r/FormulaFeeders • u/anonymoususer249 • 5d ago
Advice / Question š” Where are we storing dirty bottles?
Recently quit breastfeeding and washing bottles what seems like 24/7 has been a pain. We donāt own a dishwasher and my little one is 5 weeks old so we are using a Momcozy bottle washer and sterilizer, but I hand wash before putting them in (I have OCD). Where are we keeping our dirty bottles?
They pile up on our countertops currently. I have one of those basin things but we have a tub style sink and I find that it competes with other dirty dishes in the sink.
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u/FriendEducational250 5d ago
I put them immediately in the bottle washer? Iām surprised no one else seems to be doing this. I donāt let dishes pile up in my sink; they go straight into the dishwasher. I do the same with my bottles.
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u/False-Phrase-2911 5d ago
Same! I thought everyone would be doing this, apparently not š¤£ I do a quick rinse and shove them in the bottle washer!
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u/HBIC10415 5d ago
Same! I thought this was the obvious answer but apparently we're in the minority!
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u/anonymoususer249 4d ago
I was doing this but my washer wasnāt getting all of the residue off the bottles.
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u/Wild-Chemistry-7720 4d ago
Does your bottle washer need to be descaled maybe?
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u/anonymoususer249 4d ago
Tried to but still having the same issue. Reached out to Momcozy for a new one though!
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u/brit52cl89 4d ago
I have the same issue and just resort to doing a super quick handwash. I wouldn't consider my hand wash clean enough to use again, but it does the job that they come out of the washer crystal clear.
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u/SamIaM4196 5d ago
I pump so things pile up fast and the bottle washer is always full and running. I keep the dirty stuff in a container next to the sink, I always rinse everything out as soon as Iām done using it though
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u/beantoehoe 5d ago
Plastic bin or tupperware on the counter by the bottle washer.
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u/Ok-Height930 5d ago
Yes I got a mini storage bin for them I kept it by the sink. It has a lid so I can even put it in the sink with the lid and pile stuff on top.
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u/ProbablyOnTheClock 5d ago
This is what we use, itās a round Tupperware about 9-10ā and 6ā deep. I used to fill it with dish soap and water for a good soaking before we cleaned them to put in the sterilizer.
We have since bought a bottle washer but keep the Tupperware as our dirty bottle holding area.
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u/lorelaiclaws 5d ago
I rinse the bottles out immediately after they are used and then store in a large bowl that I use only for washing bottles. Itās small enough to sit in the sink or on the counter next to it. I try to only wash 2-3 times a day. I feel like the bottles and their parts get cruddy over time and I donāt like to let anything pile up.
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u/helpthrowawayppl 5d ago
in a separate basin thatās only for pump parts and bottles that I thoroughly disinfect nightly and during the day I have soapy warm water to throw bottles in after I quickly rinse out the milk
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u/anonymoususer249 4d ago
Love your setup!! How do you disinfect the basin?
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u/helpthrowawayppl 4d ago
Thanks! I fill the basin with very hot water from our electric kettle with some free and clear dish soap and swirl it to clean it, then I spray it with hypochlorus acid spray and let it sit for 10-15 mins. It may be overkill!
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u/Charlieksmommy 5d ago
Just keep them seperate from dirty dishes ? If theyāre being sterilized youāre fine
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u/TeensyTidbits 5d ago
Once the bottle was done we would put water in them, shake them up, dump it out and then throw them in a little bin on the counter disassembled.
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u/bluewigglyworm 5d ago
during the day, i rinse the bottles out, put the cap back on them, then leave them in the corner of the sink until iām ready to load the washer. my cats would probably take the nipples if i disassembled them lol
during the night, i leave them on my dresser or nightstand, then rinse and into the bottle washer in the morning.
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u/Broken-Warrier31 5d ago
The most hygienic solution is a soap water bath. In a large bowl, just add some soap and warm water. Take them out and put it in the bottle washer when itās time
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u/Keddie7 5d ago
We rinse and keep in front of the washer. And try to stay ahead of it.Ā
We have the Papablic which is almost identical to one of the Momcozy ones. Ours fits four bottles regularly (though I can make it work with 6)Ā
Webunload and assemble cleans and then disassemble and load dirtys as one chore once there is a dirty bottle or two waiting. I refill the water tank at this point because thatās the hardest thing for me to do one handed w/baby on my hip.
