All the little things you need to do to take care of your baby sure add up during the day - probably more than you ever could have imagined. Between numerous diaper changes, feeding 8 - 12 times per day, and cleaning baby bottles (just to name a few), there’s little time for much else. Which is why if you can cut down time on any of those, you’d take it, right? One way to simplify your day a bit is by getting the easiest baby bottles to clean.
There are different characteristics to look for so you know you’re buying an easy-to-clean baby bottle. We'll discuss those as well as give you our top five bottle favorites in that category that can put precious minutes back into your day.
How to Know if a Bottle Will be Easy to Clean
If you want to simplify parenthood, we recommend getting a bottle for your baby that won’t take you forever to clean (because trust us those are out there, too).
Here’s what to look for to find the easiest to clean baby bottles:
1.) Fewest Number of Parts
You’ve likely seen some of those anti-colic bottles out there that come with more pieces than you know what to do with. And though you would be willing to figure that out if it truly helped your baby’s tummy troubles, most babies will do well with a standard bottle that there’s no need to have all of those extra parts. Or, if your baby does need an anti-colic venting system, you can find easier to clean bottles that utilize vents within the nipple that don’t require any extra parts to clean.
If you’re looking for the easiest to clean option, don’t buy a bottle with more than 3 parts (not including the cap). We also have a couple on our list that only have 2 parts!
2.) Wide Neck and Mouth
Fewer parts is important, but if it’s a super skinny bottle that can still make things a bit tricky. So you don’t have to worry about reaching all the nooks and crannies and for cleaning simplicity even on the go (when you may not have your trusty bottle brush with you), you’ll want to go for a bottle that’s wide at the top as well as wide most of the way down (a bit of tapering is okay).
3.) Easy to Clean Material
Most baby bottles are made from BPA plastic, but silicone is becoming a pretty popular material and glass is making a comeback, as well. All three materials are pretty equal in the “cleaning the milk off” department, but if you want a clean and pristine looking bottle even after months of use there’s one clear winner. And that’s glass. Unlike plastic and silicone that can discolor and absorb odors after prolonged use, tempered glass (the type used to make baby bottles) will stay looking shiny and new for years to come.
Whereas you may find yourself, using your elbow grease to get that cloudy film to stay away from your plastic bottles as your baby gets older, glass bottles can be used for all your babies and stay looking as good as the day that you bought them. That’s why we were sure to include a couple great glass options on our list!
Easiest to Clean Baby Bottles
We’ve narrowed down a very long list of bottles to the top 5 that are the easiest to clean. Between few parts, a wide design and easy to clean materials, we’re confident you can find a bottle that your baby will love (even for those gassy babies who need an anti-colic option) that also keeps the washing time to a minimum.
1.) Comotomo
Comotomo has coined their design as “breastfeeding in a bottle.” Their goal in mind when creating this silicone-based bottle was to keep cleaning easy by making with a wide neck while also eliminating leaking air vents and reducing nipple confusion as much as possible. This bottle also topped our overall 10 best baby bottles list!
Other features to love include:
- Wide mound and naturally shaped nipple mimic breastfeeding
- Silicone is soft and squeezy for a skin-like touch and feel
- Easy for baby to grip
- Dual anti-colic vent to prevent colic, burping and gas
- Wide enough to clean by hand
- Heat-resistant material means they can be placed in the dishwasher, sterilizer or microwave
2.) Olababy
The look and feel of Olababy is similar to Comotomo, though the offset nipple is what sets it apart. The wide neck bottle is made of silicone which makes for simple cleaning. Parents say they appreciate not having any unnecessary parts needing to be washed.
Other features to love include:
- Off-set nipple design mimics breastfeeding for easy latching
- Reduced bottle rejection from breastfed babies
- Integrated dual-venting anti-colic system
- Designed with baby’s exploration in mind
- Attractive colors to aid in baby’s visual development
- Smooth texture for easy grip
- 4 oz. and 8 oz. size options
3.) Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature
The three-part Tommee Tippee bottles are one of the most popular bottle choices available. Not only do parents love them for the simple-to-clean widemouth design, but the award-winning breast-like nipple also makes for a comfortable feeding experience for their little one that closely resembles breastfeeding.
