Tommee Tippee offers a variety of baby products, ranging from glass bottles to silicone bottles, bottle warmers, sterilizers, and so much more. These are highly recommended for babies due to their out-of-the-ordinary build quality.
Considering the quality of these bottles, the only way to ensure their durability is to determine if they can go in the dishwasher. So, are Tommee Tippee bottles dishwasher safe? Let’s find out.
Are Tommee Tippee Bottles Dishwasher Safe?
Tommee Tippee bottles are reusable bottles for your babies and of extremely well qualified. Fortunately, Tommee Tippee bottles are dishwasher safe. However, there are certain steps you need to take when placing them in the dishwasher.
This is because a dishwasher uses high pressures and multiple heating elements to clean stuff, so you will have to be a little careful when cleaning your Tommee Tippee bottles (glass and silicone based) in the dishwasher.
Here’s a detailed insight into this to help you decide whether it is worth cleaning your Tommee Tippee bottles in the dishwasher or should you resort to hand washing them instead.
Is It Ok To Put Baby Bottles In The Dishwasher?
Dishwashers make our lives easier by cleaning a variety of kitchen items for us, but what about baby bottles? Well, when it comes to putting baby bottles in the dishwasher, it depends on the build quality of the baby bottles.
If you’re using a baby bottle from a well-off brand such as Tommee Tippee, it will most likely withstand the high pressures of a dishwasher. Whereas if you’ve got your baby bottle from a local store and of poor quality, it will not be wise to put in a dishwasher.
But that’s not all; besides the build quality, it also depends on whether your bottle is made from glass, plastic, or silicone. Some materials like plastic and silicone may be affected by the high temperatures in a dishwasher.
While baby bottles can safely go in the dishwasher, a general rule of thumb is to use a medium hot water cycle for glass bottles.
Whereas for plastic and silicone bottles, a medium heat water cycle will do no harm if it’s a once a week wash in the dishwasher. However, if you frequently wash your silicone or plastic bottles in the dishwasher, it is best to use a cold water cycle.
On a side note, always put the baby bottle on the top rack and as far away from the heating elements as possible. This will lower the amount of wear and tear caused on the bottle due to high temperature and high pressures of the dishwasher.
Can Tommee Tippee Anti Colic Bottles Go In The Dishwasher?
Fortunately, yes! Tommee Tippee Anti Colic Bottles can safely go in the dishwasher. They are of excellent quality and can withstand multiple cycles in the dishwasher as long as you carefully follow the following set of instructions.
- If this is the first time you’re washing your Tommee Tippee Anti Colic Bottle in the dishwasher, you should take apart all of the pieces of the bottle, including the venting wheel and the valve part. Place them in boiling water for 4 – 5 minutes so that you can ensure there are no blockages in the valve. (Keep in mind, this step is just for the initial wash, and afterward you do not have to disassemble the entire bottle).
- Afterward, place the parts on the first shelf of your dishwasher. Make sure they are securely placed so that they do not move around with high pressures.
- Let the dishwasher run at a medium-heat water cycle.
- Make sure that the bottle is away from the heating elements of the dishwasher and not directly placed in front of them. Ta-da! That’s all you need to do.
Are Tommee Tippee Silicone Bottles Dishwasher Safe?
Tommee Tippee Silicone Bottles are extremely durable and perfectly fine to go in the dishwasher. You can safely run them in your dishwasher to wipe away all of the dirt, spots, and oily surface from the baby bottle.
In fact, Tommee Tippee Silicone Bottles are so strong that they can even withstand the high temperatures of a microwave, and even sterilizers and bottle warmers. Just make sure you do not overdo this as constant exposure to high temperatures will take a toll on the build of silicone bottles.
As with the Tommee Tippee Anti Colic Bottles, you also need to place the silicone bottles away from the heating elements of a dishwasher and always in the top rack. This will ensure your Tommee Tippee Silicone Bottles get a thorough wash while at the same time being safe from the adverse effects of a dishwasher.
How Do You Clean Tommee Tippee Bottles?
Cleaning Tommee Tippee bottles is an easy task, and there is no rocket science behind it. You need to follow certain steps to ensure your Tommee Tippee bottle gets a through wash and is ready for re-use.