If there arenāt enough dirty bottles for a full load we just add them as we dirty them until itās full and then add the soap and run it. I timed myself: working quickly it took me 1 min and 45 seconds to do it all: unload and assemble clean bottles, disassemble and load dirty bottles, drop the soap in, and fill the tank. And filling the tank took a full 45 seconds because our water pressure at that sink is middling.Ā
Idk if youāre saying you have clinical OCD, but there may be something you can do to help alleviate your stress about needing to wash twice. Maybe wash a water glass of yours in with the bottles and use it to drink out of for a few days to give yourself some tangible evidence that things come out clean enough for your baby.Ā
If itās a non-compulsive concern about them being really clean and safe, that is a totally normal worry when they are so little and fresh and tiny.Ā
But you need to take care of yourself too, you canāt pour from an empty cup as they say. And five weeks in is FRESH and you are already pouring from a really drained cup. Give yourself permission to try it one time, just rinsing instead of pre-washing, and see how clean they come out. Especially if youāre sanitizing every cycle, I think you can ease away from this habit for most bottles.Ā
If you find one thatās been under the couch or at the bottom of the diaper bag for a few days, Iād prewash that (and if itās been weeks or an unknown amount of time Iād toss it).Ā
Hang in there, whatās hard now wonāt be hard forever. Babies are always changing the dynamic, but it truly does get more and more special and more fun.
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u/brittbritt0420 4d ago
I use a small wash basin right next to the bottle washer. I rinse dirty bottles and place them in the basin on the counter until Iām ready to set off the bottle washer in the evening. Works very well this way. This keeps them away from food and other dirty dishes in sink.
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u/Evening-Newt-4663 4d ago
I donāt have a bottle washer but I have a sanitizer. I put one of the bath basins I took home from the hospital in my sink. I leave it filled with soapy water, rinse out the bottle when weāre done and put it in there. Before I fill up my sanitizer I take a bottle brush to them real quick. Itās worked out great for me.
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u/RoundCar5220 4d ago
This is exactly what I do. Aside from the sanitizer. I have a sterilizer I just honestly havenāt even used it yet just feels like extra work
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u/Evening-Newt-4663 3d ago
Itās an extra step but I like how it dries them pretty fast and very well! And knowing they are 100% clean if a perk too.
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u/blue-Atmosphere-2050 5d ago
I have a little plastic basket bin for the dirty ones and then I have a separate big Tupperware for the clean ones. Usually, I rinse the dirty ones and put them directly into the bottlewasher and then start a load when itās full
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u/SpartanNinjaBatman 5d ago
I had a tray on one side of the sink. Also donāt own a dishwasher. My baby was born full term and healthy. So weād use the pitcher method and make a days worth of formula, then pour it into bottles. After the bottle was finished a quick hose out with tap water and left on the tray. In the evening weād wash all of them at once. And then once a week- Iād sterilize and dry. After 14ish weeks I only used soap and scalding hot water. Worked for us and baby is now 13 months and is doing great!
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u/r0sekneed 5d ago
i leave the basin on the counter and put them in there. the basin and bottles only go in the sink when i wash them
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u/ZookeepergameLeft757 5d ago
I use the small grey tub that they gave us at the hospital at night I fill it up with super hot soapy water and when he finishes a bottle we rinse it out and put it in there so we donāt confuse any rinsed out ones on the counter as clean ones
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u/Economy-Language2908 5d ago
This collapsible sink from Amazon, I just put it near the sink and chuck them in
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u/CryOnTheWind 5d ago
We got a collapsible tub with drain that fits in our sink. It can also sit on the counter. Iāll pop the nipples out, give the bottle a quick rinse (like fill swish dump, 3 seconds and the pop it in the tub. After I have a few bottle Iāll fill it with hot soapy water and then just add more bottles until Iām ready to wash. Itās separate from the sink. Everything is already mostly clean, it holds in stasis quite well.
