Be honest, how often do you wash your pump parts?

[Anonymous]

I wash nightly, store in the fridge between sessions in a waterproof zipper pouch. I have two sets but don't like using wet parts so easy then every night. I don't understand those wipes because it isn't like you can get your fingers into the nooks and crannies with them, so I fail to see the point. If I drop something on the floor I'll do a hot rinse. I never sterilize, microwave or otherwise, after the first time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I washed once a week when pumping for 18 months with my child. Kept the parts in the fridge at work and washed on Friday.

+1 This exactly.

+2. This exactly for me, too.

I'm the Wednesday and Friday washer. I notice my parts start smelling strongly of milk, not sour, but strong, if I go more than 3-ish days between washing. Do the once a week washers get this? Do you wipe the drops off the parts between uses? I am L.A.Z.Y and don't want to do anymore work than necessary, but take the strong smell as my cue to clean.

[Anonymous]

I EP. I did the fridge thing when I was pumping more often but now that I'm down to three ppd, I wash them in hot soapy water every time. I tried the Medela wipes at work and gave up on those pretty quickly - they just can't get in some of the nooks and crannies the way water can, and I found my parts were stinking of sour milk. Ew.

I only sterilize in one of those microwave bags about once a week, though when I was dealing with thrush I did it every time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I EP. I did the fridge thing when I was pumping more often but now that I'm down to three ppd, I wash them in hot soapy water every time. I tried the Medela wipes at work and gave up on those pretty quickly - they just can't get in some of the nooks and crannies the way water can, and I found my parts were stinking of sour milk. Ew.

I only sterilize in one of those microwave bags about once a week, though when I was dealing with thrush I did it every time.

Actually - i should say they get washed every time. My husband does my home ones mostly.

[Anonymous]

I have 4 sets of parts, so I rotate and wash & sterilize once a week. So, every time I use my parts for a day (stored in the refrigerator between pumps), they are freshly washed & sterilized.

The main tip I got from breastfeeding classes and other mommies is to have multiple sets of parts and enough bottles to last you all week so you're only washing 1-2 times per week. It also lessens the use of the same parts over and over so they last longer.

I could never see only washing parts once a week - that stuff starts to stink!

[Anonymous]

Once a day until I got thrush at 10 months. Then I had to boil them after every use.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The standard thinking seems to be that you should wash them once a day and keep them in the fridge in between washings. If you have two sets, you could just wash them all together every second day. That's what I did. Also, I never sterilized mine after the first few weeks.

There are also evidently some wipes designed (or marketed!) specifically for pump parts, but I never bought those. They get recommended here all the time, though.

I use these. They are the Medela "Quick Clean" wipes. They seem to work well.
I've been pumping at work for 5 months now, and I have yet to wash my pump parts at work (no pumping room available, and I just don't want to use the community kitchen sink or bathroom sinks). Occasionally I will clean parts using the wipes, but most of the time I store the parts in a ziploc in a cooler bag in our refrigerator, then wash nightly at home.

+1 to the Medela wipes. So handy. That's what I used after pumping each time at work, then I'd wash the parts once I got home. I also used the wipes a lot when traveling, since there is no way to store the parts a fridge while you are en route.

[Anonymous]

This is old news op. It's what most people do. You can also buy the medela wipes.

[Anonymous]

I feel a little weird about washing my parts in the office kitchen sink in front of everyone. So I wipe them down after each pump (I use pacifier wipes, much cheaper than the Medela wipes) and wash them at home. I haven't had any issues with them smelling like sour milk because I store them in the same bag with the big ice pack and the milk during the day.

[Anonymous]

Wash in the dishwasher every 2-3 days and keep in the fridge in between. Never had a problem.

Also, I thought thrush originates on the breasts, not pump parts? I know it would transfer from breasts to pump parts once it's there, but it doesn't make sense for it to originate with pump and move to breasts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I started out being super careful to wash the parts after every session and sterilizing every day. After a few weeks I became more lax and just relied on running them through the dishwasher.

Then I got thrush and I was in a world of pain. I started sterilizing after every single use. It was super time consuming and I was kicking myself. It took a full month for the thrush to clear. Absolute hell.

I got thrush really early on with my first...and it took almost two months to fully clear. I washed and sterilized after every use. I had multiple sets of parts so I only had to wash once throughout the day and I used the sterilizer bag at work (or brought them home). For my second, I've started off this way since thrush was basically living hell for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I started out being super careful to wash the parts after every session and sterilizing every day. After a few weeks I became more lax and just relied on running them through the dishwasher.

Then I got thrush and I was in a world of pain. I started sterilizing after every single use. It was super time consuming and I was kicking myself. It took a full month for the thrush to clear. Absolute hell.

I got thrush really early on with my first...and it took almost two months to fully clear. I washed and sterilized after every use. I had multiple sets of parts so I only had to wash once throughout the day and I used the sterilizer bag at work (or brought them home). For my second, I've started off this way since thrush was basically living hell for me.

PP again. I should add that our pumping room had a sink and microwave, so this was easier and private to do. At home we have the Avent microwave sterilizer which makes things really easy. I'm paranoid about sterilizing things, apparently.

[Anonymous]

Honestly I wash with hot soapy water once a day. Rinse with hot water the other times. Nothing else

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have 2 sets (more, actually, because it was trial and error to find comfortable flanges) that work for me.

I keep each set in a reusable ziploc bag. I use one set all day, storing in the fridge between pumps, and DH washes it all at the end of the day and puts it on the rack to dry. One set is usually drying while the other is being used.

We agreed long ago that if I was having to spend my time pumping, he would be responsible for cleaning parts, bottles, and packing my pump bag.

So, I never *personally* wash my parts, but the get washed daily. He hand washes or sometimes throws in dishwasher if he's running it. Gave up sanitizing long ago.

This is our deal too. And most of my friends' as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:After DD was born I started pumping around 4 weeks and was washing my parts in hot soapy water each time. I'm about to head back to work at 12 weeks and can't imagine having to wash them each time I pump, which could be up to 4 times a day because I work four tens. If breastmilk is fine in the refrigerator for 6-8 days, isn't it OK to just throw your pump parts into a ziploc and keep them refrigerated in between pumps? Can I do this for a few days at a time or should I be taking them home each night to wash?

I washed mine every night after a days use. At work I would use those steam cleaning bags meant for the microwave in between pumping session