K.L. asks from Pompano Beach, FL on November 20, 2009
Reusing Playtex Bottle Liners
ok, I know the package says for single use only but does anybody know if its actually harmful to use them more than once? with proper washing and sterilization, I dont see why not.. any thoughts ??
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S.S. answers from Miami on November 21, 2009
I guess I'm a bit of a slacker but I used them twice. If you rinse them immediately after use they are fine to use again. My kids immune systems are much richer for it. Sometimes we make them live in such a sterile world that any germ that comes along makes them deathly ill. Also those bags are the safest to use because they do not have the toxins that plastic bottles have.
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E.B. answers from Knoxville on November 20, 2009
I reuse mine..I am just careful to wash them out good. Dont let milk set and stay clean but its fine to reuse them. :)
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S.S. answers from Miami on November 21, 2009
I guess I'm a bit of a slacker but I used them twice. If you rinse them immediately after use they are fine to use again. My kids immune systems are much richer for it. Sometimes we make them live in such a sterile world that any germ that comes along makes them deathly ill. Also those bags are the safest to use because they do not have the toxins that plastic bottles have.
2 moms found this helpful
T.J. answers from Fort Walton Beach on November 20, 2009
I see no problem with it - I reused only one other time after using them. What's the difference if you put the bottle of unused formula in the fridge? Not like you are leaving it to fester and the milk sitting in it.
http://parenting.ivillage.com/baby/bnutrition/0,,b11b,00....
**Gasp** I don't believe in sterilization either, but proper washing.
I think I just heard a few shrieks...
Good luck :)
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J.D. answers from Tampa on November 21, 2009
There is no way that you can sterilize a plastic bag!! Go ahead, re-use it, and because of the bacteria it harbors your wee one will get sick...very sick...your call! I am frugal too, but that is over the top! and....very unsafe! Please, please, don't!
G.W. answers from Jacksonville on November 20, 2009
As long as you dont let the milk sit in them after the baby finishes the bottle and you wash them and sterilize, I dont see any good reason you couldnt reuse them. There is a really good sterilizer that you just put water in and put in the microwave that would be perfect.. my friend uses it.. let me know if you are interested and I will find out the brand and where she bought it! =))
K.D. answers from Jacksonville on November 21, 2009
Personally, I wouldn't reuse the plastic liners. To me, the whole point of using the liners was so that I had one less thing to wash.
If cost is your concern, the generic ones from Target work just as good as Playtex. If the environment is your concern, they are recyclable. Just check to see if your community recycles that number plastic (there is a number on the bottom of the liner).
B.K. answers from Tallahassee on November 21, 2009
I'd be more worried about the phthalates in the plastic. Pthlalates are plastic softeners that contain an estrogen-like chemical. It can cause premature puberty, it can emasculate boys, it can cause man-boobs, and of course, it causes cancer. When you re-use plastic bags these chemicals can be released into the formula/milk. That is scary. More scary than bacteria.
J.K. answers from Gainesville on November 21, 2009
The plastic is so thin that temperatures needed for sterilization would melt or warp it, and then you would not have a usable liner, so forget high-temperature sterilization. It isn't an option.
I guess the deal is this: I wash and re-use the bottles I pump into, so why not the liners my baby drinks out of? Well, in my view, because the liners are more difficult to get clean, because they are wrinkly and the plastic is thin. Even very hot water can warp them, and then you've damaged the integrity of the liner and you risk chemical leakage. The other thing is that I pump into the bottles, put the cap on them, and that's it. They aren't opened until they are dumped into a bottle, and then they are washed and used again. But your baby drinks from that bottle, and bacteria from your baby's mouth gets back into the bottle, and may stay on the plastic through a washing.
If the bottle was emptied and immediately refilled you probably would be fine, I think, but if it sat at all I don't think it's worth the trouble, and not worth the risk either. Seriously, it's like $4.99 for 100 of them at Publix, which is a nickel each. I'm pumping twice a day when at work and getting about 12-16 oz, which is about typical, I think. So between 15 and 20 cents a day. Is the cost really worth it?
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