The CDC has recently issued guidelines for cleaning breast pump parts. Here is how the CDC recommends washing breast pump parts, and how to make following these recommendations as easy as possible.
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Background on the CDC’s Guidelines
Previously, there was no official protocol for how breast pump parts should be cleaned, but the CDC decided to publish these after the death of preterm infant was linked to contaminated pump parts.
More information on the very sad case of the preterm infant is available here; the short version for anyone not wanting to read the story is that the baby became very sick after being exposed to a pathogen called Cronobacter sakazakii.
During the investigation, the same bacteria was found in the family’s home sink. The investigation concluded that the baby was exposed to it after the pump parts came into contact with the bacteria when they were being cleaned in that sink.
In this particular instance, the mother soaked the pump parts in hot soapy water for several hours before rinsing them off and air-drying them.
What Are The New Guidelines For Cleaning Breast Pump Parts?
The new recommendations are written to avoid cases like this.
I recommend reading and printing out the CDC’s handout, but here are a few highlights that may be different from what you are already doing:
1. Wash pump parts and bottles in a wash basin
Instead of washing your pump parts in the sink, use a wash basin that is only used for washing pump parts.
This will reduce the chances that bacteria from food makes its way onto your pump parts.
2. Take breast pump parts apart before washing
Every piece that can be taken apart should be.
(Even the ones that easily get stuck, like the yellow valve membrane on the Medela Pump in Style.)
3. Use a bottle brush only for infant cleaning items
Don’t use your bottle brush to clean your food dishes or anything else.
(If you like using a bottle brush to wash your dishes, that’s fine, just get a separate one for that.)
If you have a dishwasher, run your wash basin and bottle brush through it once a day.
4. Scrub in hot soapy water, then rinse
Wash your bottles and pump parts with the bottle brush in hot soapy water, then rinse in clean running water.
5. Air dry pump parts
Allow your pump parts to completely air dry after washing. Do not dry them with a rag.
Once they’ve dried, you can store them in a clean covered container, like a food storage container or a plastic zip-top bag.
(Not sure what to do with your tubing? More on cleaning breast pump tubing here.)
Can You Wash Pump Parts in the Dishwasher?
Yes. If your bottles and pump parts are dishwasher safe, the CDC states that is also an acceptable way to wash them.
Put pump parts and nipples in a mesh bag or container, and use soap and a hot water and heated drying cycle.
If parts are still somewhat wet when the cycle is finished, allow them to finish air drying before storing them in a container.
More on washing pump parts in the dishwasher here.
Do You Have to Sterilize Breast Pump Parts after Each Use?
No.
The CDC recommends sterilizing pump parts, bottles, your wash basin, and bottle brush at least once per day if your baby is less than three months, is currently ill, or was born prematurely.
There are a bunch of different ways you can sterilize pump parts. More on how to do this here.
What About the Fridge Hack?
So far, all of the guidelines that we’ve talked about have been pretty manageable.
Now, here’s the kicker. The CDC now says that you should wash your pump parts “as soon as possible after every use.”
That … is a tough one to swallow. In the past, I have recommended keeping pump parts in the refrigerator in a zip-top plastic bag in between uses, and washing them thoroughly every 12-24 hours. This is known as the “fridge hack.”
I think washing after each use makes perfect sense for moms who pump once or twice at day in their own homes.
But it’s hard to know whether the writers considered the fact that some women pump 12 times a day, sometimes when they are not in their homes, sometimes in the middle of the night, and thought about possible alternatives and the trade-offs to recommending washing immediately after every use.
For example, is it better for a mother to put her pump parts in the fridge between uses, or to wash her pump parts every time as described – and then give up and stop exclusively pumping altogether because she can’t stand over a sink and spend 15 minutes washing pump parts in the middle of the night when she is exhausted and has already been up for an hour pumping and feeding the baby?
It depends on whether the risks justify the recommendation to wash after every use. Maybe they do – I’m not a scientist or medical professional. And the health of your baby is of course the most important thing.
How Can You Make Following CDC Guidelines for Washing Pump Parts Easier?
