Do You Need A Baby Bottle Brush? – What You Need To Know
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First-time parents can feel overwhelmed by all the purchases they have to make before the baby arrives. Many purchases seem unnecessary at first, and you might be wondering which baby items are truly worth it. But some pieces of baby gear are very useful, even if they seem strange, including a baby bottle brush.
You need a baby bottle brush if you’re going to bottle-feed your baby. You can clean your bottles without a bottle brush, but it is an inexpensive purchase that will save you time and effort.
Parents who know they’re going to feed their baby formula should get a bottle brush along with a set of bottles. If you’re not sure how you plan on feeding your baby and you remain undecided about a bottle brush, keep reading. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about baby bottle brushes.
What Is a Baby Bottle Brush?
A baby bottle brush, also known as a bottled brush, is a device used to clean the inside of baby bottles. It is composed of a handle with a brush or sponge on the end. Many baby bottle brushes also include a second, smaller brush for cleaning the nipple or teat of the bottle.
Baby bottles can be narrow and difficult (if not fully impossible) to get your hand inside when cleaning. You need to make sure your baby bottles are very clean because an improperly cleaned bottle can become a breeding ground for bacteria that could make your baby sick.
There are three types of baby bottle brushes: sponge brushes, bristle brushes, and silicone brushes.
Sponge brushes have a piece of sponge at the end of the wand. Bristle brushes have a series of tough, cleaning bristles on the end, while silicone brushes have flexible, silicone bristles that won’t scratch your baby’s bottle. Some bottle brushes use a combination of sponge and bristles for a more thorough clean.
Babies drink between four and eight bottles a day, which means you’ll be washing a lot of bottles for the first few months of your baby’s life. A bottle brush will make all that cleaning easier for you.
What Are the Advantages of Using a Baby Bottle Brush?
There are several advantages of using a baby bottle brush, ranging from its small, convenient size to the ease of use. A baby bottle brush is a handy, affordable addition to your arsenal of kitchen appliances.
A bottle brush makes it much easier to clean your baby’s bottles. It allows you to reach the nooks and crannies of your bottles and teats, ensuring your baby has a clean bottle to eat from. A bottle brush is simple, intuitive, and easy to use when washing bottles by hand.
Bottle brushes take up very little space in your kitchen, unlike bottle sterilisers. Many brushes have a hole in the handle so that you can hang them near your sink. Others come with a stand for easy access. Your bottle brush will be easy for you to find without taking up much counter space.
Bottle brushes are also more affordable than the alternatives. Bottle steriliser systems can be expensive, and dishwashers use a lot of water and electricity. A bottle brush only requires a running sink and some gentle dish soap.
What Are the Disadvantages of Using a Baby Bottle Brush?
There are very few disadvantages to having a baby bottle brush unless you already plan on purchasing a bottle steriliser. Parents who plan to wash their bottles by hand have very little to lose by purchasing a bottle brush.
The biggest disadvantage of using a bottle brush is its longevity. A bottle brush with a sponge should be replaced every 1-2 months. A brush with bristles will last longer, but the bristles will eventually start to fray and shed. Silicone brushes can be used until they start appearing worn down.
After you clean your baby’s bottles, you will have to clean the bottle brush as well. If you’re using a bristle or silicone brush, you may find it difficult to clean in between all the bristles. However, it is important to clean your bottle brush – after all, you don’t want to scrub your baby’s bottles with a germ-covered sponge.
Parents who plan to use a bottle steriliser or dishwasher may find their bottle brush obsolete. Bottle brushes are for parents who will wash their bottles by hand or who want to make sure their bottles are cleaner than they can manage by hand.
Are There Alternatives to a Baby Bottle Brush?
There are three main alternatives to a baby bottle brush: a dishwasher, a sanitiser, and washing by hand. Some parents use one of these methods in conjunction with a bottle brush or a combination of them. The method you choose is up to your budget, preferences, and space you have in your kitchen.
If your kitchen includes a dishwasher, you may decide you don’t need a bottle brush. However, you should make sure that your bottles are safe to run through the dishwasher, and you can clean them when you wash your dishes. Your baby may use up to eight bottles a day, so be prepared to run your dishwasher at least once a day.
Some parents opt for a baby bottle steriliser. These devices use hot steam to thoroughly clean your bottles. They are designed to kill bacteria. Most sterilisers can disinfect multiple bottles at once and take less than ten minutes to run, saving you time and effort.
However, a steriliser is not cheap and will take up counter space in your kitchen.
Finally, some parents choose to wash their bottles by hand without the aid of a bottle brush. Hand-washing is the cheapest but most labour-intensive option.
If your bottles are too narrow for you to fit your hand inside, you run the risk of not cleaning your bottles thoroughly. But parents who are on a budget and don’t mind doing extra work may be satisfied with washing their bottles without a brush.
Some parents mix and match baby bottle cleaning methods. They might use a bottle brush to quickly clean a bottle in the sink and then a steriliser or dishwasher for a deep clean.
They may use the steriliser on days when their baby eats exclusively from a bottle. However, on days when the baby breastfeeds and uses fewer bottles, parents may save electricity and wash the bottles by hand.
How Expensive Is a Baby Bottle Brush?
Baby bottle brushes are not expensive at all. Many baby bottle kits or bundles include a bottle brush and provide great value for your money. Bottle brushes are far less expensive than bottle sanitisers or dishwashers, too.
You’ll have to replace your brush as it gets worn out and dirty, but the cost is still less than a sanitiser.
Here are some highly-rated baby bottle brushes for you to compare. You can find all of these bottle brushes on Amazon with the links below:
| Brand | Brush Type | Teat Brush Included |
| NUK 2 in 1 Bottle and Teat Brush | Bristle | Yes |
| BYKITCHEN Silicone Bottle Brush | Silicone | No |
| MR.SIGA Water Bottle Brush Cleaning Set | Bristle | Yes |
| MAM Soft Baby Bottle Brush | Silicone | Yes |
| OXO Tot Bottle Brush | Bristle | Yes |
| Dr Browns Bottle and Teat Brush | Bristle and Sponge | Yes |
Most of these options will still only cost a fraction of the average bottle steriliser.
Do You Need a Baby Bottle Brush?
If you don’t have a steriliser or dishwasher, you need a bottle brush to clean your baby bottles. Using a bottle brush is easier and more effective than cleaning your bottles by hand. You’ll save yourself some effort, and you’ll ensure your baby is eating from a clean bottle.
You don’t need a bottle brush if you already have a steriliser. You will not need a bottle brush if you plan on exclusively breastfeeding. However, if you plan on pumping and bottle-feeding your baby breastmilk, you’ll still need to clean bottles, and a bottle brush will come in handy.
However, some mothers may find the bottle brush useful when cleaning their breast pumps, so you may want to consider investing in one even if you’re exclusively breastfeeding.