Can baby bottles be washed in the dishwasher?

Traditionally, mothers wash baby bottles by hand, because this vital utensil for a baby cannot be trusted with technology. These long-held views are gradually becoming a thing of the past as the use of dishwashers increases. There are many mothers who, without hesitation, undertake to wash baby bottles in the dishwasher along with the rest of the dishes, believing that this is completely safe for the baby’s health. Whether this is true or not, let's find out.

What can happen?

Before you put any dishes, especially baby bottles, you need to find out whether they can be washed in the dishwasher. Unfortunately, there are still mothers who buy dishes for their babies from random traders at the market or in non-specialized stores.

It would be useful to remind you that such untested products can be dangerous to the baby’s health, especially after you wash them in the dishwasher.

Low-quality plastic begins to break down under the influence of high temperatures, releasing monstrously harmful chemicals that settle on the inner walls of the bottle and enter the child’s body with the liquid. It is not difficult to guess what consequences this may lead to. Products made from special glass or Avent bottles, which can definitely be washed in the dishwasher, will be absolutely safe.

You should not put nipples and bottles into the machine; it is better to wash them separately by hand, paying special attention to hard-to-reach places. If you leave the nipple on the bottle, it will not be washed from the inside.Bacteria will quickly begin to multiply in leftover milk or juice, which is not at all good for the baby’s health.

How and with what to wash?

Contrary to popular belief, baby bottles wash well on almost any program. Do not use too hot water 70⁰C and above. Usually the water gets so hot when the Intensive Wash program is installed that it can be omitted. The rest of the programs are quite suitable. You also need to decide what you will wash the bottles with, because they cannot be placed with regular dishes.

With other children's dishes.
With children's toys.
With root vegetables.

This may seem strange to many, but in addition to children's dishes, plastic and rubber toys and even root vegetables, such as carrots and potatoes, can be washed in the dishwasher. In the latter case, you cannot use detergents, which is even good for bottles. You need to be careful with children's toys, since not all products can survive the “test” of the dishwasher. It is better to put in the washing machine only those toys that you are confident in, so as not to ultimately harm the child.

Do you need detergent?

It is best not to use any detergents when washing bottles in the dishwasher, it is safer. Prolonged contact with hot water will ensure normal disinfection; nothing additional is needed. This is certainly not sterilization, but almost. If you are not sure that your dishwasher will wash bottles and other dishes well without additional products, then use them, but with caution.

Give preference detergents for children's dishes. There are special powders and tablets for dishwashers that do not contain any harmful components.There should be a special mark on the packaging of these products. If it is, then the product is nominally safe. But it’s better not to risk it and wash baby bottles with clean water. In this case, the washing program should not be shorter than 1.5 hours.

In conclusion, we note that there is no point in running the dishwasher just for one or two baby bottles, but if you have a lot of baby dishes, it makes sense to wash them in the dishwasher. The main thing is to exercise caution and take into account the recommendations contained in this publication. Good luck!