What I’m going to describe here is what I would do in terms of cleaning breast pump parts if I was still exclusively pumping. You should read it with the understanding that I’m a mom who has pumped a lot, but also is not a doctor or a scientist.
In order to follow the recommendation to wash pump parts after each use, I would buy enough sets of pump parts to get me through a full day.
At the end of the day, I would wash them all together in a batch as described in the CDC handout, and then sterilize them.
Alternatively, I might run the dishwasher every night. Some parents in the Facebook group empty their dishwasher every morning, and then put their pump parts in it (along with dishes) throughout the day as they pump. Then they turn it on before going to bed.
The obvious downfall of this strategy – buying a lot of pump parts – is that it can get expensive. There are a few ways that you may be able to mitigate this cost:
- You may be able to find replacement parts at a better price on amazon, as Nenesupply and Maymom may make more affordable sets that are compatible with your pump.
- You may be able to get replacement breast pump parts for free through your insurance company.
What do you think about this guidance for cleaning breast pump parts, and what is your plan? Tell us in the comments!
More on washing bottles and pump parts here.
References- Bowen, Anna, et al. “Notes from the Field: Cronobacter sakazakii Infection Associated with Feeding Extrinsically Contaminated Expressed Human Milk to a Premature Infant — Pennsylvania, 2016.” https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/66/wr/mm6628a5.htm
- Centers for Disease Control. “How to Keep Your Breast Pump Kit Clean.” https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/pdf/hygiene/breast-pump-fact-sheet.pdf
Comments & Chitchat
Victoria Cevallos says
Hi just read this, what about dapple clinical plant based pump wipes? How do you safely use them??? I’m so confused with this product.
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Hi Victoria! I would use them similarly to Medela wipes – okay when you’re in a pinch with no clean water, but better to wash when you can. I hope that helps!
_Kate_ says
Perhaps I am missing something but I am not sure why the bacteria from breast milk on the pumping parts is significantly different enough from the bacteria that is likely to be found between my nipple and the nipple pad throughout the day, that these parts would require high temp sanitation every 24 hours–particularly since body temperature is significantly warmer/likely to breed bacteria compared to the refrigerator temps of residual milk on stored pump parts throughout the day. I change nipple pads every few hours, but I certainly don’t sanitize my breasts every 24 hours. I wonder how necessary it actually is to sanitize the pumping parts every day, provided they are washed in a clean basin with hot soapy water as soon as possible after leaving the refrigerator.
Amy says
I just had a baby, and need to pump exclusively while baby is in NICU, and the lactation consultant was very specific about washing parts after every pump and sterilize once a day. The wash basin being sterilized once a day wasn’t mentioned, though, but makes sense! I know lots of mamas are busy, but washing after each use really doesn’t take all that long… the times I’ve had to pump at the NICU, I still wash and I use a paper towel to dry as best as I can before putting it back in a ziplock and not closing it all the way. That takes a bit longer than when I’m at home and just let it air dry, but washing every time really doesn’t take long and in the end is safer for baby!
Cw57 says
So, I have always wondered why no one talks about how since most pump parts are plastic, they contain BPA or similar chemicals like BPS. Heating those plastics causes the chemicals to leech more. I try not to heat them by sterilizing or using the dishwasher. I have actually switched to glass bottles for feeding, but they’re too heavy for pumping. I guess that we have to decide which is worse: bacteria or regular exposure to hormone disrupting chemicals?
