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Filed Under Dear SafeMama

With my first daughter, I sterilized her pacifiers in the microwave using Medela’s “microwave-safe” bags. If microwaving in plastic is no longer recommended due to leaching chemicals, how can I safely sanitize my soon-to-be next daughter’s (bpa-free) pacifiers? I am now at a loss to know what sterilization methods won’t leach any chemicals from both the pacifier AND the sanitizer product (be it a bag or steaming appliance, etc.) The same goes for sterilizing and cleaning baby bottles and nipples.

I was never a big fan of sterilization. I bought one of those bottle sterilizers and it quickly became a place for me to store my mail. For me, washing my bottles (and other baby accouterments) in soap and hot water (or the dishwasher prior to finding out how bad it was to do that) was good enough for me.

And really, that’s all you need, is just some soap and hot water and it will be fine. Sure, it’s more time consuming, but in the end, it’s the safest and certainly effective way to clean your pacifiers If your pacifiers are pure silicone (such as the Soothie brand for example), you could, if you wanted to, initially (and continually, if you so desired, but really it isn’t necessary) boil them in hot water, since silicone is inert and doesn’t pose any leaching risks. Otherwise, I feel that sterilization leads to the whole “too clean” mentality and causes strains of super germs. The same goes for nipples, you can boil them, but it’s totally O.K. to put them right in the hot soapy water along with your pacifiers.

Posted by: Statia on March 4, 2009