Cleanliness is the key! There is nothing worse than needing a bottle and seeing a sink full of dirty ones. We recommend unloading your bottles, clean or used, from your bag immediately upon arriving back home. Unpacking the bottle immediately will prevent them from being forgotten and growing mold in your diaper bag. A pro-tip is to use bottle liners incase you are on the go or lazy enough to wash bottles every time ( however you will have to wash the bottle nipples each time). To guarantee you always have a fresh bottle on deck, we recommend the following list:
1. Small tub or tray to soak bottles
Chances are you’ll be cleaning multiple bottles at once. Not to mention those things can get slippery when wet! Having a small tub or tray in your sink will allow you to soak multiple bottles and once and contain them while you wash. A pro-tip is to use two trays with different colors - one for clean bottles and other for used bottles. This will ensure bottles don't get mixed up.
2. Bottle cleaning soap
3. Bottle brush
Bottle brushes are specifically designed to get every nook and cranny of even the tallest bottles without you having to squeeze and strain to get in there.
Get the ones with the nipple cleaning brush. Milk gets dried in the nipples and sometimes may not loosen up with soap. A nipple cleaning brush comes in handy to clean hardened milk in the nipple hole.
4. Drying rack
A drying rack keeps your bottles secure and tidy while they dry. Plus, you can use them for more than just bottles. These racks are perfect for all of the small pacifiers, straws, and pumping parts you’ll be washing.
5. Bottle sterilizer
A bottle sterilizer is completely optional, but can give you extra peace of mind especially if you travel with your bottles often.
6. Dishwasher attachment
If you would rather wash your bottles in the dishwasher rather than cleaning, I highly recommend a dishwasher basket which prevents bottle accessories from being tossed around during dishwashing.