Washing Bottle Nipples...

Hi Kristen:

My doctor indicated to me that heating the bottles or nipples prior to giving to the child causes breast enlargement. I did the research, and it is true based on a study at Michigan University in Ann Arbor.

I had the same question as you, when we were discussing the above issue - she indicated that the nipples should be cleaned in lukewarm water twice and squeezed while rinsing again - this will remove any bacteria caught up in the nipple opening itself.

I also had been told not to put them in the diswasher, as it releases chemicals from the cleaners, and the heat intensity into the plastic of the nipples. That also made sense to me.

M.

I thought it was because it is hotter on the bottom rack and now there is so much discussion of chemicals being released from plastics when they are heated? I am a rule follower, so I kind of feel like better safe than sorry! Good luck!

K.,
The botton shelf is closer to the heating element and items placed here tend to get hotter. The bottles, nipples, etc. cannot withstand that sort of heat and are, therefore, categorized with those items that state "dishwasher safe - top shelf only".
Hope this helps.
L. P.

You should contact the manufacturer about why they should go in the top. Perhaps at the bottom they are too close to the heat source and maybe this could adversely affect the nipple, causing it to break down faster and possibly have bits fall off and be a potential choking hazard. Just a guess. It sounds like you equate the cloudiness with a lack of cleanliness. I'm sure the nipples are equally clean either way, so why not just follow the recommendation and use the top rack? My bottle nipples always cloud up when I first sterilize them when I get them. After the initial sterilization, I just hand wash mine after each use. You could try that. Remember, people hand washed bottles and nipples before it became common for us to have dishwashers in our homes.

I always put mine on the bottom. I haven't had a problem.

K.,
At Meijer, they sell a basket that clips into your dishwasher (top or bottom rack) Its rectangle in shape and holds all that little stuff. I found this after my daughter was just getting into sippy cups. They also have a smaller round one for the inserts in the sippy cups. Both are WAY better they having them soak on the sink or melt in the bottom on the dishwasher.
Good luck! (Try Babies R us too or on-line if you cannot find)

I think that the main issue is the nipples falling down onto the heater, but the nipple manuf. says not to b/c it's too close to the heat and can distort the plastic, causing the nipple not to fit correctly. Their your nipples, your dishwasher, but the rules were made for a reason. I know that this sounds silly, but when your child is older you can't expect him/her to follow rules if you don't. Children resent us when presented with a double standard. Just food for thought.

I would guess because it's hotter on the bottom of the dishwasher and there is a chance that they could melt is all. But if you are not having any problems with that, then go for it!

I think I have also heard you don't put them on the bottom of the dishwaser because this is also the hottest area and it can weaken the nipple so that the baby is at risk of choling on the nipple when little pieces come off especially if the baby has teeth.

Hope this helps.....good luck

If you are using toxin free or glass bottles it really shouldn't matter. If you are not, the toxins in the plastic will still leach out on the top rack. If you are concerned about this, switch to Born Free or another PBA free bottle and nipple.

I think because if the nipple falls onto the heating element, the nipple will burn and possibly catch on fire? I have had some nipples burn up so I have been hand washing them again.

The reason that you are to put the nipples on the top shelf is due to the heat. If you don't have the heat dry on it is ok to wash the nipples of the bottles on the bottom shelf. You need to make sure you wash only because if you expose the nipples to the heat it will damage the plastic and possably fall apart while it is being used. I always washed them by hand and did not use the dish washer.

K.,
Who knows, perhaps it's because of the proximity to the heated water. They may worry about degradation of the latex rubber in the nipple. Why not call the company that makes the bottles.
Well, that's all I have to offer.
J.

when rubber is exposed to heat it tends to breakdown faster...esp if you are using Latex nipples, I wouldn't worry so much about the silicone ones because silicone is a sturdier rubber.

As a mother, and a daughter of an appliance repairman, there's two good reasons. The first one is, even though the nipple may not fall down onto the element, the distance from the element still may melt plastic objects on the bottom rack. Many stores sell little baskets to put things like this in and it fits on the top rack. Check the baby section and the housewares department. Mines made by Nuk, says it right on the basket and bought it many years ago. Great for any little object, not just baby things. Secondly, the heat from the element, if it doesn't burn it in the first place, weakens the plastic which in turn can easily come apart or crack and cause a choking hazard.