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
All pump parts/bottles that are BPA-free as far as I know 🙂
CW57 says
Bpa is just one of the problematic chemicals— most BPA free bottles just swap out for BPS, which is just as bad.
https://gimmethegoodstuff.org/safe-baby-bottle-cheat-sheet/comment-page-2/?amp=1#comments
Maggie says
My pumping days are long past, but I still get notifications on this thread! I just wanted to chime in to say this was a concern of mine as well. I did, however, sterilize my parts – these CDC guidelines came avoid while I was just starting exclusive pumping and the reasoning was too concerning for me to not. I did, however, make sure all parts had fully cooled before using them – I had multiple sets of parts to be sure in wasn’t using them straight off washing. Plastic chemicals can leach into products when they are heated, yes, but once back to normal temp, I believe it goes back to its preheated state (but I am not a scientist, this might have just been my own justification!). I did immediately transfer milk to glass storage and I used glass bottles and silicone nipples. I also made sure the milk was reheated in glass. Pump parts are what they are and I never found any that were not plastic and not pumping wasn’t an option for me and my baby. It was a small and short potential for exposure and I mitigated whatever else I could. I’m honestly not, and wasn’t, overly concerned with the 20 minutes or so that the parts were in use. I follow Maia too and I think a lot of her approach is to change what you can, but not to freak out over every little thing that can’t be controlled. Hope that helps!
Jaime says
I agree, it’s strange that no one talks about it. There was a recent study indicating you shouldn’t sterilize or if you want to sterilize that you should use glass bottles.
caroline says
Thank you for bringing this up! I’ve been really worried about BPS and BPF and exposure as I’ve been mostly pumping for my son (i’ve had issues breastfeeding). Everyone is worried about bacteria but I think chemical exposure is just as concerning for infants if not more concerning. For anyone pumping a lot or exclusively, I found small glads bottles (120ml) that fit into the medela pump and have been pumping and heating milk in them. Here is a link: https://heveaplanet.com/collections/glass-bottles
Miranda Bone says
I’m new to pumping. I’m trying to pump to donate; my close friend’s healthy newborn needs the milk. I’m concerned about how to make the pumping process effective efficient and sufficiently clean while tending my own family including my nursing toddler.
Right now, I power pump of an evening after kids are in bed. I’ve just nursed to sleep so I get only 20-30mL. Then milk in bottle in fridge, pump parts in dedicated Tupperware in fridge.
In morning, i pour milk into covered, dedicated ice cube trays to freeze. Then, having nursed all night, I try to squeeze in a quick hand express, about 10ml before school run. This goes in fridge in the same bottle the power pumped milk was stored in.
Once home, while toddler naps I power pump again and hand express too. 25-50ml, depending if he fed to sleep. After I get all that milk in my dedicated milk storage bottle I wash the pump parts in their dedicated Tupperware then rinse and fill with water to sterilize in microwave for 12min on high. I leave it in the water afterwards with the lid closed until it’s cooled enough to handle then I drain it by setting lid ajar and tipping water off. Then pump parts, still in that container, go in fridge until next power pump in evening. After an hour or two in back of fridge I put the morning’s milk in freezer, returning empty bottle to fridge if not hand expressing straight away.
I try to do a few hand expressing sessions over the afternoon, getting maybe 10ml each time.
Then nothing until evening power pump session, during which I’ll sterilize my milk storage bottle.
So is that terrible? Sterilizing the pump parts each time feels a bit much, more because I’d have to hand wash them first. I’m happy with once a day sterilizing if I’m storing them in fridge, I think.
Amanda Glenn says
The CDC says once a day sterilizing is fine! It’s the hand washing/dishwasher washing that they want you to do after each session. Sorry if that wasn’t clear.
Sophie says
Hi Amanda
Does the CDC mention using a dishwasher at all? For going back to work I am thinking of buying multiple sets, put in the fridge after each pump, use a new set for each pump, BUT use a dishwasher at the end of the day caus otherwise I’ll be on the sink for 1 hour :O then sterilize once a week. Baby would be 4 months.. is this a safe procedure?
Amanda Glenn says
They did and dishwasher is fine! 🙂
Austyn says
I’m always running my pump parts in the dishwasher. But I also put in a load of dishes too. I wonder if I should stop doing it that way and just wash them in the dishwasher separately.
Tebogo says
Hi. After washing and rinsing, can you sterilize the parts in the microwave?
Amanda Glenn says
Yes! You can use the Medela bags or something similar.
