8 Best Bottle Brushes For Easy, Efficient Cleaning
What to Expect selects products based on real-life testing conducted by staff, contributors and members our user community, as well as independent research and expert feedback; learn more about our review process. Prices and details are accurate as of the published date. We may earn commissions from shopping links.
What to Expect's Quick Summary
A bottle bush is one of those registry items that you probably don’t give much thought to, but like your bottles and your bottle drying rack, it’s one of the things you’re guaranteed to use every day. Even if you have a dishwasher, you may find yourself using a bottle brush when all the bottles are dirty, and you don’t have time to wait for it to run. A bottle brush also comes in handy if you want to give a quick clean to your pump parts. That means it’s worth researching which brush will best fit both your bottles and your lifestyle.
How we chose the best bottle brushes
The best bottle brush not only cleans your bottles and pump parts, but does so without leaving scratches or requiring extra elbow grease from the cleaner. You may, however, find that certain brushes work better on certain bottles or pump parts. To help narrow down your choices, What to Expect staff and community members say you should consider the following factors when choosing the best bottle brush:
- Brush material: Bottle brushes are typically made with silicone or bristles (plastic or stainless steel) to help you get into all the nooks and crannies of your bottles and nipples. The material impacts how expensive the brush is and how long it will last. Silicone bristles are softer and less likely to develop mold and bacteria, but they’re often more expensive. Some brushes also have sponges at the end, which can be a useful cleaning tool — although they typically have to be replaced even more often.
- Durability: The brush material directly affects its durability. Plastic bristles may break off, for example, while sponges might degrade.
- Value: Unless you exclusively pump, you’ll be using your bottle brush multiple times a day. This daily wear and tear means you might go through brushes quickly, especially if you’re using a sponge or plastic bristle brush. Springing for a multipack, though more costly upfront, can save you time and a little money.
Each of the bottle brushes on this list has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from What to Expect staff and community members for this criteria.
Why Trust Us?
What to Expect is the world’s most trusted pregnancy and parenting brand for a reason. Our product recommendations are based on expert parent insight, advice from medical professionals and feedback from the millions of parents and parents-to-be in our community. Our editors adhere to the highest research and reporting standards and our team of vetted OB/GYNs, pediatricians and other health professionals ensure our recommended products are safe and effective for you and your baby.
Best Bottle Brush Overall
OXO Tot Bottle Brush
- Dishwasher safe
- easy to use and clean
- comes with a stand
- Bristles could be sturdier
The OXO bottle brush is a fan favorite among What to Expect community parents. “This is by far the best brush I’ve tried,” says one happy WTE mom. The brush has a flexible head with soft and firm bristles to help you clean all the nooks and crannies in your bottles, and the detail cleaner hidden in the handle can be used to clean nipples and narrow pump parts. Parents love how the brushes clean bottles, but some say the mini brush isn’t as effective.
“The OXO brush it's great for washing the actual bottles but it doesn't really clean the nipples as well, not even with the included nipple brush,” says Tika Fender, What to Expect’s Senior Art Director. Another downside: Some parents found the bristles flatten out quickly, requiring replacement sooner than expected.
The set comes with a stand so your brush can sit on the kitchen counter in between uses — no additional storage needed. “We have a very small kitchen with almost no counter space, so having the stand is super useful,” says Jeanne Beacom, Campaign Performance Manager at Everyday Health Group (What to Expect's parent company). The brush and stand ares dishwasher safe for easy cleaning and sanitizing.
Brush Material: BPA-free plastic
Brushes per pack: 1
Dimensions: 12.5 x 3.25 x 2.5 inches
Best Silicone Bottle Brush
Innobaby 2-in-1 Silicone Bottle Brush
- Durable
- easy to use and clean
- BPA-free
- Soap tends to run off
- some find it doesn't fit well in Dr. Browns bottles
Silicone brushes offer many advantages, including that they’re naturally antimicrobial, mold resistant and long-lasting. You can pop this Innobaby 2-in-1 Silicone Bottle Brush — which fits in all standard narrow neck baby bottles — in the dishwasher for a deep clean or remove the silicone brush portion and sterilize it in boiling water or the microwave.