Sometimes it's just not worth letting them see the instructions, eh?

The issue was, as you suspected, about the bottom element. Older dishwashers have a setting that can't be turned off which compensated for water that wasn't hot enough. Essentially, the element would come on as soon as it was turned on. Obviously, this is a major problem for anything meltable on the bottom rack.

If they don't melt down there, there is no other reason to keep them high.

L.

We use to put nipples in the dishwasher, along with other bottle accesorites on the top rack, but stopped putting nipples in. Our son is 3 months and uses 4 bottles a day. So the nipples have been really exposed to heat. Well the more heat they are exposed to, they tend to close the opening and then make it very difficult to feed your baby. I would suggest washing them by hand and then sterilizing in just hot water, as another post said.

Hi K..
I don't think this is a silly question to ask. I know just what you mean. On the top rack they get all cloudy and slippery feeling. Yuck! I have two boys (3&5) and when they used bottles I used the dishwasher safe nipple thingy also but it started taking up to much space in my dishwasher for some reason. So I switch to putting them in the silver ware compartment and they started coming out cleaner. I would love to know why that is. I think the only reason the manufacture would say top rack only is to save there butts. If there is any exsposed heating coil on the bottom it could melt the nipples.

You're supposed to use the top rack because of the heat being too much for the bottles and nipples. The heat breaks down the rubber/plastic and causes harmful chemicals to leach out. Also, all the nipples are made with food and/or medical grade rubber so allowing them to heat up too much can change the structure, and they will no longer be that high quality rubber. (Same reasoning behind putting them in boiling water too often).

I've heard (though I don't know if it's true) that it can warp the nipples so eventually they don't get a tight seal with the bottle anymore and can leak. Don't fret my husband and I have silly debates like this too! Hope this helps.

If you put the nipples on the bottom, they loose their elasticity and can collaspe and rip from the hot water. I always took a nipple brush and cleaned the nipples by hand. After all that's why they make a nipple brush and that way they come out very clean after they airdry. It takes about 20 seconds to do. Good luck

I know you do not want to hear this, but bottles should not go in the dishwasher even though the box says it's okay. The heat or something releases a chemical in the plastic. I remember we did the diswasher thing for a little bit until my fiancé and I saw some articles and a news segment on it. We even stop using the bottle warmer. There are organic bottles (google it because I can nog remember the brand). They have ads in all the baby magazines. Now I just wash her bottles in hot water with dish soap and then scrub with a bottle cleaner. I don't want to scare you. I'm sure that there is mo life threatening risk involved. We just wanted to be super careful.

There's very possibly the grainy dishwasher detergent that could get caught inside it. Not something you'd want your baby to ingest let alone yourself. Here's a compromise: dip the nipple in some boiling water. That'll sterilize it. Forget using the dishwasher altogether. One, it isn't a dish, and two, you won't have anything to argue about.
Mfr.s have reasons (USUALLY good ones although there are some weird advisements) for suggesting how to or not to.

lots of plastic things say "dishwasher top rack only" it is because the plastic will melt or deform if it is too close to th heating element on the bottom of the dishwasher..

If you are using silicone nipples (clear) they probably can go on the bottom- they do not melt like the latex (brown) nipples do..

some plastics will get denatured and leach out toxic material if heated too high. It is not about setting a fire, it is about keeping the plastic safe for your baby. Don't use boiling water to clean them, either.... same thing happens. We get warnings at the hospital where I am a nurse frequently about not heating plastics for these reasons. L.

It's because the heat source is too close. It is actually cooler on top and some products are not meant to be so close to the heat.

My thought is that the water is hotter in the bottom (it disperses heat when it's splashed upward) and they could melt. That's why the manufacturers tell you not to put any plastic items (except utensils made for hot-temp use) in the bottom.
They don't want to get sued for melted items ruining the entire dishwasher.

I have had some plastics warp or melt in the bottom rack that would not had I put them on in the top rack.

I believe the best washing of the bottles/nipples is the old sterilization machines they have. The diswasher is okay but the nipples do stretch a bit and the reason of the bottom is because everything cleans from the top to the bottom and have you ever found food on your dishes on the bottom. It also gets very hot on the bottom because of the heater and could potentially melt. I think if you put in the basket with the silverware you will be okay. I would not put any lower.

Good luck,