Worrying about dirty baby bottles for feeding is a nightmare for us mothers, and it is something we all need to pay closer attention to. At a very young age, our babies’ digestive system and immune system are still vulnerable to health problems. Thankfully there are ways to clean baby bottles and its detachable parts properly. Most opt for the dishwasher, but have you ever asked yourself: “Can you put baby bottle nipples in the dishwasher? Is it safe?” Well, this article can answer that one question. Plus, you will learn the baby bottle parts and the different ways to sanitize them.
Baby Bottles and Its Parts
Before we go into the details of cleaning baby bottles and whether you can put baby bottle nipples in the dishwasher, you need to learn the different parts of the feeding bottle of your baby.
Anti-Colic Valve
This is a small spare hole on the nipple that allows better airflow when your baby is gulping their milk. This hole is not where the milk or water comes out.
Nipple and Cover
This is the essential part of your baby or feeding bottle because this regulates and makes things easy to feed your baby their milk or formula. It has a cover to protect it from germs.
Collar
This is the part that holds the nipple to the bottle. It prevents any milk buildup in the crevices and makes cleaning the bottle quick and easy.
Bottle
This part of the feeding bottle is where the milk, formula, or water stored.
The Dangers of Not Sanitizing Baby Bottles
Not properly washing and sanitizing your baby bottles can pose serious risks to the baby. These are the few dangers of failing to clean baby bottles properly:
- Diarrhea
- Food poisoning
- Gastroenteritis or stomach flu
- Hepatitis A
- Rotavirus
- Vomiting
Make sure these health problems will not attach to your baby. Always properly clean the feeding bottles of your baby for lesser life-threatening problems.
Cleaning By Dishwasher
Let us answer the question: “Can you put baby bottle nipples in the dishwasher?” The simple answer is to check the label if your baby bottles are dishwasher safe. Baby bottles made of glass are the safest ones, but there are also dishwasher plastic bottles.
Separate the Parts
Take apart all the parts of the baby bottle after your regular feeding schedule.
Rinse Them with Water
Hold these parts under running water—cold or warm, depends on your preference. But I prefer warm water.
Place Them in the Dishwasher
Make sure again that your baby bottle is dishwasher safe. Small parts, like the nipples and collars, must be in a dishwasher basket or mesh to prevent them from falling between the gaps and gets destroyed. Place the mesh on the top section of the dishwasher. Start the dishwasher and let it run with warm water. Set a heated-drying cycle to kill more germs.
Remove
You must wash your hands first before you remove the parts of the baby bottle from the dishwasher. If they are not completely dry, you can air-dry them on a paper towel.
Store
Once dried, store them in a clean and sanitized cupboard or wherever you place your baby’s feeding bottle.
Cleaning by Hand
Of course, if you are not completely and surely satisfied or convinced with our answer to the question, “Can you put baby bottle nipples in the dishwasher?” then you can always do the safe and traditional way of cleaning the feeding bottle parts by hand.
- Wash your Hands: For a good 20 seconds, wash your hands with soap.
- Separate Parts: Separate all the bottle parts and place them in your cleaning basin.
- Rinse with Water: Rinse them under warm running water.
- Wash Properly: Fill the cleaning basin with warm water and soap. With a cleaning brush, scrub the different parts gently. You can squeeze water through nipple holes to make sure nothing is clogging it.
- Rinse Again: Rinse them again under clean running water.
- Air-Dry Parts: Place all bottle parts on a clean paper towel and let them air dry.
Sanitizing your Baby Bottles
As a mother, keeping your baby safe from these dangerous health risks, such as diarrhea and gastroenteritis, so sometimes cleaning the feeding bottles by hand or by a dishwasher is not enough. Worry not. There are ways to extra clean these items—by boiling, steaming, or bleaching! But check first with the manufacturer which one is best. Just take note that sanitizing can only be done once a day.
Boiling
You can do this by simply placing all the separated parts into a clean pot with water. Boil it for five minutes. Remove the parts using clean tongs and air-dry.
Steaming
You can use a plug-in steam system or just your microwave and follow the instructions of the manufacturer.
Bleaching
Use this method sparingly. Make your bleach solution (two teaspoons of unscented beach to sixteen cups of clean water) and soak the separated parts for two minutes. Remove them with clean tongs and air-dry—do not rinse them with water anymore.
Conclusion
Now you know the simple answer to the question: “Can you put baby bottle nipples in the dishwasher?” Of course, as a reminder, the answer depends if your feeding bottles are dishwasher safe. The best thing to do right now is to apply what you have learned, especially cleaning your baby bottles by dishwashing or by hand. Not only that, you learned how to sanitize them in three safe ways. Just familiarize yourself with this information, and your baby will be safe and healthy. Find out more about baby bottles.