Cleaning bottles

slh6363 · January 2014

Is it just me or do the inside of bottles never seem to get clean? Or maybe I should say rinsed thouroughly. We wash in the dishwasher and they always seem to have detergent stuck to the sides even after rinsing a bunch of times. Is there a trick to this? I have Medela bottles if that matters.

slh6363 · January 2014

That's what I suspected...boo

mrsseguin · January 2014

We use drop ins, so the we throw out the liners...but we hand wash all out bottles and parts.

Kaymee · January 2014

Yeah, we hand wash ours. We sterilized them for their first use in the dishwasher, but now we hand wash.

JennyCupcakes01 · January 2014

Yes, hand wash.

If you haven't, get one of those baby bottle scrubbers and scrub those suckers good! That oily residue is a bitch to clean.

PrimRoseMama · January 2014

With DD we got the bottle scrubbers & used dapple dish washing liquid. I still use it because I love it.

If you use the dishwasher I would dial back on detergent & use a hot water setting. Do you have soft water? I would do an extra rinse cycle too with hot water. You can also run white vinegar through an empty dishwasher occasionally. Dishwasher magic can help with residues. The current detergents on the market are phosphate free per the EPA. That means some residue can be left behind because of the chemical make up. The good news is that less is more due to higher concentrations. So a dime size in the compartment should do.

I found that hand washing was quicker & I just boiled the bottles (takes 10 minutes) & parts on the stove if I needed to sanitize.

I used to work for Whirlpool so I got the down & dirty on dishwashers. I know more than I ever wanted to.

Jennybabe0706 · January 2014

I agree with the rest of the girls... Hand washing is the best way to go... I always

hlb622 · January 2014

I'm a weirdo and love the smell of dish soap, so I actually like hand washing all the bottles and parts every night. DH thinks I'm coconuts.

veetveet · January 2014

Hand wash all the way.

megs1409 · January 2014

Hand wash. We sterilized before we used them for the first time, but not after. I just use hot water and dish soap.

roo1oo · January 2014

Try a different detergent. I like the cascade pods. Also try a rinse aid.

MrsHeidiO · January 2014

I have been washing by hand and boiling after every use. Do I not need to be sterilizing the bottles?? My son is 5 weeks old.

slh6363 · January 2014

You really only need to sterilize before the first use

BMom99 · January 2014

Hand wash daily and we usually try to run through the dishwasher on the steam cycle at least once a week.

lkwmurphy · January 2014

I noticed a film in my bottles after using the dishwasher so I hand wash now and steam clean once a day. Not a super fun job but at least I know they're clean!

memedawn3 · January 2014

Hand wash with brush & normal dish soap & Then throw in microwave for
2 1/2 minutes in a Medela steam bag. They use is the NICU & r the greatest!

justjess421 · January 2014

I hand wash mine and then put them in a microwave sterilizer bag. Those bags are awesome and they are super clean after only a few minutes

Littlemama01 · January 2014

Omg so glad I read this, I've been washing and sterilizing after every use. So glad I can just continue washing and drop the sterilizing step!!! Oh and OP get a bottle brush- you can find them at Walmart, I looked at target and grocery stores and never found one.

elroda · January 2014

hlb622 said:
I'm a weirdo and love the smell of dish soap, so I actually like hand washing all the bottles and parts every night. DH thinks I'm coconuts.

Not weird to me. I LOVE doing the dishes around 9pm. The suds and hot water are relaxing to me and help me unwind at the end of the day. I let DH hang with the little guy if he is awake and drink a glass of wine sometimes too. Not joking, I sometimes light a candle and keep the lights dim. Ok maybe I am weird but whatevs I'm getting some cleaning done while preserving sanity! Lol

KK0916 · January 2014

Hand wash and boil a few times a week.

hachimitsumoon · January 2014

medela has bottle soap that helps dissolve stubborn milk residue, they claim even three day old dried crud, you just add 3 pumps to a gallon of warm water; let it sit for 5 min. then rinse. no scrubbing required. it works for me.

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