How to Clean and Sterilize Pacifiers and Other Baby Gear Safely

As a new parent, one of your top priorities is keeping your precious little one safe and healthy. In addition to practicing good hand hygiene and cleaning high-touch surfaces, such as tables, countertops and doorknobs, it’s important to clean and sterilize baby items including pacifiers, bottles and toys.

If you have questions running through your head about how to sterilize pacifiers and bottle nipples and how to clean baby toys and plush items, you’ll find this post extremely helpful.

Do You Need to Sterilize Pacifiers, Bottles and Bottle Nipples?

If you use bottles or pacifiers, you’ll want to sterilize them before their first use and regularly afterward, but it’s not necessary to sterilize them after every use. So, after the first cleaning, how often do you clean pacifiers, bottles and bottle nipples?

On a daily basis, you can clean them simply by running them through a regular cycle in the dishwasher (just check the package to ensure your items are dishwasher safe!) or washing them in warm, soapy water. If using the dishwasher, put plastic bottles on the top rack to prevent melting. Pacifiers, bottle nipples and other small parts can be placed in special baskets on the top rack so they don’t fall through to the bottom of the dishwasher. If washing them by hand, air dry them and make sure they’re thoroughly dried before putting them away.

Aside from daily cleaning, these items should be sterilized regularly. You’ll need to decide on a schedule you can maintain and that you’re comfortable with, whether weekly, every other week or monthly, but we recommend sterilizing at least once a month.

Additionally, you’ll want to sterilize pacifiers, bottles and bottle nipples after your child has been sick, if you or other family members have been sick or if another child has used your child’s bottle or pacifier.

The Best Ways to Sterilize a Pacifier

Wondering how to sterilize baby pacifiers, as well as bottles and bottle nipples? The process is actually simple! You can either leave bottles (including nipples) and pacifiers in a pot of boiling water for five minutes or buy a specially designed sterilizer that kills germs and bacteria, such as our59S Mini Sterilizer Portable UV Sanitizer.

If you decide to use the boiling method, heat the water until it is up to a full boil. Then put the items in and continue to boil for five minutes. If you’re using a sterilizer, read the manufacturer’s instructions completely before using.

How to Clean Baby Toys

The best way to clean plastic baby toys daily is with soap and water. Plush toys can usually be washed on the gentle cycle in a washing machine (it’s ideal to wash in the warmest water possible but check the label for care instructions first) and placed in the dryer on a low setting.

Baby toys should be sterilized at least quarterly, as well as after your baby or someone in your household has been sick. Our Nursery Sterilizeroffers a safe option for sanitizing baby toys, utilizing UV light to neutralize bacteria and viruses safely and quickly from the surfaces of toys and other baby gear, including plush items.

Why Munchkin Uses UV-C Light to Disinfect Baby Items

Munchkin’s59S Mini Sterilizer Portable UV Sanitizer and Nursery Sterilizeruse UV-C light to disinfect baby items without the use of heat, water or harsh chemicals.

If you’re wondering if UV light is a safe disinfectant for babies, you can rest assured it is. This science-backed, proven technology kills bacteria and viruses by breaking down their DNA at the molecular level, providing an easy way to sterilize all of your baby items and have peace of mind that you’re helping your baby stay healthy.

Get more information about the science behind our sterilizers and purchase yourportable UV sanitizer or nursery sterilizertoday.

Resources:

https://www.whattoexpect.com/news/family/how-to-disinfect-baby-items-during-coronavirus/

https://www.fatherly.com/parenting/care-clean-maintain-baby-pacifiers/

https://momlovesbest.com/feeding/pacifiers/how-to-sterilize-pacifiers

https://www.safewise.com/faq/child-baby-safety/bottle-pacifier-cleaning/