When parents begin buying items for the baby, they might eventually find themselves overwhelmed by a great number of bottles and bottle pieces. Regardless of if your baby drinks breastmilk or formula, you will always need a lot of bottles on hand. However, parents need to be able to effectively store these bottles so that they can easily get them when needed. Fortunately, there are several baby bottle storage ideas that can significantly help.
There are so many smart baby bottle storage ideas that parents can follow to help themselves organize and store baby bottles. Everyday items such as shower caddies, baskets, drawers, and organizers can make a huge difference. Even simply clearing out a cabinet can make for a good baby bottle storage idea.
Baby Bottle Storage Ideas
1. A Shower Caddy
A shower caddy is an everyday item anyone can get at any department store or hardware store. These are versatile organization items that are designed to hold bottles needed in the shower such as shampoos and conditioners.
Fortunately, it can serve as a great way to organize other bottles as well.
Aside from their wide availability, shower caddies are a great baby bottle storage idea because they come in quite a range of shapes and sizes. You can get one that would perfectly fit your needs. Aside from numerous shelves, some shower caddies even come with pegs that items can be hung from. In the shower, these pegs can be used for hanging loofahs, but parents can also make use of these pegs for hanging bibs.
2. Baskets
Perhaps one of the simplest baby bottle storage ideas is to simply keep them in baskets. This is an excellent option for parents who want a simple solution to this issue. Baskets are great because they are easy to get, easy to organize, and they can even be stacked on top of one another.
Being easy to get, parents can get multiple baskets to effectively organize different items. One basket can keep bottles of one size, while another basket can keep bottles of another size.
3. A Kitchen Cart
A rolling kitchen cart is probably one of the more popular items to get for nursery organization. These versatile carts are usually multi-layered storage spaces designed on top of rolling wheels. Designed to be a robust storage solution in the kitchen, a kitchen cart can easily be implemented as a baby bottle storage idea that can be wheeled from one room to another.
The great thing about a kitchen cart is that it has enough space for parents to store other associated items as well, such as nipples, tubes, the pumping machine, and more. Having this cart around can help keep countertops free of clutter.
4. Plastic Drawers
Another great option to consider for the nursery is to have a set of plastic drawers. They are incredibly simple and straightforward. You can get one stack that would hold about two to three drawers which could then be used to store and organize baby bottles and other associated items. Getting more than one set can then give you more options.
Plastic drawers are an excellent storage idea because of how simple they are. They also come in a wide variety of designs, making it easy to find drawers that would match the look of the nursery.
5. A Dry Rack Organizer
One thing to take note of is where to place the baby bottles after getting them cleaned. Parents who put baby bottles in the dishwasher can also use the dishwasher’s drying cycle. However, bottles washed by hand have to be dried too. One item that would significantly help in this task would be to get a dry rack organizer.
Dry rack organizers can be conveniently placed by the kitchen sink. These organizers typically have vertical arms where bottles can be hung upside down, allowing the excess water to simply drip down thanks to gravity. Depending on the model you choose, these can be multi-layered as well, making it an efficient storage idea.
6. A Door Organizer
One of the most underutilized spaces in the house is the surface of the door. At most, people place pegs there to hang articles of clothing. However, one of the greatest ways to maximize the door is by getting a door organizer. These are storage solutions that are purposely designed to be hung on the door.
Door organizers have multiple levels which can be used for organizing various bottles and similar items. This baby bottle storage idea would be able to utilize an unconventional space while offering maximum utility for parents.
7. Clear Out a Cabinet
Without having to go out and actually buy something, perhaps one of the simplest ideas for baby bottle storage would be to simply clear out one of the pre-existing cabinets in your home right now. Surely, one cabinet would be enough to contain all the baby bottles, and a cabinet would be a great way to store them away out of sight.
If you want to add additional organizational elements, you can go and get some dividers for the cabinet. These can be little plastic baskets or containers that can be used to form sections, making it easier to organize bottles from other items.
3 Common Storage Mistakes
Sunlight (UV) Exposure and Heat
Both UV exposure and heat can readily degrade the plastic polymers in baby bottles. UV exposure is the more common risk, but improper heating can also cause serious damage.
Generally speaking, baby bottles are pretty good at handling the heat. The problem comes when they’re subjected to more than what they’re cleared for – like boiling hot water! This kind of exposure can ruin the bottle’s durability over time, which also has the side effect of turning the plastic cloudy (like frosted glass!).
Improper heating is pretty hard to do accidentally, but UV exposure is a different issue. It’s common to leave a plastic bottle out in the light, forgetting about it entirely!
Prolonged contact can lead to splotchy discolorations, increased brittleness, and may even create cracks on the bottle itself! It also doesn’t bode well when the bottle has leftover residue inside – which we’ll go over later.
Sunlight is the main source of this issue, so store all your bottles in cool, covered areas. Another source might be from UV sterilizer units, so play it safe and stick with steamers!
Leftover Bottle Residue
Stray residue in a baby bottle is a parent’s worst nightmare! It could alter their feeding habits, induce jaundice (overabundance of bilirubin, causing yellowed skin), or even lead to sepsis if the bottle happened to pick up Cronobacter infections.
That’s not even accounting for a whole host of viral infections that could crop up seasonally – and worst of all, it can even be passed along to other bottles through cross-contamination!
Rinsing is a half-measure that puts your infant at serious risk during feeding time. After they feed, be sure to clean the bottle properly with warm, soapy water – do it a few times to be sure! In fact, steam it before use for good measure – don’t take even the slightest risk!
Baby Bottle Still Damp when Storing
Formula residue might be the biggest risk, but that doesn’t mean you can turn a blind eye to storing away a damp baby bottle!
This moisture could easily lead to mold growth, which will wreak havoc on your baby’s sensitive tummy. It could lead to diarrhea, painful cramps, vomiting, or even respiratory issues in some extreme cases.
Smart baby bottle storage is dry baby bottle storage. Mold exposure can lead to a range of side effects, and you don’t ever want to roll the dice when it comes to your baby’s health!