Other features to love include:
- Touted as the “Most breast-like nipple ever made”
- Flexible nipple designed to feel “just like mom”
- Super wide nipple encourages a natural latch
- 92% of parents who used Closer to Nature nipples with their babies reported acceptance within the first three attempts
- Built-in anti-colic valve
- 100% BPA-Free Plastic Bottle and Silicone Nipple
4.) NUK Simply Natural Glass Bottles
These odor and stain-resistant glass bottles make for easy cleaning while also being an eco-conscious choice (you’ll be less likely to replace them since they’ll look good as new for years to come). And with a wide top and only three parts, these NUK bottles are a cinch to clean between feedings, too.
Other features to love include:
- Designed to mimic the fit, flow and movement of mom
- Nine nipple holes, just like a breast
- Scooped nipple cavity allows space for baby’s tongue and jaw to move naturally
- 1-piece anti-colic air system to reduce colic, gas and spit up
- 100% BPA-Free Tempered Glass Bottle and Silicone Nipple
- Dishwasher-Safe
5.) Philips AVENT Natural Glass Baby Bottle
The glass baby bottle from Philips AVENT is made from premium quality borosilicate glass to allow for ultimate purity. This characteristic, combined with the wide mouth design, means you’ll have a bottle that’s both easy-to-clean and long-lasting. Not only are you making a smart choice to get your time back, but you’re also helping the environment while doing so! You’ll also love that there are just a few parts for easy cleaning and assembly.
Other features to love include:
- Marketed as “the most natural way to bottle feed”
- Soft,wide nipple that resembles a breast
- Flexible spiral design allows for a natural latch
- Wide bottle neck for easy cleaning and filling
- Come in a 4 oz. or 8 oz. size
Each bottle discussed has unique features that will hopefully make one of them the right fit for your baby. Why bother with lots of extra parts to scrub and clean if you don’t need to? Plus, we love that each of these bottles is compatible with our favorite bottle warmer, the Baby’s Brew!
Easiest Way to Keep Those Baby Bottles Looking Shiny and New
Now that you know which baby bottles will allow you to keep your sanity, it’s important to have any extra tip or trick you can get to making the cleaning process go that much faster. Here are our best tips for quick washing so you can get back to snuggling your babe.
1.) Use a Bottle Brush
Unfortunately, your hand or a cloth just won’t do in getting into the tight spaces of a baby bottle. You need to make sure you get out any old milk residue and a bottle brush is perfect for that. We recommend one that includes a nipple cleaner as well (which basically looks like a mascara wand.) This little gadget will easily cut your bottle washing time in half.
2.) The Dishwasher is Your Friend
Be sure to check the washing instructions of your bottle of choice, but almost all bottles these days are dishwasher safe (it’s usually suggested to put them on the top rack). Though we still recommend at least a quick swipe with a bottle brush to get rid of any build-up, you might as well let the dishwasher do the tough part for you. We also love that the dishwasher will also dry those bottles for you so you don’t have to have them all lined up on your counter all day, everyday.
3.) Invest in a Dishwasher Basket
Not only is the dishwasher great for the bottle portion, but you can put all the small parts in the dishwasher, too. The best way to do this is by getting a basket intended for this very purpose, and that way you don’t have to worry about any small parts falling through the cracks of your dishwasher. These also come in handy for washing pacifiers and sippy cup straws.
4.) Sterilize in the Microwave
One of my favorite ways to keep my babies’ bottles clean was to use a microwave sterilizer (we have a few favorites listed here). Even though most parents don’t have to sterilize their baby’s bottles after the age of three months, which we talk more about in our article, “How to Sterilize Your Baby’s Bottles to Keep Them Germ-Free,” sterilizing can be a quick way to know your baby’s bottles are 99.9% free of bacteria. Like dishwashing, just do a quick rinse and swiped with a bottle brush before putting sterilizing them in the microwave.
