Best Soap to Wash Baby Bottles: Guide on Fundamentals
Overthinking about maintaining hygiene for your little one? I can certainly relate. And baby bottles? Gosh, they need washing after every use, don’t they?
I hand-wash the baby bottles, but sometimes, a dishwasher helps too. And either way, you need gentle and quality soap to clean the bottles well.
So, what makes something the best soap to wash baby bottles with? Obviously, it has to clean well and remove residue, but there’s more beyond that to consider.
Let’s dive into baby bottle cleaning! I’ll be going into the basics of cleaning, answering FAQs, and listing down the best soap to wash baby bottles, along with dishwashers that can help you out.
Table of Contents
The Basics of Washing Baby Bottles
- Rinse: After you’re done with a feed, rinse the baby bottle well in cold water. This will remove any milk residue that’s left over.
- Disassemble: Post rinsing, separate all the parts of the bottle – nipple, cap, and rings.
- Soak in Water: Now, pour some warm water into a bowl and add soap to it. Once done, slowly soak the bottle and other parts into the water.
- Scrub: Soap up your scrubber and gently rub off dirt, both from the inside and out (bottle brushes are useful too).
- Rinse Out the Soap: Wash and rinse it again to clear all soap residue.
- Sterilize: After rinsing, sterilize the bottles by either boiling them in water or using an electric sterilizer.
- Air-Dry: Let the bottles dry on a clean towel and store them in a neat, cool place.
Best Soap to Wash Baby Bottles: My 5 Choices
A soap for baby bottles has got to be mild and should remove dirt, odor, and a layer of fat from the bottles.
And to ease your hunt, here are some of the best soaps to wash baby bottles. Take a look.
1. Dapple Baby Bottle & Dish Soap
Crafted with baby-friendly ingredients, this plant-based soap is worth the buy for your baby’s feeding bottles.
- It removes residues and odor.
- The soap is gentle and easy to use, as the soap bottle comes with a pump-top dispenser.
- Paraben free.
- No alcohol content.
- Dermatologist tested.
- Cruelty-free.
Available on Amazon.
2. Babyganics Foaming Dish + Bottle Soap
- Pediatrician-recommended soap for baby bottles, nipples, and breast pump components.
- It is safe to use as the ingredients are wholly plant-based.
- Fragrance-free.
- Dual cleansing agents.
- Uses less water for washing.
- Paraben free.
Available on Amazon.
3. Seventh Generation Dish Liquid Soap
- Super gentle, safe, fragrance-free, and easy-to-use glycerin liquid soap.
- Also, the packaging is 97% recyclable.
- Vegan and fragrance-free.
- Hypoallergenic.
- Gluten-free.
Available on Amazon.
4. Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Dish Soap
- Has a lavender fragrance and contains essential oils, aloe vera extract, and glycerin.
- Note: Its fragrance might linger in your baby’s bottles.
- Paraben-free.
- Biodegradable.
- No artificial substances.
- Gentle.
Available on Amazon.
5. Molly’s Suds Natural Liquid Dish Soap
Molly’s Suds Natural dish soap is gentle and has no fragrance that transfers to the bottles.
- It cuts through the grease well and is crafted with plant-based materials.
- Note: Consistency is more watery and not ideal for a dishwasher.
- Long-lasting.
- Fragrance-free.
- Vegan.
- Toxin-free.
Available on Amazon.
Can You Wash Baby Bottles with Dawn?
Sure. Dawn is one of the most commonly used soaps for washing baby bottles. However, people have mixed opinions about its use.
- For a few parents, Dawn’s fragrances in soaps are quite strong. Likewise, there were complaints regarding the use of chemicals in the dish liquid that caused health issues.
- On the other hand, some parents also said that it cleans their baby bottles really well! It’s because of these mixed opinions that I did not list this dishwashing liquid above.