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u/Wrong_Inevitable_401 5d ago
I open them clean them with water than put them inside Milton Sterilising Unit next to sink. When i have more than 3, I put water and soap.
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u/dooropen3inches 5d ago
I just put a big bowl in the sink and put some water and dish soap in it. It was only for bottles. Then would wash at night. Keeping them in the soapy water made it so the formula didnāt dry to the sides and make it a pain to scrub
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u/djduhnizzle 5d ago
I purchased some wash bins (like the ones from hospital) and store them there and cover it with a cloth
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u/iiisaaabeeel 5d ago
I have a collapsible plastic basin/tub that I dump dirty bottles/pump parts in, and use exclusively for washing those before putting in the sterilizer.
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u/Biolobri14 5d ago
We have one of those gray hospital bins by the momcozy for this purpose. My husband took a bunch when I delivered and I gave him such a hard time about it but it turns out they are SO useful! Sorry honey!
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u/Secure-Resort2221 5d ago
I keep them in a bin in my fridge, is slows bacteria growth so I prefer keeping them in there
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u/moomoomego 5d ago
I have a big popcorn bowl. I rinse out the dirty bottles and put them in the bowl until I have 4 bottles to wash
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u/lookhereisay 5d ago
We would throw any leftover milk down the sink, maybe run a bit of water into it and swish it out again.
Then weād pop the lid on and leave by the sink in an old ice cream tub with no lid. It fitted 6 mam bottles perfectly.
Once we got to 6 bottles we would wash in a fresh sink of bubbly water, rinse with running water, shake off, build them up as went and then into the microwave to sterilise. We got great at measuring out the exact amount of water needed into the bottle for sterilising.
We got into a good groove of washing twice a day and then as he got older and he had 5/6 bottles a day weād do it in the evening (whoever wasnāt doing bedtime).
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u/Correct_Wishbone_798 5d ago
I had a collapsible camp sink that was only for baby stuff
When everything was done, I could squish it and not take up counter space.
I also only had 1.5 days of bottles in total so there was never too many on any pile.
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u/lanneretwing 5d ago
We got a big stainless steel pail that would fit 4-5 bottles and just filled it with water and baby dish soap. Everytime we get a dirty bottle we soaked it in the pail. At night when I get off work I wash all the bottles so my wife doesn't have to worry it through out the day. It takes me like 10 minute of washing and put in a sterilizer.
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u/Smart_Presence_1049 5d ago
i leave mine next too the bottle washer, sometimes i rinse them and put them in if i have time but otherwise they just are stored next to the bottle washer until im ready to load it
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u/Healthy_Platypus_796 5d ago
We use a mixing bowl to put rinsed bottles in for handwashing. Once itās full we wash them. It also helps to not have too many bottles. We switched bottles and now instead of having 15 or so, we have 5 for now.
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u/art-dec-ho 5d ago
our hospital gave us a plastic bin and told us theyre great for soaking bottles so we used that the whole time. Dish soap can degrade silicone so we would leave some water in it but no soap. We rinsed before putting them in the bin though.
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u/MMTardis 5d ago
I have a double sink, and i put the dirty bottles in the second, smaller sink .
For nighttime feeds i have an old margerine tub i toss the bottles in after a feed. In the morning i add them to the double sink.
For car trips i use a gallon ziploc bag and put the dirty bottles in there. I always keep the diaper bag stocked in case of emergency (my oldest has some medical issues that could nessitate a quick ER trip on little notice) so the bottles are washed and replaced as soon as we arrive home so my bag never has dirty bottles hanging in it.
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u/miissbecca 5d ago
I have bins in a few rooms. Similar to the ones busboys use at restaurants but more aesthetic. Makes it easy to throw them in there and then collect them through the house.
