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The Adventures of a Twin Mom

Motherhood and Travel Blog

How to Clean Your Retainers

How to Clean RetainersThis post is sponsored by Crest Aligner Care. All opinions are my own.

Ever wonder how to clean your retainer?  Well, I’ve got the answer! I’ve worn retainers since I was 14 (well when I remembered to wear them ;)) and recently I finished wearing aligners and am now wearing retainers at night.  Did you know that they can be breeding grounds for odor-causing bacteria that put your mouth at risk?

How to Clean RetainersMy orthodontist and dentists just always told me (until now) to clean them with soap and a toothbrush. That is what I’ve done but it’s never seemed very hygienic to me. I even complained to my mom once and she decided to try and clean them herself…she put them in boiling water and they melted. Hahaha!  But…I was in Walmart recently and saw that Crest came out with an entire line that focuses on orthodontic care! I was so intrigued that I bought all of the different products on the shelf and I LOVE IT! It’s been a game changer for cleaning my aligners.  The new Crest Aligner Care products are non-abrasive and kill 99.9% of odor causing bacteria and it’s also endorsed by the American Association of Orthodontists.How to Clean Retainers

I thought it would be helpful to share what I do to keep these clean now!  It’s super easy:

  1. When I wake up, I take out my aligners and use the Crest Aligner Care toothpaste to brush my teeth. It helps protect against cavities, freshen breath, whiten and neutralize plaque. Anyone (over the age of 12) can use it but its specifically designed for extra attention to those wearing aligners, retainers, or mouth guards!
  1. I then use the Crest Aligner Care Cavity Defense Rinse which helps fortify tooth enamel for people who wear aligners, retainers, or mouth guards.
  1. Finally, I use Crest Aligner Care 3 Minute Rapid Cleaning Tablets on my retainers. All you do is put one tablet in warm water and then put the retainer in the solution for 3-5 minutes, remove it and rinse and you’re good to go! It kills 99.9% of odor causing bacteria, my retainers have never looked better! They also have a similar one called Deep Cleaning Tablets which is the same process but you soak them for longer.
  1. I maybe have dropped my retainer on the floor now and then –ew! When that happens, I’ll also use the Crest Aligner Care Cleaning Kit. It comes with a toothbrush and non-abrasive cleansing gel to help you really get into those crevices!How to Clean Retainers

Isn’t this great? I’m so glad I’m no longer cleaning my retainers with hand soap! Thanks, Crest for keeping these clean and my mouth too! You can find Crest Aligner Care at Walmart in the dental section.

20 Comments

Comments

  1. Amber Myers

    at

    I will show my son. He still has a retainer. But I don’t think he’s wearing it as he should. Ugh.

    Reply
    • Brianna

      at

      It’s a struggle as an adult, it was even harder when I was younger! I get it! <3

      Reply
  2. Tasheena

    at

    This post is really informative, I have to add this to my shopping list.

    Reply
  3. Tara Pittman

    at

    I have 2 teens with braces. So this will be useful for when they get retainers.

    Reply
    • Brianna

      at

      Awesome! It definitely makes things easier!

      Reply
  4. Emily

    at

    This is really helpful for me! I have one child that just got their braces off and another that will be getting hers off soon so retainers is something we are dealing with. Knowing how to clean them is helpful!

    Reply
    • Brianna

      at

      I’m so glad it was helpful! It’s been a game change for me!

      Reply
  5. Nikki Wayne

    at

    I know a lot of people who wears retainers, I better share this to my social media

    Reply
    • Brianna

      at

      Thanks!

      Reply
  6. MELANIE EDJOURIAN

    at

    I’ve been fortunate to never have to wear a retainer. Not sure how my brother cleaned his though.

    Reply
  7. sarah m

    at

    cleaning retainers has come a long way from when I first had them!

    Reply
  8. Heather Seeley

    at

    My daughter has a retainer. We will have to pick up these products for her to use.

    Reply
  9. Kathy

    at

    I’m going to have to look in to these products. I wear a retainer at night, and it’s a pain to clean them all the time. I usually just brush with a toothbrush and toothpaste.

    Reply
  10. Kelli A

    at

    Thankful I have never had to deal with retainers for myself or my children, but Crest is definitely a family favorite for tooth care!

