You've figured out how to use your breast pump but now the dirty pump parts are piling up and need washing. Let us help you figure out best practice for cleaning all those pump parts with our breast pump cleaning guide.
Whether you are exclusively pumping or only pumping while you are away from your baby to maintain supply, washing pump parts and bottles quickly becomes part of the routine.
As with many other aspects of new parenthood, washing pump parts and bottles can feel overwhelming as an additional task on top of dirty diapers, lost baby socks and piles of laundry. Finding a routine that works for you can make it much less daunting.
Sanitization is a method of cleaning that eliminates potentially harmful germs. This is always recommended before the first use of a product, if your baby is 2 months or younger, or if your baby has a compromised immune system. Many families find that a microwave sanitizing system or a plug-in system works for them, but items that are safe to boil can also be placed in a pot and boiled on a stovetop for 5 minutes to achieve the same results. Additionally, parts that are dishwasher safe can also be washed in the dishwasher and sanitized, if that function is available.
The following steps are our recommendations, and incorporating them can be helpful to ensure the cleanliness and optimization of all pump parts.
All new pump parts, bottle brushes, and wash basins should be disassembled and cleaned with warm, soapy water.
Have an allotted space for pump supplies separate from other dirty dishes, sponges, and anything else in the sink area to avoid cross-contamination. We recommend using a dedicated wash basin and bottle brush for bottles and pump supplies.
After each use wash dirty pump parts with hot soapy water in the dedicated basin using a bottle brush. Ensure that you are getting into the crevices of the parts.
Please note that the tubing does not touch breast milk and therefore does not need to be washed or sanitized.
Allow parts to air-dry on a clean drying rack or dish towel. It is not recommended to dry them with a towel by hand because doing so increases the potential for cross-contamination.
Some pump parts, like the Spectra backflow protectors will not work properly if wet. Ensure they are dry before use.
Pump and bottle storage:
Always wash your hands with soap and water before handling clean pump parts.
Assemble the clean, fully dried pump parts and store them in a sealed and protected space, such as a food storage bag or dedicated bin, until they are needed for the next use.
What about the fridge hack?
The fridge hack is when instead of washing parts between uses you rinse them under running water and put the parts in a ziplock bag and place in the refrigerator. The CDC does not recommend this practice. When the pump parts are warmed and cooled multiple times it creates a greater risk for growth of bacteria. The refrigerator itself could also carry some risk if placed near a contaminated food like raw meat. So we do not recommend the fridge hack as a first choice. Many families are using this practice though for numerous reasons. There is not clear evidence to support using or not using this practice at this time so families are encouraged to make the right choice for their situation. Newborns and medically fragile infants are more susceptible to infection than older, healthy babies. One safer option would be to buy multiple sets of parts to reduce the need to wash immediately after use. If you choose to use the fridge hack be sure to wash your parts at least every 12-24 hours.
For information on replacing pump parts, check out this article.
Need more help with pumping? Book a visit with Wisco Lactation on our website. We offer home & office visit in SE Wisconsin and NE Illinois. We also offer virtual visits worldwide.