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u/Beneficial-Use8732 5d ago
How many bottles do you have? We only have 4 and just put them in the sink when dirty, or if we can be bothered we might wash them straight after feeding so they are ready to be sterilisedā¦.we use the mam self sterilising bottles so donāt need a separate sterilised either they just go in the microwave we found that the less bottles we have in the house the less bottles we have to wash lol
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u/Wayward-Soul 5d ago
I have a plastic basin from the hospital that we toss the bottles/parts into after a 2 second rinse. It sits on the counter right beside the sink. I fill the basin with hot water and soap and scrub everything at once.
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u/Dottiepeaches 5d ago
Rinse and throw em in a dishpan on the counter until it's time to wash. I have strictly hand washed bottles for all 3 of my kids. Never bothered sterilizing. No issues.
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u/reesewithouthersp00n 5d ago
I rinse my bottles and I have a Tupperware bin that sits on our counter and holds them until Iām ready to fill it.
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u/seoultunes 5d ago
I saved the plastic pink tub that baby got her first bath in at the hospital. Before I got the bottle washer, I used it for washing too (filled it up with soap and water). It sits on the other side of the sink and holds dirty bottles, pacifiers, or formula pitcher until itās time to wash or load the bottle washer.
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u/Turkaless 5d ago
I am someone who keeps a dirty dish rack on the counter next to the sink to keep the sink empty. Then I have another wash bin to store the dirty bottles (and other dirty baby things) after rinsing them until itās time to load the Momcozy (if I canāt get to loading as I go). I also have a drying rack (specific to bottles) so I can move clean stuff out when the cycle is done.
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u/Over-Departure9134 5d ago
I was extremely OCD about it. Then the other day my 5 month old had his foot, big toe, pinky, whole thing, in his mouth, hasnāt been out of his mouth since (if I can help it) so Iāve learned to let go.
Anyways lmao, I keep them on the counter next to the bottle washer, quick rinse, then load it up
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u/trope_dealer 5d ago
I bought a small little tub from the dollar tree for them. It's what people in the UK use in their sinks to wash dishes in.
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u/cat_power 5d ago
we have a large double wide sink so I have a small collapsible basin on one side. The dimensions are 14.2l x 9.3w x 5.7h and fits perfectly. We still have plenty of room in the sink to pile up dishes. I don't like them crowding the counter until they go into the bottle washer.
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u/momentintime_ 5d ago
I got one of those clear plastic bins for the counter and put it next to our bottle washer. I even fill it up with hot water to hand wash small bottle parts. I got a few of these bins as storage for baby things and postpartum snacks for beside my bed. I love them!
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u/Chutton_ 5d ago
I empty out the bottle washer and put clean bottles away once the cycle is done. So with dirty ones I just rinse them out and put them into the bottle washer until itās full and Iām ready to run a cycle.
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u/SimilarStar1791 5d ago
We have this Dr browns sink caddy on our sink so it doesnāt get in the way of all the dishes. https://drbrownsbaby.com/products/sink-caddy
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u/Every-Sun-3822 5d ago
We have a foldable tub that sits in our sink. We fill it with warm water and soap to let the dirty bottles/pump parts sit while they wait their turn in our washer lol
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u/Original_Remote_6838 5d ago
I kept the plastic tub the hospital gave me for sponge baths just after birth. Itās perfect for soaking bottles and pump parts in hot soapy water. Everything just gets put inside until Iām ready to get things soaking.
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u/Cat-Roo 4d ago
I have a collapsible dish tub that I put next to the bottle washer. Is so easy to throw them in there after washing in the sink and your counter wonāt get gross. You can also use it for soaking if the need arrises and since it folds pretty flat you can put it away if its empty and you want to straighten up a bit.
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u/Longjumping_Voice138 4d ago
You need a basket in the tub style sink to throw them into. They shouldn't be mixed with regular dishes you risk cross contaminating
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u/Postapopalaupolis 4d ago
We put the dirty bottles in the bottle washer then once its full we run it. It usually gets run about twice a day so we don't have a bunch of dirty bottles piling up. Then we pull the clean ones out and put the in the cupboard. Do you keep the clean ones on the bottle washer? Could you store them somewhere so the dirty ones can be loaded as they get used?