    Reply
  11. Catalina

    at

    Thanks for sharing all the info about this cleaning kit. Everyone needs to have on in their house!

    Reply
  12. Marysa

    at

    Good to know! My daughter is getting her braces off after 1.5 years, and this will be useful information for us.

    Reply
  13. Ruth I

    at

    I know some friends who uses retainers. They do complain about it sometimes. I will recommend this!

    Reply
  14. Lynndee

    at

    My son wore retainers after he had the braces. He’s not wearing them anymore, but thanks for the tips.

    Reply
  15. amber

    at

    hi, i recently discovered these products for my aligners.. i saw on another thread that the cleaning tablets actually made someone retainer so pliable that it broke in half… have you had any issues using the products long term? thank you

    Reply
    • Brianna

      at

      Hi there! I haven’t had any issues at all. I’ve been using it for about 4-6 months so far. 🙂

      Reply

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Hi! I'm Brianna! I'm a wife, mom of twin toddlers, a blogger, and a world traveler. Welcome to a small piece of our perfect chaos!

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AD: When life gives you lemons, make lemonade! Did AD: When life gives you lemons, make lemonade! Did you know that 1 in 4 kids in our community don’t know where their next meal is coming from? Summer is especially challenging without the help of school lunches. That’s why Food Lion is partnering with 7 brands: @aquafina @lays @kelloggsus @saraleebread @campbells @chexmix @breyers this summer for their Summers Without Hunger program to donate meals to local food banks – you can help by donating $5 at checkout at Food Lion and they will MATCH it! Doubling the donations! I am trying to raise up kids that care about others, and when I heard about this amazing @foodlion program, I knew I wanted them to be involved. They loved taking their proceeds to our local Food Lion and donating by themselves! Purchase a $5 donation at checkout in store or with your next Food Lion to Go order today to help child hunger! https://lnk2.io/wj2k6VL #FoodLionFeeds #SummersWithoutHunger #PutHopeOnTheTable
Our anniversary trip to Hilton Head Island was a d Our anniversary trip to Hilton Head Island was a dream! Sharing all the details about our trip…our stay @sonestahhi and everything we did on my blog today.  #hiltonhead
#AD These three could sit here all day playing gam #AD These three could sit here all day playing games!  Does your family love to play games? When we first moved in we had bugs in here. Thanks to @raid they are all gone and we no longer have to think about a bug crawling across our game boards!  We always have Raid® Ant & Roach Killer with Essential Oils and Raid® Ant Baits on hand. 
 We love that Raid® Ant & Roach Killer with Essential Oils is safe for use around kids and pets when used as directed. We buy these from our local @publix . #RaidProtects
9 years! 💗 Happy Anniversary, Judd! I’m so th 9 years! 💗 Happy Anniversary, Judd! I’m so thankful for you and this life we’ve built together.
AD: My kiddos, you are ONE IN A MELON! This past AD: My kiddos, you are ONE IN A MELON! 

This past year with all the craziness in the world, I've realized how important it is to buy and support local companies. I love that my favorite grocery store @foodlion lets me do this while shopping in their store...they have tons of products labeled Local Goodness which are products sourced from inside state lines. . From produce to seafood to baked goods to health & beauty, they've got an amazing selection! This juicy watermelon was from Coosaw Farm https://lnk2.io/w5BsFSN #LocalGoodness #FoodLion
If someone asks me for a good place to take a summ If someone asks me for a good place to take a summer vacation with kids… Myrtle Beach is always in my top three spots! We had the best time there last month for a little family getaway of our own at @hiclubvacations South Beach Resort. #HostedByHCV

 

Today on their Checking In blog, I’m sharing the Top 12 Things to Do in Myrtle Beach for families this summer! Head over to my link in bio or swipe in my stories to check it out. 🙂 #MyrtleBeach #SouthCarolina #travelingwithkids
#ad It’s that time of the year…Spring Cleaning #ad It’s that time of the year…Spring Cleaning!! Do we think Camden and Ella will actually help? #doubtful First up, cleaning the carpet with the @BISSELLCLEAN PowerForce™ PowerBrush Pet upright carpet cleaner. It doesn’t matter how much we vacuum-- between 2 kids and the tough messes from our rescue pet, our carpets do need to be powerfully cleaned often! This lightweight but powerful cleaner always does a great job removing dirt and stains and is extremely affordable. We bought it at @Walmart #PowerForcePowerBrush #WeArePetParents
Can someone bring me something frozen with a littl Can someone bring me something frozen with a little umbrella in it please? #thebaropensin15minutes😉 Judd and I are having such a wonderful vacation @sonestahhi! ☀️🌴🍹

