Looking for safe and natural ways to clean your baby bottles without harmful detergents?

As moms ourselves, we get it! Whether you breastfeed or bottlefeed, it’s important that your baby’s milk is as pristine as possible.

This means choosing the safest non-toxic baby bottles, pumping breastmilk or feeding with the most nutrient-rich, organic, third-party-contaminant-tested formula, and avoiding harmful detergent residues.

Here, we’ll share some of our favorite natural methods for cleaning baby bottles using baking soda, Branch Basics, and vinegar.

Key takeaways

• Cleaning baby bottles with Branch Basics All Purpose to remove all germs and then using baking soda is easy. Just add warm water, swish, scrub, then sanitize.
  
• Baking soda works great for freshening and deodorizing after cleaning with Branch
• Basics, but does not take the place of proper sterilization.
  
• Branch Basics All-Purpose is another affordable, human-safe, and environmentally-friendly option for baby bottle cleaning, used alone or combined with baking soda.
  

Why Parents Are Looking for Natural Baby Bottle Cleaning Methods

It’s amazing how having a baby can completely change your perspective on what’s safe and what’s suspect.

Take dish soap, for example, a household necessity. It may seem safe, but dishwashing products contain some of the harshest and most irritating chemicals in the cleaning industry, including:

• Synthetic fragrance, which emits toxic VOCs and endocrine-disrupting chemicals, like phthalates
  
• Petroleum-based colorants
  
• Ethoxylated ingredients, like PEGs/polysorbates, which contain harmful by-products not listed on labels, like 1-4 Dioxane
  
• Synthetic surfactants like Nonylphenol Ethoxylates (NPEs) are linked to disrupted physical function and fetal development.
  

Yes, most of these chemicals are washed down the drain, but they can also leave a residue, which you absolutely do not want in or on your baby’s bottles.

If you’re not convinced, try washing your dishes with a conventional dish soap and give them a sniff afterward. Chances are, you’ll smell the synthetic fragrance on your dishes.

This can be worse with dishwasher detergent, which often leaves a noticeable smell and taste on dishes, especially if the dishwasher doesn't rinse properly.

Either way, parents are right to be seeking natural alternatives for safer dishwashing and cleaning.

Related reading: Our Favorite Baby-Friendly Cleaning Products.

How to Clean Baby Bottles with Baking Soda: Step-by-Step

Baking soda is touted as the non-toxic household product of a hundred uses, for good reason.

This natural, mineral-based product can be used as a natural bleach alternative, stain remover, fabric softener, deodorizer, scouring agent, a base for DIY natural cleaning products, mattress cleaner, and to remove stains, cloudiness, and stuck-on messes from baby bottles.

It works as an alkalizer to neutralize acids and odors and to dissolve proteins, and makes a great non-scratch scouring powder.

However, baking soda works best as an additional cleaner, rather than a substitute for a surfactant-based cleaner (hot soapy water), which is designed to remove germs. 

So use it with your favorite human-safe baby bottle detergent or soap, not as a replacement.

Here’s how to use it for sparkling-clean, clear baby bottles.

Step 1: 

Add about 2 tablespoons of baking soda to your baby’s bottle.

Step 2: 

Fill with hot water, shake to dissolve, and let sit for several hours (this is a great thing to do before bed; then let it soak overnight). You can also invert the nipple and let it soak in the same solution.

Step 3: 

In the morning, scrub clean with a scrub brush and Branch Basics All-Purpose, Bathroom, or your favorite human-safe cleaner, and sterilize as needed with boiling water.

We love this method because it’s very hands-off, non-toxic, and works overnight—a sleepy parent’s dream!

Baking Soda Paste Method for Stubborn Stains and Buildup

A simple baking soda and water paste can work wonders on cloudy or stained baby bottles.

To use:

1. Mix 3 tablespoons of baking soda with just enough water to form a thick, spreadable paste.
   
2. Spread on the inside of the baby bottle using a cloth or sponge.
   
3. Let sit 15-30 minutes and scrub clean with Branch Basics or your favorite human-safe soap or detergent.
   

Bonus: Baking soda paste also helps deodorize bottles naturally.