Amanda says
I know we’re all trained to think we’re sanitizing to magically get germs to disappear, but they are literally everywhere. After you sanitize or wash and then put them on a drying rack, that drying rack has germs! I am not saying this to be alarming, but rather change the framework of our motherly desire to keep baby safe and focusing on what is “out there” and “what makes sense.” I agree with a lot of the comments about cleaning around kitchens, bathrooms, and work germs. I am of the camp that – in order to make pumping plausible for me – I store clean, dry parts in a tupperware, I go to work, and when I pump, I do my best to wipe clean the area and pieces I touch when pumping with antibacterial disposable wipes. Then, after pumping, I put my milk in glass Ball jars (a reusable system felt right for me) and I put my used parts back in the now dirty tupperware and into the fridge for another use later. Fast-forward to the end of the day. I take my parts and milk home. I soak the parts in hot soapy water and wash them and the tupperware with a clean rag, let them air dry and start the whole thing over the next day. I know everyone has their own set of conditions, but I bet a lot of working mothers can relate to something like this. We all do our best to do what feels right, and I am really happy to know that there are a number of ways people have interpreted how to live a fulfilling life with their little one(s) and still be able to provide milk! Go mamas!
Mackenzie Cooper says
If you can leave breast milk out for 8 hours why can you not leave your pump out?
I strictly am a pumping mom and pump 8-10 times a day, if I had to wash and sanitize my pump every time I would go insane. Also would never get to spend time with baby.
We need to give ourselves a break.
I don’t see anything wrong with leaving the pump out used. But who am I
Jill McDowell says
That’s what i don’t understand! I was thinking the same thing.
Collibeth says
If you do it right away, it takes about 2minutes to wash pump parts. However, air drying them while at work is impossible
Sarah says
Where does it say not to soak? And what’s wrong with doing so? I submerge my parts in hot soapy water in a dedicated basin until I’m ready to wash. Seems logical but am I missing something?
Amanda Glenn says
Hi Sarah! The baby that died got sick after the mom’s pump parts were soaked in hot soapy water for several hours, allowing the bacteria to grow, which is where the not soaking recommendation comes from. (They don’t explicitly say “don’t soak” but they say “wash as soon as possible after pumping,” which combined with how the baby died, I took to mean that soaking in hot water is not optimal.)
However, in the baby’s case, the mom didn’t use a dedicated basin and didn’t really wash after soaking, just rinsed. So that’s pretty different than what you’re doing.
Valerie says
So I feel super embarassed asking this question, but what’s wrong with using the dishwasher on the sanitize/high temp setting? Since some companies sell special tubs to place bottle parts in when dishwashing, I didn’t realize this was against the best practices!
Amanda Glenn says
You can! The dishwasher is fine. 🙂
Missy says
I do appreciate comments andntios from others, it really helps! I never thought of a dedicated basin so usually end up setring mine on the side of the counter until I get around to putting them in the dishwasher. Have a sanitize feature just for this purpose. As far as the tiny connecting peices, we have recently switched to using reusable straws and the brushes that come with them are great and I can finally scrub every tiny hole, nook, and cranny on my pump parts. I also use the steam bags to sterilize and the are wet damp afterwards so I really wonder if thats OK to leave in bag since it is sterilized. I may not have time in one spot (work travel) to allow them to air dry, plus I worry about contamination from typical household flies and gnats, as well as dust (home rennovation produces a lot of construction dust) and other contaminants such as sneezing children, etc.
Lori says
Most of these rules make perfect sense to me, I can’t think why would someone put the pump parts directly in the sink and not use a dedicated brush for it. I read somewhere that they also recommended against putting pump parts in the fridge between uses (assuming the person has only one set of parts). I use the Medela quick wipes between uses and every 3 or 4 uses I wash the parts, sterilize once or twice a day; not sure if they have rules against the wipes, but otherwise I couldn’t do it, in fact I just gave up pumping and went back to EBF. It’s too much work!!! And this adds a lot more!!! I read the news and I honestly think that this case happened because the handling of the pump was so unsanitary and careless, and I beleive the majority of mothers have enough common sense and care to avoid things like that to happen, seriously, I highly doubt most moms would put the pump in the same place they wash off food leftovers or let it soak for hours and not sterilize it after.