Recently, even a friend of mine expressed her concern over the Dawn Dishwashing Liquid stating
“I was a loyal customer of Dawn liquid for the past many years, but the new scents triggered an asthma attack and I became ill. Similarly, my baby’s bottles too had that fragrance after washing. I had to discard the bottles. So, I have decided not to continue and replaced it with another dishwashing liquid.”
So, please consider these points before you purchase it.
Washing Baby Bottles in a Dishwasher: 5 Key Points
- Check the cleaning instructions on the bottles before you place them in a dishwasher. Some bottles might not be dishwasher-safe!
- Always place the feeding bottles on the top rack. It should be kept away from the heat source of the dishwasher so it doesn’t heat up and lose its shape.
- Place the bottles and other components facing downwards. This will avoid clogging.
- Always make sure you remove any bottle residue or excess water after dishwashing to avoid contamination.
- Avoid dishwashing silicone nipples regularly because that can reduce their quality, and the silicone nipples can get weaker with time.
Best Dishwasher for Baby Bottles: Top 5
Now that we’ve gone through safety points, let me suggest the best dishwasher for baby bottles. Let’s take a look:
1. Farberware Countertop Dishwasher
- This portable dishwasher comes with a built-in water tank. The product has digital LED controls and an automatic water level indicator.
- This dishwasher can both wash and sterilize bottles of all sizes. Also, there is a separate rack to accommodate other elements like nipples, rings, etc.
- Weight: 36.38 pounds
- Available on Amazon
- Comes with a see-through window.
- Easy to operate.
- Some parents faced durability issues.
2. Danby Countertop Dishwasher
- This product comes with an all-new spray arm technology that cleanses the bottles inside out.
- The dishwasher has multiple programming features with eight settings. Also, you can store this product in cabinets.
- Weight: 44.1 pounds
- Available on Amazon
- Electronic LED display.
- The wash cycle includes soaking and rinsing.
- Utilizes 3.1 gallons of water.
- The minimum useable space becomes a challenge for parents as they find it difficult to accommodate all the bottles at once.
3. Black Decker Compact Dishwasher
- This dishwasher fits well in compact spaces. Your baby’s bottles will be washed, sanitized, and dried all in one.
- It has a baby bottle sanitizer with a rinse aid dispenser. The dishwasher has separate racks to organize the baby bottles.
- Weight: 46.2 pounds
- Available on Amazon
- Comes with a child lock feature.
- Easy to store.
- Comes with 6 wash programs.
- Some parents complained of leakage issues.
4. Hava Countertop Dishwasher
- This one is crafted with a baby care mode that enables both cleaning and sterilizing baby bottles.
- It has 5 cycle options with an additional function of drying bottles. Also, this dishwasher can be stored easily in compact places.
- Weight: 28.7 lbs
- Available on Amazon
- Five-liter built-in water tank.
- Easy to operate.
- Automated LED-light.
- Some parents complained about water leakage from the hose.
- Durability issues.
5. Razorri Countertop Automatic Dishwasher
- Multipurpose dishwasher that sterilizes your baby bottles, too. The dishwasher has a convection-based drying system for deep cleaning baby bottles.
- The best part – you get to set the machine for a 24-hour delayed start for washing the bottles.
- Weight: 28 pounds
- Available on Amazon
- Two high-pressure water spraying arms with 13 holes.
- Transparent window to monitor.
- Built-in child lock.
- Comes with removable filters.
- The top loading feature often causes inconvenience.
- A few parents faced water leakage.
Takeaway on Best Soaps to Wash Baby Bottles
As a mother, I understand that maintaining your baby’s health is crucial, and we have to accept the fact that most germs and bacteria are transferred through feeding equipment and other essentials. Hence, it is important to ensure that the bottles are well-cleaned and sterilized, no matter how many baby bottles you have.
Whether you hand-wash bottles or use dishwashers, they have to be cleaned throughout and kept well-dried. Using the above-recommended soaps will do the job for you. They are very gentle and ideal for babies.
Also, mommies, if your child is struggling with digestive issues even after the bottles are being sterilized well, then, do not hesitate to contact your child specialist.
Until next time, happy feeding!
