Boiled pump tubing - still has moisture?

jeffrae

What should I do - try to use the steam bags? 

Lisa Frank

There is moisture inside the tubing?? Try swinging them over your head like a lasso. I know it sounds totally freaking crazy, but it works!

ETA: Also, dangle them upside down and leave them that way overnight.  My Medela tubing had this issue kind of a lot (not a closed system, so not surprising) and I would hang the tubing after my pump sessions to dry it out.  The steam bags won't really help, you'll still have the moisture.

AZ123

The steam bags do the same thing.

Cassondra09

Lisa Frank:

There is moisture inside the tubing?? Try swinging them over your head like a lasso. I know it sounds totally freaking crazy, but it works!

ETA: Also, dangle them upside down and leave them that way overnight.  My Medela tubing had this issue kind of a lot (not a closed system, so not surprising) and I would hang the tubing after my pump sessions to dry it out.  The steam bags won't really help, you'll still have the moisture.

This is exactly what I was going to say - followed by a 'not kidding' It works!

Mrs.Saxy

hook it up to the pump and let the pump air clear it out.

Lisa Frank

Mrs.Saxy:

hook it up to the pump and let the pump air clear it out.

This only sort of works.  The pump will still suck in and out and the tubing will never fully clear.  I always ran my pump for a few min post pumping session to clear some of it out, but I still was lasso-ing like a crazy lady afterwards!

elisbu

Mrs.Saxy:

hook it up to the pump and let the pump air clear it out.

This. It's kept my tubes dry and it's actually what the LC recommended.

JessicaG56

From what I have always heard you aren't suppose to wash or clean the tubes bc this is what they will do. They never touch anything dirty so they don't have a need to be washed. I have also heard it discolors them if you wash them

00tedsgirl

I was told by customer service at Medela to pour rubbing alcohol through them and let them drip dry.

Lisa Frank

JessicaG56:

From what I have always heard you aren't suppose to wash or clean the tubes bc this is what they will do. They never touch anything dirty so they don't have a need to be washed. I have also heard it discolors them if you wash them

Hmmmm...mine always got moisture inside just from normal use.  It's pretty common with Medela systems since they aren't "closed" like some of the others. And Medela does say you can sanitize the pump tubing on their website, but it's not totally necessary unless milk backs up into the tubes.  

OP, I just asked a co-worker about your question and she also had success putting a few drops of rubbing alcohol in the tubes and then hanging them or lasso-ing them.