Hellobee Boards

This is just the life now! This is specifically why we didn't use that brand. I reeeeaaally recommend a simpler bottle if possible. I found that tossing little pieces into a bowl of water and Dawn original to soak until washing time really helped. Breast milk is fatty and this cut down on scrubbing time and residue.

With DD1 I think I just washed every night after I went back to work and she was taking bottles. Whoever's home with her would usually wash too but when they're at daycare then I gotta do them all at night since I'd have pump stuff from work to wash too.

Also, once we were past the newborn stage we stopped the boiling. If you're using hot water and occasionally the dishwasher there really is no need/

@mrskansas: Im trying to do this with my pump parts. I have 2 sets and I'm trying to make them last 5 days.

Buy more bottles so you can do most of the washing in the dishwasher. We had three days worth of pump parts, and way more bottles than necessary. My LOs took the cheapo Gerber bottles, so that was easier though.

I leave a dishbin on my counter and all bottles get rinsed immediately and taken apart and thrown in the bin (so they are separate from the sink). At the end of day I move the bin into the sink and soak them in very hot soapy water for 15 minutes or so while I get something else done. Then I use a bottle brush to very quickly do the harder plastic pieces (cylinder bottle, cap, ring that attaches nipple to cylinder, and bottom plug). I do all of these washings together, placing them in the sink after, and rinse them all at once. Then I do the softer rubber pieces (venti ring and nipple) while placing them back into the hot soapy water between each one. This helps pre-rinse them and I imagine keeps them a bit cleaner perhaps then letting them sit in the sink before I rinse like the other harder parts. Then I rinse all these off. I definitely go super fast on the harder pieces and sometimes just rinse the cap.

About every other day or so I end up running my dishwasher and use that instead so that I'm not washing everyday.

Also a mesh laundry bag works great in the dishwasher if you don't have a large enough basket for the smaller items.

I also agree with above, that beyond the newborn stage if your child is healthy there is no need to boil.

I washed every day, but had two sets of bottles (10 total) so that I could transfer my pumped milk into clean bottles and then wash the used bottles and my pump parts all at the same time. I did put my pump parts in the fridge between sessions and just washed once a day. We used avent natural glass bottles, which is a simple bottle. I pretty much never boiled or used microwave sanitizer bags - just washed in hot water. My friend used this medela soap, which apparently doesn't require any scrubbing and she said it saved her a lot of time. https://www.amazon.com/Medela-Quick-Clean-Breastmilk-Removal/dp/B00A6F2QJC

At home we do the same rinse and reuse thing after the newborn phase. I have a hot water boiler and just rinse out the bottle to sterilize and stick it back in the fridge. I save the formula feed for the last feeding before bed and then put the used bottle in a separate dishpan filled with soapy water to wash later.

For the pump I wipe the flanges and the connector (wherever milk pools) dry with a paper towel, and store them in the fridge in a wet bag. Then I wash them every other day.

I quickly hand wash the bottle parts and rinse in hot water and use those microwave sterilizer things.

I EFF since day 1 so am all about the bottles. And yes bottle washing is a PITA. I have 18 bottles I think, so I never have that feeling of quickly needing to wash a bottle when I run out, because I never run out. That really helps. That being said, I try to stay on top of it because when I see the sink filling up, I get stressed! I don't boil them (besides the first time) but I run through dishwasher whenever it's full (every couple days) on a high heat cycle which should be enough to sterilize. Otherwise, bottle brush, hot soap, water, and the Boon drying rack for sure!

I also will put LO in the bouncer next to me while I do it so it kills 2 birds with 1 stone and gives us a bit of an activity. He seems okay watching me do it. Hopefully it will make him want to wash the dishes when he's older

HTH!