Proper cleaning is essential for the care and maintenance of your Invisalign trays. They are made from plastic that is durable, yet susceptible to staining, and collecting germs and plaque. Refraining from eating or drinking anything (except water) while wearing Invisalign helps prevent staining and plaque buildup from occurring. However, sometimes there are situations where wearing your trays while eating or drinking might be unavoidable. This accelerates the buildup of plaque and stains and makes it challenging to clean your Invisalign aligners.
I was told to wear my Invisalign trays for 20-22 hours a day. During the 2-4 hours when the trays are out, I need to be sure to clean them. There are several popular methods of cleaning Invisalign trays. There’s sure to be one that is just right for you. NOTE: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases
How to Clean Invisalign Aligners? 5 Easy Ways
1. Invisalign Cleaning crystals
- Three packs of these came with the Invisalign kit. You can buy more Invisalign Crystals online. Dissolve one packet of crystals in about 4oz of water in a shallow dish. Gently shake it to completely dissolve the crystals. Then, put the trays in. The water should cover the trays. Let the aligner trays soak for 15-20 minutes. Brush gently with a soft toothbrush. Rinse them off well and you should be good to go! Nice and fresh! The crystals do a great job of getting rid of stubborn stains!
2. Hydrogen Peroxide
- Use a solution of half hydrogen peroxide and half water. About 2 oz each should do. Soak the Invisalign trays for 20 minutes. Brush gently with a soft toothbrush and rinse well. I didn’t try this one, but many people use this method. Hydrogen peroxide is such a great germ killer that it makes sense that it would do a great job cleaning the aligners. Not sure how well it does on stains though.
3. Mouthwash + Water
- This is an easy way to clean the trays if you don’t have any cleaning crystals or hydrogen peroxide. Just soak the Invisalign trays in 2 parts water, and 1 part mouthwash for 20 minutes. Brush gently with a soft toothbrush and rinse. Don’t leave the trays in and swish mouthwash around in your mouth! While this method cleaned the plaque off well, it didn’t work well enough on the stains for me.
4. UV Case
- It is challenging to clean your Invisalign trays if you are away from home or hanging out. The other methods require a situation that doesn’t really work well unless you are at home. If I go out, I carry my tooth care kit (to find out what’s in it, read my article, My First 30 Days with Invisalign) to clean my teeth and mouth (when I can). But I felt like I needed a way to clean the Invisalign trays before I put them back in my mouth. So, I bought this Fresh Knight UV case to clean my Invisalign Aligners. It works wonders and only takes 2.5 minutes! Just place the aligner trays into the case and hit the power button. 2.5 minutes later your aligners will be fresh and sparkly! It’s so convenient, I even use it sometimes when I am at home.
5. Retainer Cleaners
- There are several Retainer cleansing foams and solutions available online. I have seen popular products such as Retainer Brite, Foam Bright, and Ever Smile. I specifically recommend retainer cleaners and not denture cleaners because retainer cleaners are friendlier to the plastic used to make Invisalign. I tried the M3 Naturals Extra Strength retainer cleaner available on Amazon. You use the same process as you use for the Invisalign Cleaning Crystals. I like that the M3 Naturals are individually wrapped tablets that you just drop in water like Alka Seltzer (old school – LOL!) I also like that M3 Naturals kills germs, and gets rid of the odor caused by plaque buildup and stains. M3 Naturals costs about $25 for a 4-month supply, so you can’t beat the value!
