How to Clean Clear Aligners and Retainers

Clear aligners and retainers have transformed orthodontic treatment—offering a more subtle, removable, and convenient alternative to traditional braces. But there’s one essential part of treatment that doesn’t always get enough attention: cleaning them properly.

Keeping your Invisalign aligners or retainers fresh is important to maintaining your orthodontic treatment and protecting your dental health. It’s not only important for your oral health, your breath, and your smile, but also for motivation with wearing them consistently. If you’re wearing Invisalign or another brand of clear aligners—or if you’ve transitioned to a retainer, you need to keep those clean. In this guide, we’ll walk you through exactly how to clean your aligners and retainers the right way—step by step.

Wearing aligners or retainers is like giving your teeth a hug all day—but imagine that hug with the same piece of plastic 20+ hours a day without washing it. Not ideal.

Your mouth naturally creates and houses bacteria. When saliva, food particles, and plaque get trapped between your teeth and aligners, it becomes a breeding ground for:

• Cloudy, yellowish trays

• Plaque build-up

• Bad breath

• Gum inflammation or tooth decay
  
  Dirty aligners can also develop a noticeable taste or smell—especially after meals, coffee, or sugary drinks.

Even the best brushing and flossing can’t protect your teeth if your trays aren’t clean. Bacteria sealed between your teeth and a dirty aligner can lead to:

• White spots (early decay)

• Gum irritation

• Persistent bad breath

Keeping your aligners clean helps protect your enamel and ensures a more successful treatment, and just like teeth, enamel does not grow back. Below are the best recommended methods to clean aligners along with what you’ll need to properly maintain them.

Let’s walk through a dentist-approved, aligner-safe daily routine for how to clean your aligners . Follow these steps to keep your trays fresh, clear, and bacteria-free.

1. Rinse After Every Removal
Rinse your aligners with lukewarm water immediately after taking them out and pat them dry with a paper towel. This prevents plaque and saliva from drying and hardening on the plastic.

2. Gently Brush with a Soft Toothbrush
Use a soft-bristled toothbrush to gently clean the inside and outside of your aligners. Don’t use toothpaste—it’s too abrasive and can scratch the surface.

3. Soak in a Cleaning Solution Once Daily
Use a specially formulated Invisalign/clear aligner cleaner like PUL’s Aligner & Retainer Cleaning Tablets to kill odor-causing bacteria, prevent further build-up, and get them tasting minty fresh. Soak for 10-15 minutes (try soaking them during your last meal for convenience so they’re ready before bedtime), then rinse thoroughly.

4. Store in an Aligner Case
Never wrap your aligners in tissue or leave them loose, as they can easily be mistaken for trash or misplaced. Store them dry in an aligner case to protect them and reduce bacterial growth.

1. Using Toothpaste
   Toothpaste can scratch aligners and cause cloudiness.

2. Soaking in Hot Water
   Heat can warp the plastic, distorting the movements that were programmed by your dentist or orthodontist affecting how well your teeth tracks with each tray.

3. Using Mouthwash
   Colored or alcohol-based mouthwash can stain or dry out trays.

4. Skipping Daily Cleaning
   Water alone doesn’t remove plaque, stains, or bacteria. A full cleaning routine is essential.

There’s no shortage of cleaning hacks online, but nothing beats a product designed specifically for aligners and retainers.

PUL Cleaning Tablets are a gentle alternative to abrasive denture cleaning tablets that have been shown to cause cracking and yellowing over time. Our cleaning tablets are made of baking soda, dentist-approved, and gentle enough for daily use. 

• FDA-registered and developed for Invisalign, retainers, and other clear aligners

• Fast-acting and effervescent—cleans trays in just 10-15 minutes

• Eliminates bacteria, odor, and cloudy buildup without damaging the plastic

• Minty fresh flavor that leaves your aligners and retainers tasting fresh

1. Fill a glass with enough lukewarm water (never hot) to cover aligners or retainers

2. Drop in one PUL Cleaning Tablet

3. Submerge your aligners or retainers

4. Let soak for 10-15 minutes

5. Gently brush with a soft toothbrush and rinse thoroughly with water before wearing

Used daily, PUL Cleaning Tablets keeps trays clear, fresh, and hygienic without the guesswork.

What about DIY cleaning solutions like dish soap, vinegar, or baking soda? Let’s compare them.

Mild Soap and Water

• Pros: Gentle and easy to find

• Cons: May not fully remove odors or buildup, may have a soapy aftertaste

White Vinegar

• Pros: Antibacterial and affordable

• Cons: Strong smell, potential for surface etching or cloudiness over time

Baking Soda

• Pros: Odor-neutralizing

• Cons: Can be abrasive and scratch aligners

Hydrogen Peroxide

• Pros: Kills bacteria effectively

Cons: Needs careful dilution and may dry plastic over time

While DIY options can work occasionally, they weren’t made for aligner material. Over time, they may:

• Damage the surface of your trays

• Leave behind odor or taste

• Fail to eliminate the biofilm that leads to bacteria buildup

That’s why products like PUL Cleaning Tablets offer a better, long-term solution. They’re effective, safe, and designed to fit seamlessly into your daily routine.

Clear aligners and retainers are an investment in your smile—and keeping them clean is key to seeing results. Using the wrong methods  can lead to damage , stains , or reduce the effectiveness  of your aligners. Meanwhile, a daily cleaning routine using the right tools will help protect your teeth, extend the life of your Invisalign trays, and ensure a more pleasant wearing experience.

With PUL Cleaning Tablets, you can simplify your routine and get reliable results every day. No scrubbing. No staining. Just clear, odor-free aligners that feel fresh and look great.

Ready to upgrade your aligner care routine? Try PUL today and make your smile journey cleaner, clearer, and more comfortable—every step of the way.

Editorial Policy 

At PUL Dental, our goal is to provide clear, reliable, and helpful information to patients and dental professionals navigating the world of clear aligner treatment. All content on our blog is written by our cofounder, a Registered Dental Assistant with over a decade of experience in the dental field and a specialized background in adult orthodontics.

Drawing from years of hands-on clinical experience and patient interaction, we aim to create content that reflects real-world insights, clinical knowledge, and practical solutions.

Every article is:

• Written with firsthand experience from working directly with patients undergoing clear aligner therapy.

• Focused on accuracy and relevance to current orthodontic practices and patient needs.

• Transparent about our perspective, including when we share insights about products we've developed, such as the Original PULTOOL.

As our content team grows, we plan to expand our editorial process to include additional contributors, expert reviewers, and peer collaboration to further enhance the depth and quality of the information we provide.

We are committed to earning and keeping your trust by continuing to publish content that is accurate, patient-centered, and informed by real clinical experience.