How to Clean Medela Breast Pump Parts

Keeping your breast pump clean is one way to care for your breastfed baby while you are away.

If you have to be separated from your baby and you are breastfeeding, a Medela pump can help you maintain your milk supply and provide food for your baby while you are away. Using the pump correctly is important and cleaning the parts does take time, but it will quickly become part of your pumping routine.

Things You'll Need

• Soap
• Water
• Breast pump parts
• Two clean towels
• A damp cloth

Instructions

Cleaning the Breast Pump Parts

1. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before touching your breasts or anything that comes in contact with your breasts or breast milk.

2. Sanitize every part of your pump that comes in contact with your breast and milk before using. Take apart your newly purchased breast pump and boil the breast shields, the connectors, the valves, the membranes, the bottles and bottle caps for ten minutes. Dry the parts thoroughly before using. You can wipe down the outside of the tubing, but don't ever immerse it into water, as water on the inside of the tubing can hinder proper circulation of air while pumping.

3. Disassemble all parts that come in contact with your breast and milk after each use. See the previous step to determine which parts you need to disassemble to wash.

4. Wash the parts in warm, soapy water.

5. Rinse the parts properly in clear water.

6. Dry the breast pump parts on a clean towel and cover them in another towel when they are not in use, the Medela Pump in Style Original owner's manual says. The parts should be completely dry before you use them again.

7. Wipe down the diaphragm cap with a damp, but not wet, cloth after each use. The diaphragm is the yellow, plastic shield located in the bag that covers the pump itself.

Tips & Warnings

• Medela offers a micro-stream cleaning bag. These bags fill with water and use the microwave to clean your breast pump parts. These work well if you are in an office setting and do not have time to hand wash all of your breast pump's parts.

• If you are home, you can place your breast pump parts in the dishwasher on the top rack. Keep in mind, though, that the membranes are quite small and could easily get lost in a dishwasher. Wash those by hand instead, unless your dishwasher has a separate compartment for small pieces.

• To avoid cleaning multiple times during the day, consider purchasing and extra set of breast pump parts. That way, you can just wash both sets when you get home in the evening.

References

• "Pump in Style Original Breast Pump Instructions for Use"; Medela; 2005