Had a bad bad encounter with boiling bottles.. Any other alternatives that you would reccommend?
I sterilized when we first used them and after that I just fill my sink with very hot and soapy water, let them soak for a bit and then wash and rinse. I've been doing that for a year and it's been great.
Medela has bags that you put 2oz of water, stuff that will fit and microwave for 30 seconds.
But they told us unless your water is bad (well water) that just washing is fine.
Medela sells microwave steam bags that you can put all bottle parts and pump tubing, etc. in and sterilize. Each bag you can use up to 20 times and I thought they worked really well. I also have a basket for my dishwasher. Mostly, however, I just washed my bottles with soap and water after each feeding and they were fine. Each time I ran the dishwasher, which was fairly often, I would throw the bottles and nipples in. I used the sterile bags a few times but I wasn't about to make myself crazy with sterilization and so far it's working out just fine with both kids!
You can buy a bottle sanitizer.......I had one for my boys when they were little......or use playtex bottles with the bags..........the work and you only have to soak the nipples in hot water......
Good Luck.
I haven't used it yet as baby still due, but after washing the bottles, I will be using a microwave bottle steamer to disinfect. I also purchased a dishwasher basket for the top rack for nipples.
Bottles and nipples only need to be cleaned well--they don't need to be disinfected. A good bottle and nipple brush will do fine with hot, soapy water. (Breastfeeding only requires gentle cleaning- no disinfecting there.)
I sterilized in boiling water with my first child and just stuck them in the dishwasher with the second.
top rack of the dishwasher, bottle brush for ring around the bottle. I never sterilized mine.
I use the Medela bags. I also have an Avent microwave steamer that will hold 4 bottles at a time. I love it - so much easier than boiling.
Steam sterilizing! DO NOT USE BLEACH! That's completely unsafe- read the label.
Vinegar bath. Vinegar kills just liek bleach but is natural and wont leave flim or poison on the bottles.
I too use the dishwasher!
My dishwasher has a Sanitizer setting on it and I washed my daughter's bottles and have always washed my daycare kids' bottles in the dishwasher. I do turn the nipples inside out, so milk cannot get stuck inside the nipple. Good luck!
