Do I have to Sanitize my Baby Bottles Daily?
When I had my own kiddos 5-10 years ago, bottle sanitizers were not something that ever came up on must-have baby lists or even on the shelves of my local big box store. Standard practice seemed to be to sanitize bottles and their parts when you first bought them, but not frequently after that, and certainly not daily (pump parts were encouraged to be sanitized more frequently).
As a postpartum doula, I’m seeing an increase in the number of families who use specialized bottle sanitizers on a daily basis, which led me to this question - Do I have to sanitize baby bottles daily?
As with everything, the advice online varies greatly. For the purpose of this blog I’m focusing on the information which I found on the CDC website, How to Clean, Sanitize, and Store Infant Feeding Items Frequently Asked Questions | Water, Sanitation, and Environmentally Related Hygiene (WASH) | CDC.
According to that website, sanitizing items daily is most important for babies who have weakened immune systems due to illness, premature birth, and/or being younger than two months old. Older babies who are healthy may not need to use items that are being sanitized on a daily basis. In that case, following proper cleaning guidelines such as cleaning immediately after use, making sure each part has been separated and washed separately, using hot water and dish soap, and using a brush that is used only for bottle and baby items. If you are not sure what is best for your baby, please check with your doctor.
The good news is that you do not need to buy a fancy bottle sanitizer to get the job done properly. Prior to sanitizing, no matter which method you use, bottles, bottle pieces, etc. should be thoroughly washed with soap. After that you can boil, steam, bleach, or run all pieces through a dishwasher that has a sanitizing setting or a hot water/heated drying cycle.
To Boil:
“Place disassembled feeding items into a pot and cover with water.
“Put the pot over heat and bring to a boil.
“Boil for 5 minutes.
“Remove items with clean tongs.”
To Steam:
“Place disassembled items in microwave or plug-in steam system and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for sanitizing, cooling, and drying the items.”
To Bleach (use if other methods are unavailable):
“Prepare a bleach solution of 2 teaspoons of unscented bleach per gallon (16 cups) of water in a clean wash basin.
“Put all items completely underwater. Make sure the solution touches all parts and there are no air bubbles in the bottles.
“Squeeze solution through nipple holes.
“Soak items in solution for at least 2 minutes.
“Remove with clean hands or tongs. Do not rinse because germs could get back onto the sanitized items. Any remaining bleach will break down quickly as it dries and will not hurt your baby. This process is similar to what is done to sanitize dishes in restaurants.”
If you anticipate daily bottle sanitizing in your home (and you have the means for it), a bottle sanitizer can be a great tool. I have used a variety, and they are all simple to use and make bottle sanitizing an easy job for family, friends, and caregivers who are looking for tasks to help with around your home.
Check with your doctor before making changes to your routine that may affect the health of you or your baby. Watch for upcoming blogs on proper milk storage and formula preparation to take another step toward keeping your family healthy.