When it comes to cleaning bottles, parents like that this brush is flexible to clean the sides of the bottle and that it has an integrated nipple brush that cleans the molded plastic inside and out. It dries quickly, too, so you can stash it under the sink or in a drawer almost as soon as you’re done doing dishes. WTE parents also love that it doesn’t splash up water when you’re fishing it around inside bottles.
Brush Material: 100 percent food-grade silicone
Brushes per pack: 1
Dimensions: 13 inches
Best Long Bottle Brush
Dr. Brown’s Natural Flow Baby Bottle Brush
- Sponge design makes it easy to clean large bottles
- suction base
- BPA-free
- Needs to be replaced often
Parents love that this combo sponge and bristle brush allows them to thoroughly clean the bottom of even the tallest Dr. Brown’s bottles (and other brands, too). The bristles clean the side of the bottle without scratching, and the base has chevron channels to get into the grooves of the nipples.
“I used a variety of bottles, and found that Dr. Brown's bottle brush could be used on all of them — short and wide or tall and skinny,” says Leah Rocketto, What to Expect’s Associate Commerce Director. “I also liked that I could remove the sponge to get better control when cleaning bottle caps or use it to clean my daughter’s bibs.”
It also comes with a suction clip, which you can attach to a wall or counter to store your brush. You can also attach the clip to the base and stand the brush upright on your counter. Leah notes, however, that the clip loses its grip overtime. We recommend purchasing these in at least a three-pack, as the sponge-style brush will need to be replaced every four to six weeks. That said, it’s dishwasher safe (top rack only) for easy cleaning.
Brush Material: BPA-free plastic bristles, foam sponge, silicone and metal handle
Brushes per pack: 1 or 3
Dimensions: 10 x 2 x 2 inches
Best Baby Bottle Brush for Travel
OXO Tot On-the-Go Drying Rack with Bottle Brush
- Comes with combination drying rack and carrying case
- Needs to be bought as a set
- can’t purchase items separately
The brush in OXO’s travel set is name-checked as many parents’ favorite brush. Why? In addition to being sturdy and durable, it has two types of bristles: Soft bristles that reach all the insides of the bottle, and firm ones to scrub at built-up residue. The brush snaps in two for easy storage, and the handle hides a smaller thin brush for nipples and pump parts. The included drying rack is ventilated so things dry faster, and it folds up to easily slip inside your diaper bag, purse or carry on. Leah actually purchased two OXO travel sets — one to take on trips and one to leave at her mom’s house.
“We visit my mom a lot, but she doesn’t have the space for a full-sized bottle drying rack,” Leah says. “The OXO set takes up minimal counter space when in use and in storage, making it the perfect leave-behind rack.” Leah adds that, despite being smaller, the brush cleans bottles just as well as full-sized counterparts.
It’s as perfect for traveling as it is for cleaning up after pumping on the go. Oh, and did we mention the whole thing is dishwasher safe?
Brush Materials: BPA-free plastic
Brushes per pack: 1
Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 2.2 inches (closed), 8.5 x 10.8 x 2.2 inches (open)
Best Baby Bottle Sponge Brush
Munchkin Sponge Bottle Brush
- Durable
- easy to clean
- Some parents complain that it splashes water
Many What to Expect parents swear by the Munchkin sponge brush, which allows you to get every inch of your bottles clean. It features absorbent sponges to wipe down all interior parts, plus brushes for deeper cleaning and a nipple brush that stashes away in the handle. Parents also appreciate that the base doubles as a stand to set the brush upright next to their kitchen sinks. It is dishwasher safe, and the brand recommends replacing this brush every 30 to 45 days.
Brush Material: Plastic, nylon, rubber
Brushes per pack: 1-2
Dimensions: 11.38 x 5.98 x 2.36 inches
Best Eco-Friendly Baby Bottle Brush
Haakaa Silicone Cleaning Brush Kit
- Durable
- easy to sterilize
- More expensive than other brushes
- not recommended for dishwasher
If you’re looking for a durable brush that’s made with sustainable materials, you’ll want the Haakaa silicone brush. The brush’s ends are two different sizes to ensure it fits in bottles and nipples alike, and the silicone bristles are soft but tough on grime. It also comes with two silicone tube brushes that you can push through breast pump parts or other baby feeding items with narrow openings for a truly deep clean.