Camille says
I keep my pump parts refrigerated in a ziploc until I get home. I actually don’t rinse between pumps as I’m not willing to risk dropping my stuff in the bathroom sink. Once I’m home I wash with my bottle brush with dish soap and then they go in a sanitizing bag in the microwave. I either put them in a clean ziploc bag or out to air dry.
Jessica says
I wash with soap and hot hot water, then put all parts in the bottle sterilizer to be safe.
Drea says
I agree, for preterm infant who is compromised immune system, definitely need to be meticulous in cleaning. I use a separAte brush for my kiddo and was ocassionally soaking, so will stop that. I usually at the least rinse with water and then store in fridge. Will likely continue to do so. I have been sterilizing weekly, but will try to make it daily. Another alternative to washing by had would be to use the medela sanitizer wipes, especially on the go when there is not a basin. Lastly I tend to pump using Olive oil or lanilon to reduce fiction. Would recommend washing hands well before applying, maybe wiping those items off with alcohol wipe before using, and of course keeping breast clean.
Kiffy says
If you don’t soak the parts – how do you clean the inner workings of that connector piece? No bottle brush has an end small enough to fit in there.
Amanda Glenn says
This is a good point! Usually I wash my hands, put soap on my finger, and try to clean it that way. Also the steam bag helps some.
Shae says
Kiffy: Straw brush
Meredith says
Amanda, I can credit your “pop em in the fridge” recommendation with making exclusive pumping seem maybe, possibly, do-able — as you say I can’t imagine doing a full wash after every pump, especially when pumping 8-10 times around the clock in the first few months. My son is now 5mos and after each pump I store the parts in the fridge, then do a complete hot water/soap wash with a dedicated basin/brush plus sanitize in a Medela bag once every 24h.
If I need to pump outside the house for any reason I bring a fresh set of parts and make sure to bring a Medela bag for sanitizing if I can’t refrigerate them immediately after use.
Despite the new recommendation, I air-dry parts/bottles on bottle racks on a separate baby-stuff counter in the kitchen and leave them on the racks until I’m ready to use them again. As other posters have pointed out, I would be more worried about mildew/mould from storing just-washed parts in a sealed bag/container.
I think it is important to note that bacterial contamination in this heartbreaking case could just have easily occurred while washing/drying bottles for formula (since the contamination was from the sink) and I hope this story does not deter new moms from considering EP if traditional nursing is not an option.
Margie says
I have a LOT of sets of pumping parts. It’s expensive, but my sanity and time are worth a lot to me. I throw them in the dishwasher each night on sanitize and start again the next day (if there’s not enough dishes, I use the half load setting to try to conserve a bit of water). I definitely have had to handwash when traveling for work though and you just do the best you can and make it work. My son is seven months now and has two big brothers and is regularly exposed to a horrifying array of germs, so I try to be careful but can’t go nuts about everything.
Shena says
I think that unless you have a “sanitize” option for the dishwasher there is also risk of germs washing pump parts or bottles there. I know it may be more work but washing pump parts/bottles by themselves reduces a lot of risk….at least for the newborns it must be worth it. (I have been EPing for almost 7 months, since my baby was born and I realize the amount of work this suggests)
Maggie says
I have also slightly changed the way I handle my pump parts since this release. I currently rinse my parts thoroughly after use and set them out to air dry until I am able to wash everything, but perhaps I will start putting them in the refrigerator. (I used to soak them, based on what we were taught at the hospital!) I wash my parts in a separate basin in hot soapy water (I always did this), but now post washing, all parts go directly into an electric steam sterilizer. Here is my issue – post sterilization, the parts have a lot of condensation on them so they need to air dry. I do not put them in a ziploc bag after they are dried because I find that it takes a long time for the valves to thoroughly dry and I fear closing them up in a bag with any amount of moisture. I have a dedicated shelf in our cupboard for bottles & pump parts and the parts go in their own basket once dry. Curious for feedback on this – I would think that closing them up in a bag could create some mildew or other issues, though I suppose that water is sterile after coming out of the sterilizer. After looking at the CDC handout, I’m wondering if I might use a large plastic container and just poke some holes in the lid to allow any remaining moisture to evaporate. I am fortunate enough to be working from home, so I am able to rinse and wash my parts fairly frequently. I also have two different pumps and three sets of pump parts for each pump, so I can feasibly make it through a good amount of time before I absolutely have to sterilize everything. I usually wash and sterilize in the morning and again in the evening. I regularly wipe down my sink and any areas where I wash bottles and pump parts with bleach wipes. I also run my wash basins and drying rack parts through a dishwasher sanitize cycle at least once a week. I also find the recommendations a bit onerous and worry this will create such fear and so much work for those of us that exclusively pump, that women will feel that they need to stop pumping and switch to formula. I know for me, when I read the CDC guidelines, my first panicky thought is that I should stop pumping to avoid any risk, but then I thought it through a little more. Honestly, if I was back in the office and trying to do this remotely without access to my sink or sterilizer, I would probably end up giving up out of frustration!