#sonestahiltonhead #hiltonhead
Kid free in paradise! This is our first trip just Kid free in paradise! This is our first trip just us👫 in 3+ years.  We feel so refreshed already and ecstatic to be here at @sonestahhi, our home away from home for the next few days! 🌴☀️🍹#hiltonhead #hiltonheadisland #sonestahiltonhead

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AD: When life gives you lemons, make lemonade! Did AD: When life gives you lemons, make lemonade! Did you know that 1 in 4 kids in our community don’t know where their next meal is coming from? Summer is especially challenging without the help of school lunches. That’s why Food Lion is partnering with 7 brands: @aquafina @lays @kelloggsus @saraleebread @campbells @chexmix @breyers this summer for their Summers Without Hunger program to donate meals to local food banks – you can help by donating $5 at checkout at Food Lion and they will MATCH it! Doubling the donations! I am trying to raise up kids that care about others, and when I heard about this amazing @foodlion program, I knew I wanted them to be involved. They loved taking their proceeds to our local Food Lion and donating by themselves! Purchase a $5 donation at checkout in store or with your next Food Lion to Go order today to help child hunger! https://lnk2.io/wj2k6VL #FoodLionFeeds #SummersWithoutHunger #PutHopeOnTheTable
Our anniversary trip to Hilton Head Island was a d Our anniversary trip to Hilton Head Island was a dream! Sharing all the details about our trip…our stay @sonestahhi and everything we did on my blog today.  #hiltonhead
#AD These three could sit here all day playing gam #AD These three could sit here all day playing games!  Does your family love to play games? When we first moved in we had bugs in here. Thanks to @raid they are all gone and we no longer have to think about a bug crawling across our game boards!  We always have Raid® Ant & Roach Killer with Essential Oils and Raid® Ant Baits on hand. 
 We love that Raid® Ant & Roach Killer with Essential Oils is safe for use around kids and pets when used as directed. We buy these from our local @publix . #RaidProtects
9 years! 💗 Happy Anniversary, Judd! I’m so th 9 years! 💗 Happy Anniversary, Judd! I’m so thankful for you and this life we’ve built together.
AD: My kiddos, you are ONE IN A MELON! This past AD: My kiddos, you are ONE IN A MELON! 

This past year with all the craziness in the world, I've realized how important it is to buy and support local companies. I love that my favorite grocery store @foodlion lets me do this while shopping in their store...they have tons of products labeled Local Goodness which are products sourced from inside state lines. . From produce to seafood to baked goods to health & beauty, they've got an amazing selection! This juicy watermelon was from Coosaw Farm https://lnk2.io/w5BsFSN #LocalGoodness #FoodLion
If someone asks me for a good place to take a summ If someone asks me for a good place to take a summer vacation with kids… Myrtle Beach is always in my top three spots! We had the best time there last month for a little family getaway of our own at @hiclubvacations South Beach Resort. #HostedByHCV

 

Today on their Checking In blog, I’m sharing the Top 12 Things to Do in Myrtle Beach for families this summer! Head over to my link in bio or swipe in my stories to check it out. 🙂 #MyrtleBeach #SouthCarolina #travelingwithkids
#ad It’s that time of the year…Spring Cleaning #ad It’s that time of the year…Spring Cleaning!! Do we think Camden and Ella will actually help? #doubtful First up, cleaning the carpet with the @BISSELLCLEAN PowerForce™ PowerBrush Pet upright carpet cleaner. It doesn’t matter how much we vacuum-- between 2 kids and the tough messes from our rescue pet, our carpets do need to be powerfully cleaned often! This lightweight but powerful cleaner always does a great job removing dirt and stains and is extremely affordable. We bought it at @Walmart #PowerForcePowerBrush #WeArePetParents
Can someone bring me something frozen with a littl Can someone bring me something frozen with a little umbrella in it please? #thebaropensin15minutes😉 Judd and I are having such a wonderful vacation @sonestahhi! ☀️🌴🍹

#sonestahiltonhead #hiltonhead

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