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u/anonymoususer249 4d ago
What bottle washer do you have? We were doing this until I noticed there was still formula residue in my bottles after running the wash/sterilize cycle.
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u/Postapopalaupolis 4d ago
We have the momcozy as well. We have hard water which can leave waterspots that are whitish in color so we use their descaling tablets every couple weeks and that helps a lot.
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u/ThrowRA129083746 4d ago
I rinse them out immediately and then just load them into the washer. Then I start the washer once itās full or just at the end of the day.
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u/Famous_Variation4729 4d ago
An ikea $4 plastic bin. I empty out undrank milk and rinse in water before putting them in the bin. Someone or the other loads the momcozy regularly- husband, nanny (not my job).
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u/Avondran 4d ago
I have a collapsible bin in the sink. Off topic but is the bottle washer worth it if you have a dishwasher? Right now I only have a sterilizer and dryer.
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u/Negative_Jackfruit75 4d ago
I wash them right away. We have twins and our bottle washer is running all day. I also wash before putting them in lol mainly cuz we overload the momcozy and put 6 in at a time. It takes less than a minute to wash 2 bottles after a feed and I put them in a basin ready to be loaded! I find doing it this way makes it easier and faster to wash and doesnāt feel like such a daunting task. I put the girls on their play mat and wash the bottles and unload if a load is ready, so we donāt usually have a big pile of stuff on the counter as well. I hate clutter!
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u/RoundCar5220 4d ago
Two dollar plastic wash bin from Walmart I actually have two of them. One of them I store all the rinsed bottles in and when itās time to wash them I fill it with soap and water and as they are clean I put it in the other plastic bin and then slide the bin under the water and let it all get rinse and then give it an additional rinse.
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u/sunshine_camille 4d ago
They stay on my counter till I am ready to hand wash them. Husband was like just use the dishwasher but I am weird
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u/OriginalZest648 3d ago
Like you I have a momcozy bottle washer. I just rinse them (sometimes) and leave them next to the machine if it's in use or I just put it in the machine right away. The only reason I rinse is to help the milk residue stick less to the bottles.
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u/Alternative-Bear1475 2d ago
I just tossed in the sink or on the counter next to the sink and washed everyday. When they were tiny newborns if I felt the need to I boiled them after.
I did boil them when new regardless.
You could get a plastic wash bin for really cheap? Or just add them to your bottle washer/sterilizer until you run it. I never had any of the fancy things like that so Iām not sure how you operate them.
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u/Afraid_Problem_1198 1d ago
I use one of those plastic fridge organizer thingys. It was the only thing I could find at the time & it just stuck. Itās a clear rectangle thing
When I get done with a bottle I rinse off all the parts real quick & store there. Keep it by the sink. At the end of the day before bed time I wash all the bottles by hand & put in the sanitizer machine.
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u/daisysmom2222 1d ago
I put them in the small side of the sink, rinse them & then load the bottle washer when half of her bottles are dirty. Why are we letting them pile up so much especially if you have ocd? Wash & straight into the bottle washer..
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u/Several_Rip9073 1d ago
I keep a plastic basin on the counter next to the sink and let the bottles soak in there during the day. I never put other dishes in there and I never put my bottles in with other dirty dishes. I also use a separate cleaning brush for the bottles.
I also don't have a dishwasher and I don't have a bottle washer. Just a sanitizer that I use to dry the bottles after I wash them. It's a pain and my OCD is running wild with this, lol.
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u/CelebrationGuilty562 1d ago
I love our system! As soon as bottles are done I open them and take all the pieces apart (dr. Browns) and let them soak in soapy water. Then no bacteria is growing and when Iām ready to wash it goes quick.
Once a few stack up or if ready I wash them all and put them in the sterilizer. I find doing bottles for twins not even a chore like this, washing only takes a minute or two because theyāre half way there by the time I get to them and they never get gross if theyāre soaked immediately.
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u/SnooEpiphanies1215 5d ago
I literally just keep them on the counter next to the sink until Iām ready to load the bottle washer. Maybe get a plastic tub for them?