Kat says
Hi Maggie – I do the same as you but after sterilizing I put the pump parts in the fridge made up ready for the next session – they dry out completely but have the extra protection of being refrigerated if I am not going to use it for a few hrs – I sometimes put my spare parts in a container in the fridge. I think this is good practice but I am shooting in the dark myself a bit!! I read somewhere that the condensation in a sterlized bottle is ok to leave (ie dont dry off) so assume it is the same for my pump!
sara says
I think we can all appreciate the horror the mother of the baby who got sick went through. However, I feel comfortable continuing as I have been. I don’t soak parts, but I do hand wash them in the sink usually right after use (the commuting pump session obviously has to wait until I get where I’m going and I’ve done the refrigerator thing in the past when I’ve been just too dog tired to go another second). I use a bottle brush that is exclusive to bottles and parts (though I wouldn’t be surprised if my husband uses it for other things!) I use plain old anti-bacterial dish soap. And parts either get a quick pat down with a paper towel and a shake before going in a zip lock to leave the house or air dry if I’m home. Basically I feel like if you don’t let your parts roll around where your raw chicken does, you’re PROBABLY going to be fine! This sounds like it was a pretty rare and extreme case. Unless my baby was super fragile or immuno-compromised, I’m not going to have a panic attack over my non-CDC approved methods. Everything will be fine!
Kim says
Yes! Same here
Tamara says
I think the soaking location makes complete sense. I’m a slight germaphobe and so I keep my pump parts and baby bottles separate from everything. I don’t use the dishwasher nor the sink. I have a large pot that has become my “cleaning solution”. I only use it to soak all my parts and all my baby bottles/nipples/pacifiers. I’m definitely going to continue with my fridge solution. I think the main concern here is that unless you’re throughly cleaning the sink before you soak items, your water will contain whatever was last in your sink. I know whenever I have raw meat or something in my kitchen sink, I clean out my sink because I get worried about other things touching that area and this is just my rule of thumb in general. Anyways. Just my two cents 🙂 I can’t give up that pump parts in the fridge option! Haha
Meredith says
I will definitely change some of my practices in light of these guidelines, but like you said, Amanda, a lot of this is truly onerous for someone pumping a lot and/or at work. At home we wash promptly and air dry (but not move to Ziploc/tupperware when dry, which is something I’ll try to do now, for lots of reasons, and I’ll try to use a basin instead of the bathroom sink). At work I use Medela/Babies R Us quick-clean wipes, air dry, and sanitize in a microwave bag at the end of each day; I’ll try to not leave them on my desk overnight now.
Of course the CDC is taking the most conservative approach possible out of an abundance of caution. But it’s also worth considering that the infant in this tragic case was still a fragile, medically compromised preemie in the NICU. Should we all follow 100% of these steps to the letter? In an ideal world, yes. But being super-strict all the time is not realistic for everyone. Healthy babies born at term have more developed immune systems and moms need to make choices that balance cleanliness and sterility with their ability to make pumping work successfully for them.