution.
2. Take 1 portion of bleach solution.
3. Add 9 equal portions of water to it.
4. Now keep the retainer case in it for up to 10 minutes.
5. After 10 minutes take out the retainer case.
6. Wash the retainer case properly.
7. You can also use the retainer cleaning tablets and ultrasonic retainer cleaner for cleaning the retainer case.

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FAQ

How Do I Get My Retainers White Again?

You can get your retainers white again by doing the following steps.

1. Take one part of warm water.
2. To it add hydrogen peroxide in equal part.
3. Now add 2 tablespoons of baking soda.
4. Place retainers in it and scrub it with a soft toothbrush.
5. Keep the retained soaked overnight.
6. You can use an ultrasonic cleaner for better results.
7. Now wash the retainers with clean distilled water.

How Do You Remove Plaque From Retainers?

You can remove plaque from retainers by following methods.

• Use plenty of water for rinsing and cleaning retainers.
• Making use of diluted vinegar for removing plaque from retainers.
• Using a retainer cleaner solution.
• Cleaning retainers with baking soda paste.
• Using Castile soap and warm water for retainer cleaning.
• Making use of Hydrogen Peroxide for cleaning the retainers.
• Using a Mouthwash.
• Cleaning retainers while brushing teeth with a soft-bristled toothbrush.
• Using a denture cleaner.

What Can I Soak My Retainer In?

You can soak your retainer in the following things.

• In the distilled water
• In the solution of equal parts of vinegar and water.
• Within the mixtures of an equal portion of baking soda and water.
• Using a solution of warm water and hydrogen peroxide.
• In the mixture of castile soap and water.
• Using a mouthwash.
• Within a denture cleaner.

How Often Should Retainers Be Cleaned?

The retainers should be cleaned at least once a day by using cold distilled water. They should be properly rinsed before insertion in the mouth cavity. And you should soak the retainers at least one time every two weeks.

Why Are My Retainers Cloudy?

Never let your clear retainers dry out because that leads tartar to get bonded to the retainer. When this happens, a white cloudy film is visible on the retainers. It can get difficult to remove bonded tartar from the crevices of the retainers and it may also lead to other dental problems.

What Can I Soak My Retainer In?

Do soak your retainer in a solution of water and hydrogen peroxide. Make a 50/50 solution of warm water and 3% hydrogen peroxide. This solution helps take away yellowness in your retainer and kills bacteria, but it doesn’t remove plaque build-up.

How Do You Clean And Disinfect Retainers?

In order to sanitize your retainer, you can use warm water and anti-bacterial dish soap to do it. Scrub the retainer in the mixture and rinse. After this, you can soak it in rubbing alcohol for a short time. This shouldn’t exceed 15 minutes because the alcohol can cause damage to your retainer.

What Is The Best Way To Sanitize Retainers?

In order to sanitize your retainer, you can use warm water and anti-bacterial dish soap to do it. Scrub the retainer in the mixture and rinse. After this, you can soak it in rubbing alcohol for a short time. This shouldn’t exceed 15 minutes because the alcohol can cause damage to your retainer.

Can You Soak Your Retainer In Mouthwash?

Never soak your retainer in HOT/boiling water or run it through the dishwasher ; it can melt it and distort it. Never soak your retainer in mouthwash, rubbing alcohol, or bleach; the chemicals will distort it.

Conclusion

Here I have described how to clean retainers in 9 different ways. This will help you with the proper cleaning of your retainers. You will get rid of the bad smell and the taste of the retainer by following the steps given above. In this article, you learned things like how to clean retainers with vinegar and baking soda by diluting them with water. Now you are knowing that you can clean the retainers at home by several different methods that I explained in the up. Some of the common queries that may have arisen in your mind while reading how to clean retainers.

How do you clean different types of retainers

How do you clean different types of retainers