There are some items you keep during the years you have kids so that you don’t have to buy them over and over again. One item might be baby bottles, and after having kids you are probably really excited to get back some of your kitchen cabinet space.
Old baby bottles can be donated to some women’s centers, but they need to be in good condition. Glass and plastic baby bottles (excluding the nipple) are made of materials that can be recycled into a variety of products. Parents can also give them to a mom they know, or repurpose them in their home.
There are many moms in need, so you should look and see if donation centers will take your bottles in the condition they are in. Next, look into other ways to get those bottles out of your cabinets and make your kitchen feel a little more freed up from baby items.
Donate Baby Bottles
There are so many moms and dads in need, and it is not a secret that babies are expensive, so if you are able to donate your old baby bottles and other used supplies then that’s great! Your donations can be a huge blessing for another family, so if possible, donate! (Source)
In communities, there are Facebook groups and other social media groups for parents, moms, dads, and more for families in need. You can find one and join the group and post about the bottles you want to get rid of. You can include a picture, of when the bottles were bought, what brand they are, and any other information you deem necessary. You can price them cheap or for free, and there will be many parents taking you up on your post.
You can also talk to your friends and relatives who are parents and see if any of them need baby bottles or other baby products you want to get rid of. Look through what you want to get rid of and divide it by what should be recycled or trashed, and what can be given out. Determine this by the quality of the bottle after its use. Likely, the nipples of the bottles will not be reused by others, but the actual bottle can be used.
Recycle Baby Bottles
Another way to get rid of bottles is by recycling. Dr. Brown’s baby bottles have an article about how they recommend you get rid of bottles. They mention that their bottles can be donated and recycled because of the materials they are made out of and that the nipples should be discarded in the way instructed by the company. The bottles can be more easily sanitized than the nipples can. And, the nipples cannot be recycled as easily because of their materials so those are probably an item to be trashed. But, salvaging the bottle and other bottle parts to be recycled is still great for the environment! (Source)
You can recycle both plastic and glass baby bottles. In every community there should be a dump/recycling center, so drive by one day and see if they will take that mountain of baby bottles you have at home away for you. You can also divide your recycling and trash items at home and place them in the designated bins to be picked up.
Repurpose Bottles
It is very popular to repurpose baby bottles for multiple uses at home. Some parents keep the bottle part as a liquid measuring cup and others use it as a toothbrush holder, a snack container, a planter for sprouting seeds, and more. Kids also like to use anything as a toy, so maybe your kid will like to use the bottle part as a cup in the bath. Little kids like using cups in the bath because they like being able to see the water be dumped out of the cup into the bath. So, it can be a fun bath toy!
Kids who like to play with baby dolls might also like using the old baby bottle as a baby bottle toy for their dolls! Kids are very creative, so if they want to use baby bottles as a toy then that is a great way to repurpose them. (Source)
How to Clean Your Baby Bottles
There are so many ways to clean your baby bottles. But if you are about to get rid of your baby bottles then you probably want to be extra thorough with sterilizing them. One ay is to buy a baby bottle sterilizer and cleaner. Another way is to use the dishwasher or wash it by hand.
A baby bottle cleaner is small and typically sits on your countertop. You will place a few bottles in it and it uses steam to clean and sterilize the baby bottle. This helps it be clean for every use and helps prevent germs and other bacteria from growing. (Source)
To use the dishwasher to clean your baby bottles, put the bottle and the parts for it on the top rack and use a more gentle wash setting. Some dishwashers can have a top rack setting, and you can use this to clean the baby bottles and parts.
For hand washing, make sure you are using a bottle brush to clean the bottle. You can sterilize the brush before you use it to make sure the baby bottle is cleaned well. Using the bottle brush for only the baby bottles is important so that no food particles travel into the baby bottles. Dish soap will work well, just make sure to thoroughly rinse it out with water.
baby bottles tend to get cloudy over time, so if you want to get rid of that before you donate your bottles then try using equal parts water and white vinegar. White vinegar is often used as a cleaner and can help get rid of the foggy look on baby bottles. After letting the bottle and bottle parts soak for a bit, rise them out and wash them with dish soap by hand. That way you get rid of the unpleasant smell of vinegar on baby bottles. It would not be pleasant for a baby to taste vinegar when drinking milk so be sure to get rid of that residue. (Source)
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