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One of the worst things you can do when preparing milk or juice for your baby or toddler is to do it with a dirty baby bottle that you don’t even realize has build-up until after the fact. Cleaning bottles isn’t as simple as shoving a sponge inside, twisting it around once, and rinsing it out, and we all know how stinky the bottles can get after there is a little dry milk residue on the bottom.
There are too many nooks and crannies that can grow mold if not cleaned properly and result in not only a bottle that has to be thrown away but a potentially sick baby. Luckily, these top bottle brush options are designed to properly clean bottles in every way, from the nipple to the bottom corners, where dried formula sometimes likes to hide.
With the right bottle brush, you can get inside any tubes or valves and scrub inside every corner of your baby’s bottles to ensure that the next time they use them, the bottles are basically as good as new, so we can definitely say they are helpful, do gentle cleaning and will save you tons of money instead of buying new bottles every now and then.
Like with bottles themselves, sometimes finding the right bottle brush that works best for you and feels the most useful might take a little time, but when you do, it’s worth the effort. Since these are some of the best bottle brushes out there, one of them is bound to work for you.
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1. NUK Triple Action Bottle and Nipple Brush
Not only does the NUK Triple Action Bottle and Nipple Brush have both bristle and sponge edges, but it comes apart to clean inside of the nipple with as much accuracy as possible.
After using the nipple brush, it can then be stored inside of the handle of the brush and the whole thing has the ability to stand up for easy storage. When you want to ensure that the brush itself is as clean as possible, you can put it in the dishwasher on the top rack to sanitize it and later use it again for bottle cleaning no matter if your baby’s bottles are from stainless steel, silicone or plastic.
The top of the NUK Triple Action brush also has a sponge attached to the nylon bristles to get to the very hard-to-reach place within bottles, never leaving a spot uncleaned. With the combined use of the sponge and bristle materials, bottles can not only be scrubbed but also wiped clean before being rinsed out. This brush is also excellent for cleaning breast pump parts and it has such an easy grip that moms love!
- Dishwasher Safe: The NUK Triple Action Bottle and Nipple Brush cleaning brush set is dishwasher safe in the top rack only.
- Where To Buy: You can buy the bottle brush on the manufacturer’s website, on Amazon, or in-store at Walmart or Bed Bath & Beyond.
- The Best Part: The removable nipple brush makes it possible to clean inside both the nipple and any other caps or breast pump parts too.
- The Not So Great: Since it has large bristles and a sponge attached, it might be too bulky for smaller bottles.
2. Dr. Brown’s Bottle Brush
If you’ve ever used Dr. Brown’s bottles, you know that it’s already a trustworthy baby brand, but even if you haven’t, you can still use the Dr. Brown’s Bottle Brush with whatever bottles your baby likes.
With bristles around the sides and a folded sponge material on top, the bottle brush is designed to scrub and wash with suds at the same time, and on the plus side, it’s easy to clean even the tiniest corners of the bottle in seconds. It’s also thin enough to fit inside most bottles, with long enough bristles to really cover the interior of the bottles.
The bottom of the Dr. Brown’s Bottle Brush has a grooved tip to fit in nipples for all-around cleaning, while the detached base suctions to the countertop to keep the bottle brush by the kitchen sink.
The sponge part itself will last several months before it starts to show signs of wear and tear, meaning that you may only need one or two additional Dr. Brown’s Bottle Brushes throughout your baby’s bottle phase.
- Dishwasher Safe: To sanitize, you can clean the brush with soap and warm water by hand or place on the top rack of the dishwasher.
- Where To Buy: You can find Dr. Brown’s Bottle Brush on Amazon or in store at Bed Bath & Beyond.
- The Best Part: You can store it right by the sink for easy access and keep it out of a drawer, where mildew or other bacteria can grow.
- The Not So Great: The nipple cleaner could be slimmer or have bristles to better reach and scrub every part of the inside of the nipple.
3. Boon Forb Silicone Bottle Brush
The Boon Forb Silicone Bottle Brush isn’t your typical bottle brush to clean baby bottles since the bottle brush itself it’s made out of safe silicone rubber instead of a sponge or bristle. The soft-grip handle has the tip of a ridge on the end to clean nipples, but the inside of the “flower” itself has enough individual pieces to reach inside enough to clean the bottle nipples as well.
You can store it next to the sink in its “vase” or in the Boom Lawn Countertop Drying Rack sold separately. The silicone material of the Boon Forb Silicone Bottle Brush is made to resist any buildup of mildew or mold and is PVC, BPA, and phthalate-free for your baby’s safety. Once you push the brush inside bottles, the petals spread out, covering as much space as possible as you hold onto the wand.
- Dishwasher Safe: The bottle brush is top-rack dishwasher safe to be cleaned on its own when you’ve used it for some time.
- Where To Buy: You can find the Forb Boon Silicone Bottle Brush on the manufacturer’s website, on Amazon, or in-store at Walmart of Buy Buy Baby.
- The Best Part: Since it’s made of silicone instead of bristles, the petals of the bottle brush won’t scratch the insides of your bottles.
- The Not So Great: Without a sponge attached to it like most, to might need to go in and do a quick sweep after using the bottle brush.
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4. Simba Baby Rotary Spinning Bottle and Nipple Brush
The Simba Baby Rotary Spinning Bottle and Nipple Brush might seem like your ordinary sponge on a wand for everyday dishwashing, but it’s specially designed to get into all the corners of bottles.
The separate nipple brush is like a smaller version of the larger brush and made to target the inside of the nipple to get it clean and help prevent milk or formula build-up. The rotating handle helps you clean the entire insides of your bottles, whole the sponge itself is soft enough to not leave behind any scratches.
