How to Clean Bottle and Pacifier?

How Should Baby Bottle Cleaning Be? (Boiling Bottle and Sterilizing)

How the bottle is cleaned is as important as choosing a bottle for your baby's health. It should not be forgotten that bottles or pacifiers that are not cleaned well create an opportunity for bacteria to breed easily. Since these bacteria, which can cause diarrhea and stomach problems, reproduce very easily in non-sterilized bottles, cleaning bottles and pacifiers is actually not a precaution, but a necessity to prevent your baby from getting sick. For this reason, we wanted to share with you the points that should be considered in baby bottle and pacifier cleaning. Below you can find the details of step-by-step baby bottle cleaning.

Preparation for Baby Bottle Cleaning

Before moving on to baby bottle cleaning, it is necessary to make a brief preliminary preparation. For this;

• Empty all the milk in the bottle.
• Wash the bottle with hot water. You can use a bottle brush as it will be difficult to reach the bottom.
• If they didn't give it with you when buying a bottle, you can get it from baby products stores.
• Rinse the bottle with plenty of water after making sure that you have brushed it well.

Method 1

You don't necessarily need a steriliser to clean your baby's bottle. You can also sterilize your baby's bottle by your own means. For this;

• Choose a saucepan in which all the ingredients can fit comfortably and bring the water to a boil.
• Separate the apparatus of the feeding bottle you prepared and place it in the boiling pot.
• Make sure all materials are well submerged.
• After boiling for about 7-8 minutes, you can remove the feeding bottle and its apparatus from the water with the help of tongs.
• Do not use the pot you use to clean your baby's bottle and pacifier for other purposes. Dedicate a pot just for this job.

Method 2

Steam cleaning is another way to destroy bacteria that can cause infection. Steam machines produced for this purpose prevent the formation of bacteria in the bottle. Some steamers on the market have both the ability to sterilize breast pumps and steam them. Steaming your baby's food also prevents the food from losing its nutritional value. It also provides healthier thawing of frozen foods. Therefore, if you are going to buy a steam machine, you can choose devices with all these features.

You Can Prefer The Same Methods For Pacifier Cleaning

There are some situations where it is mandatory for babies to use a pacifier. For example, since the sucking reflex of premature babies does not develop, it is useful to use a pacifier for the development of both sucking and holding reflexes. You can also apply the methods we mentioned above for pacifier cleaning. Because holding a dropped pacifier in water and giving it to the baby again does not ensure that the pacifier is cleaned sufficiently. For this reason, most mothers get 2-3 spare pacifiers. It is okay to sterilize bottles and pacifiers together. However, since rubber pacifiers are not heat resistant, the methods we mentioned above are only valid for silicone pacifiers.

How Often Should I Wash Baby Bottles?

If possible, you should wash the bottles after each feeding hour. Because even small residues that are not visible to the naked eye can cause the growth of bacteria. It is important for your baby's health that you rinse it with water after the feeding is over and sterilize the bottle with one of the above methods until the next feeding time comes. Especially when we think that the body of babies is very sensitive in the first months, we need to be careful in this regard.

Things to Consider in Baby Bottle Cleaning

• To clean your baby's bottle, you should stay away from products containing intense chemicals, such as dish soap.
• Before cleaning, you should definitely take a look at the instructions on the feeding bottles.
• It is not recommended to wash the bottle in the dishwasher until the baby is at least 1 year old.