Cleaning & sanitizing pump pcs.?

see8e · February 2015

How often do you all sanitize your pump pieces? And do you give the pieces a full soapy wash after every pumping session (as directed in pump instructions)? I'm a FTM and have been cleaning as directed so far (6wks), but it seems like I'm spending ALL my time nursing/pumping/cleaning/repeat. I'm not back to work until April, so I'm just using the pump in my own home and am tempted at times to just give an immediate hot water rinse and move on, especially for late night. Are there any practical tips to cut cleaning time? Maybe I should buy more sets of the pieces?

Bigboneded · February 2015

Im a FTM of twins here. I rinse through pump parts immediately and then dry and soapy wash if I cant rinse right away. I still havent microwave sterilized yet. I am a big believer in active immunity, so I am hesitant to sterilize everything too often. Anyway, always read the directions and follow manufacturer guidelines... breastmilk has antibodies and such and my girls are doing fine at 8 weeks old :-)
I felt like pumping and bottle feeding took enough time while we waited to get their tongue ties fixed! Good luck!!

maplebar · February 2015

I only sterilized before the first use. I kept the parts in a container in the fridge between pumpings without rinsing them and then washed in hot soapy water every night. I would occasionally put some parts in the dishwasher which is hotter than the water I was hand washing in but not the sterilize cycle. If you're pumping more than once in the same 24 hour period then I would just keep the parts sealed in a ziplock or a container of some kind and keep them in the fridge so you don't have to wash as often.

topaz7777 · February 2015

I sterilized before first use, then again if I forgot or couldn't wash them one day and they sat and got icky. Otherwise I just washed with soap. I'll sterilize again before first use with the next baby too, since it's been sitting for 2 years.

Bethany_Lynne · February 2015

It's always good to have a back up set of parts, but there are also wipes you can buy for in between washing. With dd I just carried a couple of clean burp cloths in my pump bag and wiped the parts down really well between sessions. When at home I did a quick hot water rinse and only sanitized or ran through the dishwasher probably every 3-5 days. When I had time I'd sanitize everyday, but sometimes there just isn't enough time or energy for all that washing.

Designermomma · February 2015

My first time around I washed it with hot water and dish soap after every use. With DS2, that wasn't possible where I worked so I used Pump wipes or kept used pump parts in the refrigerator in a ziplock. I put them in the dishwasher once a week.