having trouble with Dr. Brown Bottles

[Brandonsmom]

Hi there!
Ok, I've had Brandon on Dr. Brown bottles from the time we started bottle feeding. I've noticed lately they are starting to look a little shabby. Then, to my horror, I found mildew in nooks and crannies that's very difficult to get to, even with the wand thingy that came with them! I have no idea how long I've been giving my baby mildewy bottles. Darn it, those things are hard to clean! What I usually do is as soon as he's done I rinse the bottle and all the inside things really well. I leave a sink of soapy, warm water and just let the bottle sit in the water till it's time to wash them. Then I was them like usual with a bottle brush and nipple brush. I never put them in the dishwasher because I thought it might not be good for them. But I'm at my wit's end trying to keep these babies clean! Does anyone else have this problem? DH is getting us some more bottles tonight so we don't have to use the dirty Dr. Brown bottles so much. 

[Zoey]

Hey there!

I love Dr Browns bottles!  But Omg yes they are a pain to clean.  I'll tell ya what I do.  It may go against the directions, but they are clean and not mildewy lol.

After he eats, I take it ALL apart and run hot water into the bottle.  I use a bottle brush and clean the bottle, and the nipple with dish soap.  I rinse these.  I rinse the nipple ring with hot water.  I take the middle tube thingy and shove the soapy bottle brush into it too.  Then I take the tiny brush they give you and put dish soap on it and run it through all the holes in that tan thing, and down the center of that tube thingy.  I rinse them.  Then I put everything in the dishwasher.  I have a nipple basket, and baskets that I put the nipple ring and the tan thingy in, and I stand the tube thingy up on the things in the dishwasher that the cups would go on, I put the bottles upside down there too.  So everything in on the top rack.  I have been doing this for 5 months with not one problem at all. 

Hope this helps some!

Hugs,
Zoey

[Brandonsmom]

Hey Zoey!
Wow, thanks for your advice. I guess I never thought I would have to scrub them as much since I rinse them and let them soak after a feeding. I'll put them in the dishwasher like you said after a good scrubbing. DH doesn't want to get anymore bottles, we went through 2 brands when we put LO on formula and Dr. Brown's were the one's he liked.

[SylvieA]

Hi there
Dr brown's are great, except for the cleaning. I never used the dishwasher for DS bottles. I rince them right after his feeds, and I wash them all in hot soapy water and never had that problem. I had to go check them after I read your post. One thing I always do is wash them alone (no other dishes)and let them air dry before putting them together. And on occasion I have used the dishwasher on the sanitize cycle. I do the same as PP, wash and then use a nipple basket and put on top rack.HTH

[Zoey]

Brandonsmom - You're welcome!  I forgot to say that I have bottle drying racks, I put the bottles upside down on the dry, and I put the tube thingy upside down on it to dry too.  I lay all the tan things and nipple rings on a paper towel - in a row... uhm kinda like dominos that have been knocked over so they can dry too.  I have them all dry over night.  I have 12 bottles so I always have 6 to use and 6 are drying or washing. 

I think the directions say not to dishwash them, or at least that you don't have to.  But, I find this way best for us and we haven't had any troubles with things melting or cracking so it must be fine. lol

Good Luck!

Zoey

[Mom to M&M]

You can also buy separate inserts for the DB bottles - so you don't have to buy completely new ones. Babies R Us and Buy Buy Baby sell the inserts.

[Mum to Ella Rose]

Oh yes, those darned Dr. brown's!  Never thought I would have such a love hate relationship with bottles. lol. They worked soooo well for us but I had blisters and chapped hands forever from all the scrubbing. 

Sharon

[1bygrace]

I use these bottles and YES they are annoying to clean, but my SIL warned me before I bought them. 

I always just rinse them out well with really hot water and then I put them in a dishwasher nipple basket that protects the tube and brown thingy.  Never any problems that way.  The only problem I had was when I first got the bottles I didn't have a dishwasher basket and one of the tubes got knocked down to the bottom and the drying element melted it .

[estherofi20]

I loved Dr. Brown's bottles, they worked wonders on my DS gass pains, and the only thing that kept them from getting mold in the brown thingy was to sterilize them
 and when DS turned /MO i changed him to the avent ones, using the Dr Brown's nipples

[denise21]

I love the DB bottles as well. I was everything in hot soapy water with ecofriendly dishsoap. It cleans great but doesn't leave any residue behind. I have a 'Munchkin'Deluxe drying rack which I bought at Walmart and it has little individual holders for the venting tubes so they stand upright and the bit that they attach too has a spot to stand in and drain properly. I haven't noticed any problems with my bottles or venting bits yet inregards to mildew developing. However, any scratches on the inside of anything and I toss it and get replacement pieces or new bottles from Toys R Us. They also sell great travel lids because I find that when I pack the bottle read to use it leaks if it tips over in the diaperbag. I also sterilize everything in a pot of hot boiling water for few minutes.

[babytn]

HI

Thanks for the advice, i will now go and check my bottles thoroughly. They are certainly making a difference to the gassiness though! I wash mine thoroughly in hot soapy water then rinse in hot water and then i sterilise them.
 

[Southernbelle]

I do basically what Zoey does.  I rinse lightly to get out any obvious formula, then stand the tubes up on the cup prongs in the dishwasher.  I put the white rings onto the tubes (to save space in my nipple basket) and I put the tan things in the top part of the nipple basket (they sit perfectly in the holes), and then put the nipples in the basket.  Every few weeks I may drop the small parts into one of those sterilizing bags by Medella to make sure that the insides get cleaned really good in the microwave.  Seems to work.  I am going out of town this week and don't know where I put those little Dr. Brown nipple brushes for the tubes?  I am sure they are a pain to clean in a hotel room!

[Southernbelle]

Ohh, and I forgot to mention that sippy cup valves can grow mold too.  I try to make sure to check them before I put them back into the lid.  When my friend discovered mildew in hers, I checked all of mine and couldn't believe that my son was sipping through some mold.  The Graco white valves do better than those soft plastic vales that have two ends on them.  HTH

[GG]

I put the Dr. Brown bottles in the top rack of the dishwasher. Are they not supposed to go in the dishwasher?  I do it for sterilization purposes. It's a pain to do the boiling water thing.

[Zoey]

I can't remember what the directions say - but I put them in there too and have no troubles at all.