Washing a baby bottle is one of the more common tasks that parents have to do. And it became the biggest concern for both parents and doctors nowadays. Cleaning your baby’s bottles is an often overlooked task, but it is one that can make all the difference in your child’s health. Washing a baby bottle is one of the more common tasks that parents have to do. If the bottle is not properly cleaned, the milk left behind in the bottle can develop bacteria. This could lead to digestive problems and diarrhea for your baby if they happen to use that same bottle again. Here are some helpful tips on how you can clean your baby’s bottles.
In This Article
How to Sterilize baby bottles?
The biggest health issue in infants is caused by bacterial infections, which could be mitigated through proper sterilizing of taking bottles. There are different types of baby bottles available in the market today that can be used easily. The bottles that are used by babies should be sterilized regularly to ensure proper hygiene and reduce the risk of bacterial infection in the baby’s body.
For washing or sterilizing the baby bottles, parents can use soap and warm water to clean the bottle, particularly the part where the nipple of the bottle rests. Another way of sterilizing bottles is through a dishwasher. This would depend on how dirty or contaminated the bottles are. If it has too much dirt or could be a health problem for the baby, then it should be sterilized through a dishwasher or using boiling water.
Parents should wash baby bottles after each use. If they don’t, milk residue may dry and harden on the inside of the bottle. Which can clog milk or formula flow during feedings. You’ll also increase your baby’s risk for illness, because bacteria from leftover milk may grow in the bottle and cause a baby to get sick. Remember that your baby uses the bottles to drink, so always wash them with hot, soapy water after each use.
6 Ways to sterilizing baby bottles
Here are some useful methods for sterilizing baby bottles you should know and they are:
1. Washing in the dishwasher
You can clean all your baby bottles, nipples, and other equipment in a dishwasher. Just put the baby bottle on a top rack and use a dishwasher detergent without chlorine bleach to wash them. You can wash bottles and caps by yourself or with another dishwasher safe. Remember that you must thoroughly dry all parts before using them again. As well as dishwasher sanitation cycle is one of the effective methods to wash baby bottles.
2. Wash baby bottles in boiling water
Parents can sterilize bottles by placing them in a pot of boiling water for about five minutes. Be sure to use a pot that is large enough so all parts of the bottles can be submerged. Clean baby bottles by following the hot water cycle are one of another efficient way. If you place bottles, nipples, and other equipment in the water one at a time, they may not be fully sterilized. And it will take too long to do this method to sterilize baby bottles.
3. Microwaving the baby’s bottles
This technique is one of the fastest and most effective techniques. The baby’s bottles if cleaned properly, then they can be microwaved for 1 minute to kill germs. You should not use certain plastics in microwaves or bags which are labeled specifically for microwave oven use. It is strong enough to produce steam that destroys almost all germs, bacteria, or viruses. The heated drying cycle is an effective way to clean baby bottles.
4. Using a diluted bleach solution
While cleaning the baby’s bottles, you can use a diluted bleach solution to kill germs and bacteria. You should boil it for 5 minutes, so all harmful microorganisms are destroyed thoroughly. Make a solution os unscented bleach with 1 teaspoon of bleach and add 10oz. (300ml) of water. A bleach solution kills all types of germs but when they contact with organic matter like milk or formula, it does not work effectively. Sterilize baby’s bottle brush is one of the effective ways to sanitize bottles.
5. Electric steam to wash baby bottle
You can use an electrical steam sterilizer to kill germs and bacteria on baby bottles. A steam sterilizer uses electric power to generate steam which then comes out of the machine, killing 99.9% of all harmful microorganisms. You just need to fill the water into a reservoir and then turn it on as soon as you start sterilizing the bottles. This is a useful and much-favored method for sterilizing baby bottles because it takes only 15 minutes to kill bacteria.
6. Wash baby bottle in cold water
Before you use the baby’s bottle, always be sure to wash it in cold water. You may also add a little soap and then use a dish-washing bottle brush to scrub and clean all areas of the bottles. It is easier to clean off any stains with warm water but never allow them to stay on the bottles because they can cause an unpleasant taste for the baby. You should use soap every time you wash the bottles to ensure your baby receives a healthy, nutritious meal.
What is the simplest way to wash baby bottles?
The most efficient way to sterilizing baby bottles is through steam heating or bottles in the dishwasher. In this method, there would be no damage done to the baby’s bottle unlike sterilizing in a dishwasher where it would melt if not handled properly. The bottle nipples wear out quickly and this would be the most difficult part to clean.
If you are using dishwashing liquid as an alternative to boiling then it is better to sterilize baby bottle with steam heat. This would be more efficient and healthier for your baby’s use. When washing the bottles, make sure that all bottle parts including the nipple and cap are included in the water.
It would be easier to wash all baby feeding equipment using a bottle brush and rinse with hot and soapy water. This prevents the accumulation of food debris that is very difficult to remove once it gets stuck in the cracks and crevices of your bottle parts.
The nipples have many parts that are difficult to clean. There are many ways of keeping it clean, you can use a dishwasher but make sure that the bottle parts won’t melt, or boil water and pour out some of it then let everything cool down. Washing the bottles with your hands is also an effective way but not so efficient because you might miss some places especially on the inside of a bottle.
Why is necessary to clean baby bottles?
Many parents wonder why they should clean or sterilize baby bottles. It is necessary to take care of baby products, whether it is a pacifier or a nursing bottle. When dirt accumulates in the baby product, there is an increased risk for your child to become ill with infections caused by fungi and bacteria that multiply due to lack of cleaning. Baby bottles are particularly exposed to germs since the baby sucks contaminated milk.
Though the experts recommend that you keep feeding bottles in hot water (at least 70°C) for 5 minutes; this will kill all germs. However, there are some bottles made of polypropylene (PP), which must not be placed in boiling water, but in cold or warm soapy water instead. If possible, it is also advisable to store them away from the light source.
There are different types of sterilization solutions on the market. However, they have in common that they will successfully destroy most bacteria. You can also choose between two types of sterilizing machines for home use. The cold steam machine and the hot water machine.