On the handles of both the Simba Baby Rotary Spinning Bottle Brush and Nipple Brush are little hooks that make it easy to hang dry the brushes while they’re not in use. This can help prevent any mildew or mold growing on them if stored lying down or in a drawer.
The sponge on the ends of both brushes is processed through a high heat system that makes it more durable than your typical dish sponge and therefore better to use for bottles specifically.
- Dishwasher Safe: The bottle brush is not recommended to be used near high temperatures, which would include dishwashers.
- Where To Buy: You can find the Simba Baby Rotary Spinning Bottle Brush and Nipple Brush set on Amazon or in-store at Walmart.
- The Best Part: Instead of storing the brush in a tight drawer where house pets might interfere with it, you can hang it up to dry without the brush touching anything else.
- The Not So Great: You can replace the sponge part after some time, but reclamping it might be a struggle.
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5. Sassy No-Scratch Bottle Brush
Since scratches on the insides of baby bottles, including those unsightly markings you might not even realize are there, are where bacteria and germs live, having a brush that has less of a chance of holding germs itself is certainly an upside.
With the Sassy No-Scratch Bottle Brush, that’s what you’ll get, especially as it’s made with silicone so it doesn’t leave behind new scratches after cleaning your bottles.
The base of the wand unscrews to reveal a nipple cleaner, but you can also fill the handle with dish soap and replace the base when you clean the bottles themselves. Soft rubber “bristles” surround the tip of the bottle brush and the tip itself has some in order to reach the corners of the bottles that might be neglected with other bottle brushes.
- Dishwasher Safe: It’s not recommended that you clean the bottle brush in the dishwasher.
- Where To Buy: You can find the Sassy No-Scratch Bottle Brush on Amazon or in-store at Bed Bath & Beyond.
- The Best Part: You can put dish soap directly into the handle, saving your tie and even giving you the option to add special dish soap for your baby’s bottles.
- The Not So Great: The nipple brush might be a little too wide for some bottles.
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6. Chicco Naturalfit Bottle Brush
Since the Chicco Naturalfit Bottle Brush is designed to fit the most wide neck and even standard-sized bottles, it doesn’t have to be used for one set brand. The bristles on the end spread apart to scrub all around the inside of the bottles, working hard to get to all of the most important areas where milk residue might build up over time.
The handle has a click-fit nipple brush that’s stored inside of it, but when it comes time to hang the brush up to dry, it’s ventilated enough to allow airflow to the nipple brush too.
Since the bottle and nipple brush come together and can reach into different parts of bottle systems, you can use the Chicco Naturalfit Bottle Brush at any stage of bottles and sippy cups. So you’ll likely get more use out of it than with a bottle brush without as many individual bristles.
- Dishwasher Safe: While it’s unclear if this bottle brush is dishwasher safe, it does have a hook on its handle to hang it anywhere in the kitchen to air dry.
- Where To Buy: You can find the bottle brush on the manufacturer’s website and Amazon or in store at Toys ‘R Us or Target.
- The Best Part: Though it has bristles, the ones on the Chicco Naturalfit Bottle Brush are much softer than others and provide more gentle cleaning on baby bottles.
- The Not So Great: Since bristles don’t scrub too well on silicone nipples, the nipple brush isn’t as effective as the actual bottle brush.
7. MAM Soft Bottle Brush
The BPA and latex-free MAM Soft Bottle Brush is another silicone-based bottle brush made with softer bristles of sorts to gently but effectively clean all of your baby bottles and nipples. The non-scratch silicone bristles are made to be flexible enough to fit inside most bottle sizes and shapes so you don’t have to limit your baby to one specific brand or style of bottles in order for the bottle brush to work.
The pointed silicone end of the brush makes it easy to clean the nipples and since the bristles are soft silicone, there’s less of a chance of the bristles being hard on the soft rubber of your bottles’ nipples. To store the brush, there’s a handy built-in loop for easy hang drying in the kitchen.
- Dishwasher Safe: The MAM Soft Bottle Brush is not recommended to be cleaned in the dishwasher.
- Where To Buy: You can find the bottle brush on the manufacturer’s website and on Amazon or in-store at Buy Buy Baby and Bed Bath & Beyond.
- The Best Part: The BPA-free silicone bristles are soft and gentle enough and make it easy to clean bottles without leaving behind any residue or scratches and no matter the shape of the bottle is.
- The Not So Great: The nipple brush on the end doesn’t reach the inside of the top enough to really clean it thoroughly.
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FAQ’s About Bottle Brushes
You will use the nylon bristles brush lots of times during the day cleaning plenty of baby bottles, so eventually, the sponge will wear off. This is why for sanitary reasons, the sponge is replaced after 20-30 days of use.
Yes. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to boil the bottles with every use, but washing them with liquid baby soap or special baby detergent and a brush is definitely a must!
If you don’t like to replace sponges too often then a non-sponge brush would be better. Their heads last for a year or more and cleaning them properly is very easy, especially if you opt for a stainless steel handle which can be easily cleaned in washing machine or in boiling water with detergent.
Final Thoughts
When choosing the best bottle brush, there’s not necessarily a right or wrong choice since, in the end, it depends on what works best for you and your needs when cleaning and sterilizing your baby’s bottles.
But the important things to consider are how well the brush cleans literally every piece and art of the bottle system and how long the brush will actually last you. Once you can decide the answer to those factors, you should be satisfied with the bottle brush you choose to give your baby the cleanest bottle possible.
Not to mention afford yourself the ability to use the same batch of bottles without being forced to throw any away long before they should be.
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