Reusing Playtex Drop Ins Liners

Playtex developed a system that forces you to continue to buy their product. It's expensive and bad for the environment. When my niece told me she was expecting, I told her that breastfeeding was best, but she needed to get all the facts about both breast and formula and make her own decision. She decided to go the formula route. At her shower she got a package of bottles marked BP free. However, I wasn't comfortable with the plastic bottle knowing what we know now about the chemicals that can be released. I went to Target and bought her a supply of good old fashioned glass bottles. I used them for my son and handed them down to my sister who used them for her two children. I was delighted to see they now will sell what they call a rubber "sleeve" that goes over the bottle making it easier to hold and keep it from clinking together with other bottles. These bottles are long lasting, wash up and sanitize perfectly. Sometimes you have to go retro to be progressive. Especially if you are trying to save money. A package of three bottles was under 5 dollars.

I haven't been a fly on the wall at any of Playtex's design meetings, but I would suspect that it recommends "one time use" for the drop-ins so that you have to buy more. It's marketing. Now, their official reasons are because of sterilization and the plastic breaking down. You already know those two points and are taking steps to be careful and healthy when reusing the drop-ins. I'd say that your judicious repeated use is perfectly alright.

they are pba free, you are fine

Well, I do know that people do the same thing with their ziplock bags. In fact, Michael Chiarello sells a rack for drying them!

http://www.napastyle.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=3936

You might be able to use the same device to help dry your liners.

Anyway, I would think that if it is ok to reuse these bags, why not your plastic liners? At least once or twice?

Not sure if this helps...either way, I applaud your economic thinking! : )

i did the same thing for my little one the bottle liners are very pricey. no one ever told be that it was bad. and my litle one is doing fine she now 14months and useing a sippy cup. i know a lot of people who reuse them.

I never did reuse them so I can't help you there (although I wanted to, but didn't). I found that the generic ones worked as well, I would get the Target brand drop-in. Good luck to you and congrats!

I went for glass bottles, they were cheaper, easier in my opinion to get really clean and when we are done we can pass them along because they sterilize well. As for wash and reuse of any plastic item I would hesitate, even if they are BPA free, plastics are made up of many chemicals that leach slowly at first and as they start breaking down, like with a scratch or fold in them they leach faster. BPA is not the only chemical I would be worried about. Since you are washing anyway I'd change bottles all together and get glass and a metal reusable sippy to start transitioning.

I used Playtex and did not wash them out - but our child got salmonella. He was only on formula and jarred baby food. The health dept. had to call, they had to test our stools and all the daycare workers. All tests were negative. We found out 2 years later that a friend's neighbor used the same system and also had a child get salmonella. It isn't fun - so my advice is, I wouldn't re-use the liners. Sanitization occurs at about 160° and you cannot do that in your sink.

MH in EGV

get the generic brand to save money.....the drop ins come sterilyzed and can't be sterilyzed again i think thats the only difference......i would just invest in some regular bottles it would save u a lot of money in the long run, just wash boil and refill.......i use glass bottles they are easier to clean and sterilyze

I used the drop ins briefly for my son. Knowing what I know now about plastics, I would not use them at all and for sure would not use them twice. My daughter started puberty at 9 months old. After many tests, the Endo Dr at Children's finally said it was likely due to plastic. She is 3 1/2 now and we just had our last endo visit. I breastfed for 2 years. So, we did not use plastic bottles or sippy cups very much. I did however, reheat my coffee in the microwave in a plastic mug. We also ate those ready to each roast beef meals that are sealed in plastic and you put them in the microwave. After eliminating plastic from our kitchen and getting rid of sippy cups and plastic utensils and storage containers, we saw dramatic improvements. She is not 100% but at least there are no detectible signs of puberty. She is now at a MUCH higher risk for breast cancer later in life though since she was exposed to higher levels of estrogen earlier in life. There has been a lot of chatter about BPA. BPA is one of 73 commonly used hormone disruptor chemicals in plastics. So, I don't trust any plastic now. I know this is not a popular answer but one I felt I should share.

I, too, have re-used mine. I have not heard why this would be a bad idea. Using generic is another idea, too, however be cautious about quality. I once tried to use some generic ones my sister had left over. She gave me a box of generic liners, and one entire sleeve of the liners were split down the side, so I could not use them! For that reason, I don't mess with the generic, I continue to use playtex, and I will continue to re-use them as necessary.

I will confess that I have washed them, but only to use that same day or because I was running out and couldn't get to the store. I also use the Target brand. The price difference is I think $2 a box so that really adds up. I have found that the Target brand is the most like Playtex dropins. And like the Playtex, they are BPA free. I had to search to find that out.

I did reuse mine here and there. But with both my boys I used the Target brand drop-ins. I loved them and saved some moey just using those.

The liners are not designed for this use. I know people wash zip top bags too but I would not do it. Plastic can absorb different chemicals including soap residue from being washed if it is not designed for this purpose. I would also be concerned with bacteria growing on the bags. You can purchase inexpensive bottles to use, a package of 3 bottles is roughly $5.00 at Babie's 'r Us.

generic drops ins work fine too