The Ultimate Guide on How to Clean Baby Feeding Bottles
Baby feeding is a crucial process every mother must accomplish every few hours, especially in the first six months when the baby is entirely dependent on milk.
Be it breast milk or formula, babies tend to feed on a regular basis throughout the day, which is undoubtedly a big challenge for new parents.
People usually believe that feeding the infant with a bottle is simple and quick as you are required to prepare the formula and give it to the baby, but the reality is there is more to it that parents need to take care of.
When feeding with a bottle, an important aspect is cleaning and sterilizing them to maintain the best possible hygiene.
Why Follow Precise Instructions for Cleaning Baby Feeding Bottles
Infants are delicate, and their body systems are still evolving in the early few months, which makes them prone to infections. If you do not follow a strict bottle cleaning routine, you will see frequent illness encounters, which not only hampers the baby's growth but also leads to sleepless nights as babies can only cry to show the pain they are in.
Thus, to evade such nightmares, the best strategy is to follow the cleaning instructions and keep the germs at bay. To give an outline of the cleaning method, you must cleanse the bottles and then sterilize them to confirm they are germ-free.
Significant Steps of Cleaning Baby Feeding Bottles
Today, we will explain each step in detail to assist the new parents who are already confused with so many tasks and do not have a clear idea of what they need to do and render the best care to the delicate tiny angels.
Step 1: Wash Baby Feeding Bottles
The very first step of the baby feeding bottle cleaning guide is to wash them thoroughly after every use. It is recommended to clean the bottles immediately after the child has finished feeding. Also, if the little one leaves a small quantity in the bottle, experts suggest discarding it, as the formulation changes after contact with the air for some time.
If you feed milk that has been kept for a few hours, your baby may have issues in digesting the milk, which could further lead to colic pain. So, it is necessary to make a quantity that the child can finish in one go, discard any remaining liquid, and put it straightaway for washing. Here are some of the baby bottles washing tips that are simple yet useful, and if you follow them religiously, your little one will always stay healthy and happy.
Some parents feel rinsing the bottles with plain water will serve the purpose, but there are better approaches than this as it does not ensure proper cleaning. Also, while cleaning, you must dismantle the bottle entirely and wash every part separately, like the bottle, the nipple, and the bottle cover.
Experts recommend using a mild, child-safe soap for the cleaning since a regular soap is not the best choice as it contains harsh chemicals. So, invest in a recommended soap for child products and use warm water during cleaning. You can find the best soaps online with organic formulations, which makes cleaning easy, and these can be rinsed off quickly to ensure no residue is left inside the bottle.
Even though most feeding bottles have broad mouths, you can use a bottle brush to reach the bottom and corners for the best cleaning. Once you finish cleansing with the soap, rinse the bottle well and ensure no soap residue or dirt is left on the bottle.
Another helpful tip is not to pop the bottles into the washing sink with regular utensils, as this will only expose them to germs and make them oily. Keep the bottles away and wash them separately.
Step 2: Sterilize Baby Feeding Bottles
Washing is not enough for a child's feeding bottles, so sterilizing baby bottles is necessary. Here are some ways to sterilize the bottle so you can adopt one that suits your lifestyle and is accessible.
Diverse Sterilizing Methods for Cleaning
- Boiling
One of the traditional sterilizing practices that Indian moms have been following for ages is boiling. You may need a utensil of appropriate size for this process as you will have to submerge the bottle completely.
Boil the water and let the bottles in it for at least five minutes. Since you may be cleaning and sterilizing the bottles several times a day, keeping one utensil for this purpose is recommended, making it quick and easy.
- Steam Sterilizing
Some mothers find the traditional sterilization process to be tedious, and a steam sterilizer comes to their rescue. Several trusted baby brands offer steam sterilizers and warmers where you need to place the bottles for a few minutes, and it will do the job for you. These sterilizers come with an auto-cut, so you do not need to supervise the process.
Once it is done, the machine will stop itself. If you want to avoid spending money on a sterilizer yet wish to enjoy this process, you can also sterilize the bottle in a microwave. Most modern microwaves have a sterilizing feature where you must fill the bottle half with water and place it inside for a few minutes.
Steam sterilization is superior to boiling since boiling bottles for longer tend to get white, have a deposit of hard water, and are not suitable for small kids.
- Chemical sterilizing
The new-age sterilizing technique uses certain chemicals that dissolve in water readily; you only need to soak the washed bottles in the solution for a few minutes. When we say chemical, we do not refer to harmful components, as these are organically made and approved for usage per international safety standards.
Even though this new-age procedure is effective and requires less effort, it is less popular because of the cost. Parents do not want to spend money on buying sterilizing chemicals when they have affordable and effective procedures.
Step 3: Drying and Storage
The third and final step of cleaning baby bottles is drying and storage. It is advised to air dry the bottles completely before use by placing the sterilized ones on a clean mat or rack.
Once the parts have dried completely, store them in a secured place or a sealed container to minimize exposure to air. Whenever you need to use the bottle, wash your hands thoroughly and then take out the various parts, assemble them correctly and you are good to go.
Also Read: Why Every New Parent in India Needs a Baby Bottle Sterilizer
Frequency of Cleaning Baby Feeding Bottles
Now that we have listed all the tips on how to clean baby feeding bottles, you may be wondering how frequently you need to do these. Although washing, sterilizing, and air drying after each feed is best, it takes a lot of time and effort.
Therefore, we suggest you wash the bottles after every use and sterilize them once daily for infants and weekly for toddlers, as the feeding frequency decreases considerably as the babies grow.
The process tends to become complex if you have only one feeding bottle, so the best approach is to buy at least two or three bottles and rotate them during every feed to get ample time to wash and let them dry completely.
Baby Feeding Essentials and Products from R for Rabbit
Cleaning and sterilizing are simple, but the real challenge is the frequency of cleaning you need to administer as babies ask for feed every few hours.
But remember, there is not any alternative to cleaning if you want to maintain the best hygiene and good health. You can buy some of the best-in-class feeding essentials from R for Rabbit.
The brand's products are top-quality, BPA and toxin-free, and easy to maintain. There are bottles of different sizes for age groups so you can choose one at your convenience.
Also Read: Why Should We Buy Baby Bottle Sterilizer?
Key Takeaways
Modern sterilizers allow sterilizing multiple bottles in one go, which is advantageous, killing bacteria and germs with maximum efficacy. The brand aims at constantly evolving products with improved features that offer the best combination of comfort, safety, and utility.
Hence, you will find a range of feeding bottles made of different materials like glass, silicone, and steel, all made of superlative material, giving ample choice. Also, sterilizers and bottle warmers complete the process within a few minutes, and the bottles are ready to use.
Therefore, no more hassles invest in the right feeding bottles and cleaning essentials and enjoy motherhood with your healthy and happy child.
