Had a little chuckle about the “hotel pillows have eaten more retainers than you’d think” bit—can confirm, I once found mine wedged behind a nightstand two days after I thought it was gone for good. Still cringe remembering that panic.
I’m with you on the bottled water. Maybe it’s cautious, but after a trip to Morocco where the tap water made my stomach do somersaults, I just stopped taking chances. Even rinsing my retainer with it left me uneasy—probably in my head, but I’d rather not risk it. I usually buy a couple of big bottles and set one aside just for dental stuff.
I also keep a ziplock bag in my toiletry kit to stash the retainer case if it’s still damp or if I’m in a rush. It’s not fancy, but at least it keeps things from getting gross. And honestly, the backup case is smart—I had one crack in my suitcase once and I was stuck using a plastic cup for three days. Wouldn’t recommend.
Dude, the “plastic cup for three days” part made me laugh way too hard. Been there—except I used a hotel coffee mug (don’t recommend, either).
That’s genius, honestly. I always forget mine and end up wrapping the case in whatever tissue I can find, which is... not ideal. The bottled water thing isn’t just in your head—my stomach’s gotten weird after rinsing with sketchy tap water before. Better safe than sorry.I also keep a ziplock bag in my toiletry kit to stash the retainer case if it’s still damp or if I’m in a rush.
I get the bottled water thing, but I’ve actually just used tap water in most places and never had an issue—maybe I’ve just been lucky or my stomach’s made of steel? Not saying it’s risk-free, but sometimes bottled isn’t available and I just roll with it. The ziplock bag idea sounds smart, though. I always worry about mold if the case stays damp for too long... anyone ever had that happen, or am I just being paranoid?
I always worry about mold if the case stays damp for too long... anyone ever had that happen, or am I just being paranoid?
I actually had a retainer case get a weird musty smell once after a humid trip—so you’re not totally off base. I started wiping it dry with tissue before packing it away, which helped. I do get what you mean about bottled vs tap water too. I’m a bit more cautious after getting sick abroad, but sometimes you just have to make do. Has anyone tried those little silica gel packets in their case to keep moisture down, or is that overkill?
Has anyone tried those little silica gel packets in their case to keep moisture down, or is that overkill?
Tried it once after my case started smelling funky—honestly, it worked better than I expected. Just made sure the packet didn’t touch my retainer directly. Might look weird, but hey, no mold.