To keep them as hygienic as possible, it's important to clean dentures daily to remove food particles and bacteria. For the sake of their appearance, a good denture cleaning routine should also keep stains at bay and remove any that have managed to take hold. Stain removal is particularly important for smokers, coffee and tea drinkers, and red wine lovers. While there's no shortage of commercial cleaning products, people often opt for a homemade denture cleaner instead. This can work out cheaper than buying a purpose-made product, and some people prefer it as they know exactly what goes into it.
Baking soda
Good old fashioned baking soda, or bicarbonate of soda, is something that you probably have in the house already, especially if you're a baker. It's great for cleaning stains and deposits from dentures.
Take a teaspoon of baking soda and mix it with enough water to cover your dentures in a bowl or other small container. Leave it to soak for up to 30 minutes, then give it a good rinse with some clean water. If there are still stains, try giving the dentures a very gentle brush and then rinsing them again.
White vinegar
Vinegar not only has great disinfectant properties, it's also effective at removing stains. Although it's not as powerful as bleach, it's a safer alternative, particularly for using on something you're putting in your mouth.
Cover your dentures in pure white vinegar and leave for them for 5–10 minutes. This will drastically soften or even completely dissolve food deposits and stains, but you'll probably need to give the dentures a brush afterwards. Make sure you rinse them thoroughly, as a strong vinegar taste will be unpleasant.
If you prefer to soak your dentures overnight, mix vinegar and water in equal parts so the solution won't be strong enough to damage them. Repeat the brushing and rinsing steps in the morning.
Salt
Ordinary salt can be used for both stain removal and sanitation. Make a paste from a teaspoon of salt with a little bit of water and use it to brush the surfaces of the dentures. Rinse thoroughly afterwards to remove any remaining salt and food particles.
To soak your dentures, dissolve a heaped teaspoon of salt in just enough water to cover the dentures. This can be left overnight.
Vodka
The antimicrobial properties of alcohol make vodka an excellent choice for overnight soaking. Put some vodka in a small jar and you can use it several times to keep your dentures sanitised. Just make sure you give them a proper rinse before wearing them to avoid odd looks.
