What do you use to wash bottles?

Caz1221

I've been using the Medela breastmilk soap to wash all of our bottles (including nipples), pump parts, etc., but I've noticed that everything is getting a bit cloudy and sometimes seems to have some BM residue left even after washing. I soak everything in hot soapy water for 5-10 minutes each night and then use a bottle brush to scrub all the parts (even though the Medela soap says you don't need to scrub - I can't imagine what the bottles would look like if I didn't). Then I rinse with hot water and place on our Munchkin drying rack to dry overnight.

Any tips/tricks to getting rid of the cloudiness and residue? TIA!

lkobriant

Hot soapy water, just like the rest of the dishes. If I think they could benefit from a steam, we do that, but not frequently.

MissyCee

Hot, soapy water here also. The bottles/nipples have definitely gotten cloudy, but I think that happened when I steamed them a couple times, which is normal.

V&G101808

HauntedRadio said:

I use blue Dawn in the hottest water I can run, and then I let them soak until I can put my hands in the water. Bottle brush and drying rack.

Ditto. I've also used a little vinegar to get any pesky residue out. Keeps my bottles crystal clear.

EricaLee2013

V&G101808 said:

HauntedRadio said:

I use blue Dawn in the hottest water I can run, and then I let them soak until I can put my hands in the water. Bottle brush and drying rack.

Ditto. I've also used a little vinegar to get any pesky residue out. Keeps my bottles crystal clear.

All of this. Now that I've stopped EPing for the past month by bottles and nipples look like new again. BM just has a lot of fat that is really hard to get clean.

Bunnyfer

Hot soapy water here too...

Caz1221

HauntedRadio said:

V&G101808 said:

HauntedRadio said:

I use blue Dawn in the hottest water I can run, and then I let them soak until I can put my hands in the water. Bottle brush and drying rack.

Ditto. I've also used a little vinegar to get any pesky residue out. Keeps my bottles crystal clear.

Never thought of vinegar! Regular white vinegar? My bottles are fine but the nipples are gross looking.

I might try this - what type of vinegar, and how much? Do you add it to the hot soapy water or use it separately?

V&G101808

Yep! Regular white vinegar. I bought a huge tub from target for less than $3.

I fill the little nipple top/lid thingy with vinegar and pour a little into each bottle. I use it to wash the bottle along with my bottle brush and the blue dawn. All mixing in there together and rinse with super hot water.

I hope that makes sense.

V&G101808

P.s: sometimes I fill a bowl with hot soapy water, mix in a little vinegar and let the nipples soak while I wash the bottles.

I use the foaming blue dawn and I notice when it's running low it doesn't clean as well so this helps make sure all the fat residue cleans off nicely when my soap is running low.

MitsB707

I also use white vinegar to clean the nipples with some hot, soapy water. It definitely gets the film off of them so they dry clear. I was using blue dawn, but have since switched to yellow Ajax super degreaser. I was still getting greasy marks on the bottles with the dawn, but no more with the Ajax.

PB102012

We use clear and free dish soap from dawn after every use. We run them through the dishwasher every couple of days, and boil the nipples if they begin to get cloudy.

PrimRoseMama

Dapple.

MagPie 1986

Add a splash of vinegar to the hot water and let them soak for a while

Eta just regular white vinegar

carrotcake06

I run everything through the dishwasher but I pre-wash bottles w a bottle brush. We use 7th gen soap for everything.

Thanks for the tip about the white vinegar!

Rowcate

Hot soapy water then cold rinse, always cold rinse. I also agree with pp's white vinegar is amazing. I clean everything with it.

courtneykid

HauntedRadio said:

I use blue Dawn in the hottest water I can run, and then I let them soak until I can put my hands in the water. Bottle brush and drying rack.

Ditto to this also!

Khaleesi07

The Medela steam bags always works great to get rid of the cloudiness for me.