Sterilizing nipples and pacifiers

[spencersmommy]

Hello everyone! How did you clean the bottle nipples and pacifiers before your baby used them? Did you boil for 2 min. or run through the dishwasher? I've heard both and wanted input...baby is due anytime! :-)
Amy

[Marisa6826]

We boiled stuff in the beginning and found it really tedious. Then we happened upon the Avent microwave sterilizer. Worth every penny of the $40 it cost. For Avent bottles, nipples, bottle parts and pacis it takes 5 minutes. For "non-Avent" stuff it takes 7 minutes. You can fit four bottles and their coordinating parts in at once.

I understand that they have a plug-in version that I think holds up to 9 bottles.

I only just started putting stuff in the dishwasher, but have found that the don't always come clean.

I'm thinking that I might have to wash the nipples first before putting them in the d/w - which is kind of redundant.

Technically, unless you had a preemie I don't think you really need to sterilize. It's really about making me feel better about what I'm giving the baby. My pediatrician said to just use soap and hot water and hand wash...

Good luck

-m

Edited to say that if you are going to use the d/w you need to get one of those little baskets to hold all the small parts. I have also found that no matter how I place them in the top shelf, the bottle caps always flip over and get filled with nasty dirty water.

[luvtoshop]

I agree that the Avent sterilizer was a life saver! When my dd was a newborn I sterilized *everything* in that thing after I washed them first by hand---I had horrible dishpan hands. : ) Now that she's older I just throw everything in the dishwasher.

The Avent sterilizer is worth every penny!

Good luck!

[etwahl]

What kind of basket are you talking about and where could I buy one? I'd like to start dishwashing some of this stuff!!!

Also, do you find that when you wash the pacifiers with soap and water, it's hard to get the soapy water out? I do, and keep thinking she's sucking in some soap. I actually boil the pacifiers most of the time for that reason.

Tammy,
Mom to Lauren Genevieve
03/12/2003
www.evantammy.com

[egoldber]

I had several that were different shapes. You can find them at Target and BRU.

Here are links to a couple: http://store.babycenter.com/product/feeding/solid_feeding/feeding_accessories/3425

http://store.babycenter.com/product/feeding/solid_feeding/feeding_accessories/3427

I had both (paid less than this though) and liked them both. I only use the one that is one big container now and used the one with the two smaller compartments when she was using bottles.

I never sterilized, I only used the dishwasher, and it worked great for us.

HTH,

[memedee]

Does your dishwasher have a sani cycle?
My husband who is a germ freak says the dishwasher is sufficient and those baskets Beth recommended work well.
Make sure when you take the stuff out, let it dry thoroughly. Then I take the things and put them in large ziplock bags after they are totally dry.HTH

[memedee]

Also ,it is not a good idea to keep boiling the pacifiers as they can get damaged .
It is recommended that you boil the the first time and after that either the dishwaher or soap and water.

[Marisa6826]

Tammy-

The basket I have is from Buy Buy Baby. It's got these little kind of "S" shaped pieces of plastic attached to the top. You can fit pacis and nipples in between so they stand up. I looked for a picture and couldn't find it.

I've been hand washing the nipples and then sticking them in the basket. I know it's redundant but the nipples weren't getting clean :(

-m

[chrissyhowie]

Sounds like I'm in the minority here, but I only sterilize stuff before I use them for the first time. I boil them in a big pot. After that I just wash them with hot water and soap.

[spencersmommy]

Another question...how long do you boil? I've heard 2 min., but then saw 20 min. somewhere else. Thanks!!
Amy

[mharling]

I'm with you Chrissy. Nipples and pacifiers were only boiled once and now they go through the dishwasher.

Mary
Mommy to Lane Michael 4/6/03
http://www.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=67b0de21b33928e40550

[vikivoly]

Ditto. I use platex and they actually say to boil only once. But I do on occasion (once every 2-3 months) boil them again. Just makes me feel better.

[chrissyhowie]

Even just bringing water up to boiling temperature should kill the vast majority of organisms that can cause illness in humans, and this is for water that you'd get out of a stream somewhere! (I used to love going backcountry camping in my pre-baby days.)

That being said, since I'm not concerned about conserving fuel in my kitchen at home, I usually boil for about 5 minutes. Sterilization by boiling for medical equipment is usually thirty minutes, which should take care of just about everything! So pick your comfort level and choose that!

One tip: don't crowd things into the pot. I did that once and ended up melting a hole in one of my bottle nipples because it was up against the wall of the pot.

HTH,

[Tiare]

I also strongly recommend the Avent Microwave Sterilzer. We wash everything with soap and water first, the stick it in the Sterilzer for 7 minutes - we use it more than anything else and love it. Also, the price is great on it. We do also use a special bottle brush I got at BRU which has one end that fits perfectly in small bottles and the other end fits perfectly inside the nipples.