What Baking Soda Can and Can't Do for Baby Bottles

Baking soda is a must-have for cleaning baby bottles, but it’s not the end-all be-all. Here’s a quick breakdown:

What it does well:

• Deodorizes 
  
• Removes stains and cloudiness 
  
• Acts as a natural scouring agent
  

What it doesn’t do:

• Sterilize
• Remove germs as well as a surfactant-based cleaner or detergent

When to use it:

Use baking soda to clean your baby bottles whenever you need a gentle scouring agent, deodorizer, or to remove tough stains or cloudiness.

A Simpler Alternative: Cleaning Baby Bottles with Branch Basics

For everyday baby bottle cleaning, Branch Basics is our go-to.

This ultra-gentle, EWG-Verified, MADE Safe Certified, fragrance-free, plant- and mineral-based soap was designed to be safe for the most sensitive individuals, including newborn babies!

In fact, the naturally derived surfactants used in Branch Basics Concentrate (decyl and coco glucoside) are the very same ones used in the gentlest natural baby soaps, shampoos, and body washes.

Plus, it’s so easy and economical, with no soaking required.

Branch Basics also works great with baking soda or Oxygen Boost for stain removal or tough jobs.

How to Clean Baby Bottles with Branch Basics: Quick Steps

Cleaning baby bottles with Branch Basics couldn’t be easier. Here’s how.

1. Grab Branch Basics All-Purpose or Bathroom dilution (both made using Branch Basics all-in-one Concentrate plus water).
   
   1. We recommend All-Purpose for everyday cleaning, and Bathroom if you need more sudsing power
      
2. Spray directly into the bottle, scrub, rinse well, and sterilize as needed.
   

That’s all, folks! Your bottles will be sparkling clean, with no harmful residues.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cleaning Baby Bottles with Baking Soda

Is baking soda safe to use on baby bottles?

Yes, food-grade baking soda (aka: sodium bicarbonate), like what you buy in the store, is safe to use on baby bottles.

Baking soda and baking powder are often confused, but it’s baking powder that may contain aluminum, so there’s no fear of that with baking soda.

As with all cleaners, be sure to rinse thoroughly.

Can baking soda sterilize baby bottles?

No. Baking soda is not a sterilizer. We recommend boiling water for sterilizing baby bottles, nipples, and pacifiers.

How often should I clean baby bottles with baking soda?

Use baking soda as-needed to remove build-up, cloudiness, or stains. We recommend Branch Basics or another human- and baby-safe detergent for regular cleaning.

Can I use baking soda on all bottle types?

Yes. Although we prefer using glass bottles to avoid plastic chemicals, baking soda can be used on plastic or glass bottles.

What if the sour smell won't go away after cleaning?

If your bottles still smell sour after soaking in baking soda, try soaking them longer (up to 24 hours) and/or soaking them in a 50:50 solution of white vinegar and water.

Although this doesn’t typically happen with glass bottles, plastic bottles do have a finite lifespan and may need to be replaced if the smell doesn’t go away.

In this case, replace them with glass bottles as your budget allows to reduce exposure to plastic chemicals (consignment stores are a great place to get glass baby bottles for a bargain!).

Toss the Toxins with Branch Basics

If you're looking for baby-safe cleaning products for surfaces, clothing, toys, hands, and everything in between, you'll love Branch Basics.

Founded by mothers and made with only the gentlest human-safe ingredients, our all-in-one cleaning and laundry system utilizes one Concentrate plus water to create enough cleaners to clean everything in your nursery and home.

All Branch Basics products are EWG-Verified, MADE SAFE Certified, and Leaping Bunny Verified for human and environmental safety. Our Concentrate has also been third-party tested as non-irritating to skin, lungs, and eyes. 

Our refill model also makes us one of the more affordable plant- and mineral-based, human-safe lines, and you can save an extra 10% by subscribing.

Already a fan of Branch Basics? Help spread the love and healthy home revolution by adding Branch Basics as a preferred source in Google search results.