- For a first time wash, you need to disassemble the entire bottle. Remove the anti-colic valve/star valve, the venting wheel, the venting tube, and place all of the components separately.
- Put all of these parts in hot boiling water and let them sit for a couple of minutes. This will ensure safe hygiene and also open up any blockages the components might have.
- After a couple of minutes, you can either get warm soapy water in a bowl or clean them with the soapy water. Or, instead of washing them by hand, you can place them on the top rack of your dishwasher.
- Set the temperature of your dishwasher on medium – warm water, and let it run a complete cycle. Make sure you use a safe detergent that does not leave a residual effect such as smell on the bottle.
- After your dishwasher has run its course, you should take out your Tommy Tippee bottle. Check if the bottle is thoroughly cleaned and ensure that there are no spots left on it. In addition to this, you also need to sure that there is no odor in the bottle itself.
- After cleaning the Tommy Tippee bottle, dry off all the parts and prepare them for sterilization.
That is all you need to do to ensure a proper cleaning of your Tommy Tippee baby bottle. Before you go ahead and feed your baby with the bottle, here are some extra steps to ensure there are no blockages in the tube.
- Make sure that the star valve’s slit is open. Hold it in front of a light and see if it is open. In case the slit is sealed, gently pinch it with your fingers to open it.
- Make sure that the heat sensing strips and all of the components of your Tommy Tippee bottle are at room temperature, and that’s it! You’re ready for your next feed!
Why Do Tommee Tippee Bottles Go Yellow?
Tommy Tippee bottles (plastic ones) go yellow after a couple of months of usage. This is perfectly normal, and the same scenario happens with all plastic bottles, irrespective of the brand they are from.
It is normal for plastic bottles to discolor over time and turn into a yellow color (the outer layer of the bottle turns yellow). The primary reason why this happens is due to frequent usage and exposure to the fat from formula and breast milk.
Other reasons behind this discoloration are simply fat deposits (irrespective of the source), residue food, exposure to high temperatures (dishwashers, bottle warmers, sterilizers), detergents, and fruit juices.
There’s nothing you should be worried about, and it is perfectly fine for usage. Just make sure you give your Tommee Tippee bottle a thorough wash in the dishwasher and ensure you sterilize it occasionally to remove any disease-causing pathogens or bacteria from it (in case you leave it outside after usage).
On a side note, there are special cleaning agents that can help you remove the faded color (yellow discoloration) if it is bothering you. These are readily available in your local stores and in online stores as well.
Do You Need To Sterilize Baby Bottles If You Have A Dishwasher?
While dishwashers feature high temperatures and can efficiently clean your baby bottles, it fails to sterilize them. So, ultimately, you must sterilize your baby bottle and the teats even after running it in the dishwasher.
Here is why you should sterilize Tommy Tippee baby bottles:
Sterilizing your baby bottle goes way past just giving it a simple wash. It adds an extra layer of protection against harmful bacteria that can lead to physical discomfort, including tummy aches in your little ones. In fact, sterilizing is one of the most important steps you should be taking when it comes to the frequent usage of baby equipment.
All parts of your Tommy Tippee bottle need to be sterilized.
These include:
- Nipple of the bottle
- Main body of the bottle
- Hood
- Any connectors or attachments
You need to sterilize your baby bottle prior to using it for the first time and after every time you use it. You shouldn’t simply put your baby’s feed in the bottle and give it to your baby without sterilizing it.
Here is how you should sterilize your Tommy Tippee baby bottle (Also implies to other baby bottles):
Before sterilizing your baby bottle, you must wash all of the components of the baby bottle in warm soapy water. This will help remove bacteria produced due to leftover milk. You can also wash it in the first rack of the dishwasher for a quicker job.
- After washing it, you can either use the conventional approach of boiling up a pan of water and putting your baby bottle components/parts in it.
- Similarly, you can also steam sterilize it in your microwave, or if you have an electric sterilizer in your home, you can use that instead.
- If you’re not a fan of the hot water approach, you can also get sterilization tablets or formula, add it to cold water, and simply put your baby bottle in it. For an even quicker job, a UV light will also serve the purpose of sterilizing your baby bottle.
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