If you are serious about How To Dry Baby Bottles? Then this article will help you.
Baby – the word itself, brings joy in everyone’s minds. Who doesn’t love babies?
But bringing up a baby in the healthiest way is quite difficult in this modern world. That is especially true when it comes to feeding a baby; it can be a very tough job indeed. Around the house, there are always bacteria and germs growing and lurking around, even where you might least expect it.
From birth up to 2 years of age, the best food a baby can indulge in is its mother’s breast milk. While some mothers prefer the natural way of feeding, others express milk or make formula, using baby bottles or feeders when it’s time for the child to eat.
In today’s article, we are going to teach you how to dry baby bottles properly.
METHODS
While you may think keeping your baby’s bottles clean and hygienic is a tough task, you’ll be delighted to know that it can be simplified. In fact, drying baby bottles is one of the easiest tasks out there. All you need is a bit of care while doing the task, and your baby’s bottle will be completely germ-free.
We have gathered as much information as possible to bring you three common methods used for drying bottles. Those methods are:
- Using a clean towel or a kitchen roll
- Air drying on a drying rack
- Using a baby bottle dryer
While you may already know about these techniques, it’s worth having a read of this article so that you can be assured you are using best practices and keeping your child out of harm’s way. While we have listed three methods above, we wouldn’t say all of them are highly recommended. Instead, we intend to let you know the pros and cons.
1. Using A Clean Towel Or A Kitchen Roll
Although we have included this method of drying baby bottles on our list, we certainly do not recommend this, especially if you have a very young baby.
Clean towels or kitchen rolls, even if fresh from the packet, carry a lot of bacteria with them. So, even if you take a towel out from a fresh packet, it could still be harmful to you.
Boil washing the towel isn’t a good solution even though it seems so. This is because your towel will have tiny droplets of water, which will easily attract bacteria and germs.
However, if your baby is a bit older and is desperate for some food, then drying baby bottles using a towel can be a quick alternative. However, we will say it again as it’s important; using a clean towel to dry baby bottles shouldn’t be your first option.
2. Air Drying On A Drying Rack
The second option we are looking at is air drying on a rack. This is an option commonly recommend to parents around the globe and one we definitely advocate.
Though it is time-consuming, natural air is best for eliminating each and every water droplet from the baby bottles.
However, there is a problem with the way some people do their air drying. People often use their regular kitchen dish rack to air dry the baby bottles. Unfortunately, this isn’t a great choice.
Regular dish racks have other kitchen utensils, which may be wet. Hence, the contamination of germs can still be a concern. Plus, on a regular dish rack, you always have to keep your baby bottles upside down in order to dry them properly. However, we sometimes forget, or the rack gets knocked, and the bottle doesn’t dry properly.
These days separate drying racks for baby bottles are available on the market. This takes up less kitchen counter space and gets the job done for you. Also, you can put your bottles, teats, and everything else in one place. The drying rack is designed in such a waythat you don’t have to remind yourself to put the baby bottles upside down every time you want to dry them.
As a bonus, baby bottle drying racks are smaller and less cumbersome to drain water from the rack itself. Thus, your bottles will get dry much faster than they would in a regular dishwasher rack.
3. Using A Baby Bottle Dryer
Of all the methods we’ve looked at, option 3 is the best by far. It is easy, quick, and comes with a greater guarantee of successful, hygienic drying.
Essentially, a baby bottle dryer is a sterilizer with a drying function.
Therefore, when you are going to buy a sterilizer, make sure it has the drying function as part of its specs. It will make your life so much easier.
However, be aware that a baby bottle dryer can be a bit expensive, costing at least 200 dollars even if you buy it from Amazon. But when it comes to convenience, we’d happily sacrifice a few extra dollars.
Another benefit of a sterilizer that drys bottles is that not all homes have kitchens with a lot of counter space. This lack of counter space means that air-drying your bottles may not be an option, especially if your dish rack is needed for other items. This scenario is when bottle dryers come in handy.
The most amazing thing about electronic bottle dryers is that they can be recycled again and again. So even if your child grows up, you can sell the bottle dryer on eBay or another site and get some money.
Cold water sterilizers and electric steam sterilizers are the traditional options, but these days you can also buy a microwave steam sterilizer. Check around for the best sterilizer option for your kitchen.
Conclusion
Keeping a baby healthy can be a stressful business as you always have to be aware of potential hazards and health risks.
Clean, dry baby bottles are essential for feeding. However, without the right care, a baby bottle can transmit germs that can make your child ill.
The easiest way to dry a bottle is by getting a sterilizer that has a drying function. Otherwise, your next best option is to keep a space and separate rack in your kitchen for the purpose of air-drying.
Finally, in an emergency and when you have no other choice, you can wipe a bottle with a clean cloth or kitchen towel.
