Sterilizing bottles

pmrosas

This is my first baby. I tried to google how to and how often I should sterilize my baby's bottles and nipples, but there's so many different answers. Also do I sterlize the pacifiers? Help!

noodlienoodles

pmrosas said:

This is my first baby. I tried to google how to and how often I should sterilize my baby's bottles and nipples, but there's so many different answers. Also do I sterlize the pacifiers? Help!

This is also my first baby. I plan on washing all bottles, teethers (I almost wrote chew toys haha), and pacifiers with dapple dish soap and then sanitize in boiling water for 5 minutes. I'll wash often, but sanitize as needed, such as if someone in the house is sick. I hope that will be enough!

pmrosas

There's a certain dish soap I have to use?!

pinkandbubbly

I'm a ftm. I plan to either wash in sink with whatever dish soap I have on hand or run through dishwasher if dishwasher safe then plan to kick it old school and boil them for a few minutes.

noodlienoodles

@pmrosas I'm sure I'm just going over the top with using a special soap, but I figured if I washed all her clothes in special soap, I might as well wash the stuff she puts in her mouth with special soap too!

MeganG216

I bought the medela sterilizing bags for pump parts, and used those to sanitize the bottles, too. If you are bottle feeding, just washing them thoroughly after each use is good enough. The dapple soap is great because it removes the film that milk leaves behind. Dishwasher is great too, as long as yours doesn't leave a film and cleans thoroughly. The family I used to nanny for had a horrible dishwasher that left food particles on everything, so I always hand washed bottles, then air dried on their own rack.

StephUng

Dishwasher is fine, just get a basket made to hold all the little parts. Or sink wash like normal with a bottle brush. If any small parts get gunky you can boil them in a pot to loosen gross bits.

theladycoy13

I asked my pedtrician,she said you need to wash all bottles, nipples, and pacifiers in hot soapy water then sterlize them by boiling them in water for 5min, or placing them in a sterlizer. The first time you get themwashing in soapy water is fine after that. I still plan on using my sterlizer during flu season.

lizard1892

Wow over here in the uk we are told to wash everything and then use a sterilzer just before every use for the first year for bottles and six months for everything else

knottie93263eb66eeacb31

I am a FTM but honestly have no intention on "sterilizing" the bottles or anything. I helped raise my brothers and sisters and maybe for the first kid we sterilized things once but the dishwasher (normal soap is fine) worked. Of course we though wouldn't allow milk to sit out for long periods of time either. If they get dirty we will of course hand wash as well. Just a personal preference I think... I am also not using hand sanitizer every time I pick up the baby either!

klcarr19

afalken1021 said:

I am a FTM but honestly have no intention on "sterilizing" the bottles or anything. I helped raise my brothers and sisters and maybe for the first kid we sterilized things once but the dishwasher (normal soap is fine) worked. Of course we though wouldn't allow milk to sit out for long periods of time either. If they get dirty we will of course hand wash as well. Just a personal preference I think... I am also not using hand sanitizer every time I pick up the baby either!

I am glad I'm not alone! I've had nieces and nephews very close to me since I was in 6th grade... I am a FTM but I am also just using the dishwasher... All 5 of my nieces and nephews are alive and well so I figured my baby will be too.

knottie93263eb66eeacb31

klcarr19 said:

afalken1021 said:

I am a FTM but honestly have no intention on "sterilizing" the bottles or anything. I helped raise my brothers and sisters and maybe for the first kid we sterilized things once but the dishwasher (normal soap is fine) worked. Of course we though wouldn't allow milk to sit out for long periods of time either. If they get dirty we will of course hand wash as well. Just a personal preference I think... I am also not using hand sanitizer every time I pick up the baby either!

I am glad I'm not alone! I've had nieces and nephews very close to me since I was in 6th grade... I am a FTM but I am also just using the dishwasher... All 5 of my nieces and nephews are alive and well so I figured my baby will be too.

I have heard each way that you should/don't need to sterilize so to each his own. I know so many moms that sterilize everything for the first kid and then the second (and there after) are lucky if pacifiers get cleaned after use LOL... It's just whatever people feel comfortable with!

Bostonchelle

I think it's 10 mins to sterilize bottles, nipples and binkies in boiling water. I also used the Medela sterilizer bags for pump parts. After my first was a few months old I just used the sterilizer setting on the dishwasher.

okayestmom12

Sterilizing is actually entirely unnecessary... Do it if it makes you happy, but don't feel obligated to do so.  

https://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/should-you-sterilize-your-babys-bottles

jpavenski

I sterilized the bottles, nipples & pacifiers in boiling water but will prob not again unless everyone is sick in the house. With my first we washed the bottles every night with bottle wash or in the dishwasher.

pmrosas

Thanks, everyone! This really helped

adelems

I'm a huge dishwasher fan. Haha. Maybe sterilize the first time to help get rid of chemicals ect. I'll do it for my brand new bottles (I threw out my old ones.. After almost two years of using them with my daughter they weren't worth keeping) and stuff. I'm more worried about chemicals than germs. So I won't do it probably ever again. But EVERYTHING goes in the dishwasher for the rest of the cleaning needs for its lifetime of use. Unless I absolutely have to have it right then. I hate hand washing lol. Pacifiers, bottles, everything. If it's not dishwasher safe I don't buy it. .. Same with clothes for me. If it can't be washed on a regular cycle or has to be ironed I won't buy it. (for the kids at least).


As far as HOW to sanitize ... Usually individual bottles will have specific instructions. Like the COMOTOMO bottles say to dip in boiling water with tongs for 5 minutes, no longer. I need to look up the Tommee Tippee instructions again too.

mangomimosa

Yeah no way am I sterilizing anything. Dishwasher, period.

skootnshoot25

I also highly doubt I'll sterilize unless there are unique curcumstances like the flu or something. I'm a FTM but I just don't see the logic. Also I'm pretty sure my dishwasher has a sanitize setting. I'm lazy so I'll use that if I feel the need.