“I love the shape of the Haakaa brush and the convenience of just flipping it to clean nipples,” Tika says. One downside for Tika is that the silicone doesn't allow detergent to suds: “I feel like I have to use a ton of dish detergent to wash bottles.”
The silicone brush heads and stainless steel handle are more durable than plastic alternatives, ensuring that this brush will last a long time without needing replacement (take that, landfill garbage). You can sterilize it by boiling the brush heads in water for a few minutes, though Tika put hers in the sterilizer without issues. The handles also have hooks on the bottom so you can hang them dry and store them out of the way.
Brush Material: BPA-free food grade silicone, stainless steel
Brushes per pack: 4
Dimensions: 11.54 x 2.52 x 2.24 inches
Best Baby Bottle Brush Cleaning Set
Boon Cacti Bottle Cleaning Brush Set
- Very cute design
- a variety of brushes to clean different baby items
- Individual brushes not sold separately
- some parents found it less durable
This all-in-one BPA- and PVC-free bottle brush set will look adorable sitting next to your sink, while providing everything you need to keep bottles, pump parts and even baby sippy cups clean. You'll get four different, cacti-themed brushes — one for bottles, one for straws, one for nipples and one for smaller details — allowing you to clean baby bottles, pump parts and even water bottles and sippy cups in one go. The whole thing sits in a vase-like holder that will brighten up your kitchen sink area while draining water from the cleaned brushes. And when the brushes eventually need to be replaced, you can purchase a full replacement set (although not individual brush replacements).
Brush Material: BPA-free nylon bristles
Brushes per pack: 4
Dimensions: 1.22 x 1.22 x 10.81 inches
Best Brush for Pump Parts
Boon MOD Bottle Cleaning Brush Set
- Easy to use
- different sized brushes work on variety of products
- Brushes not sold individually
Looking for a bottle brush that can effectively clean your pumping accessories, too? Look no further than the Boon Mod brush set. Like the cactus-themed set, it comes with four nylon bristle brushes in different sizes to effectively clean your bottles, nipples, cups and nipples or pump parts — even the tightest nooks and crannies.The nipple brush has a long handle so you can stick it way down into pump parts for an effective clean. The included base serves as storage while also draining water from your brushes as they dry.
Sarah Darby, What to Expect's Senior SEO Strategist, says she settled on Boon after trying almost every other brush on the market. “I set up recurring orders on Amazon, that's how committed I was to always having that brush set,” Sarah says. “The brushes were the perfect sizes to clean both bottle and pump parts. I could get in all the nooks and crannies with the two smallest brushes, but the set also comes with a regular size bottle brush and a holder.” She adds that the brushes held up well against daily use, though she replaced them every two months for sanitary reasons.
She also personally preferred the minimalistic design to the brand’s similar, cactus-themed kit and loved the storage base, which has holes so the water can drain and the brushes can dry better.
Brush Material: BPA-free plastic and nylon
Brushes per pack: 4
Dimensions: 1.22 x 1.22 x 10.81 inches
Our Experts
We consulted several What to Expect staff members, including:
- Tika Fender, Senior Art Director, mom of a 4-month-old
- Jeanne Beacom, Campaign Performance Manager, mom of a 2-year-old
- Leah Rocketto, Associate Commerce Director, mom of a 1-year-old
- Sarah Darby, Senior SEO Strategist, mom of a 1-year-old
Finally, we canvassed What to Expect’s community boards to learn which diapers parents have found to be the most effective.
FAQs
When should you throw away a bottle brush?
How often you want to replace your brush depends on the style. Ones with a sponge may need to be replaced every 30 to 45 days. Bristle brushes can last until you notice any fraying bristles or other wear and tear. Silicone brushes generally last the longest. But it’s not just about the days on the calendar; use your judgment and replace a brush with flayed bristles, or that looks old.
How do you sanitize a bottle brush?
Bottle brushes will need regular cleaning and some are dishwasher safe, which makes the process easy. If you don’t have a dishwasher or your brush isn’t dishwasher safe, hot soapy water is the best way to sanitize your bottle brush. Remember to only use the bottle brush for bottles or your pump parts. You won’t want to use it on your pots and pans or even your regular dishes.
How do you store a bottle brush?
You want to make sure your bottle brush is not used for anything other than cleaning baby bottles, nipples and pump parts. Some brushes include a storage container or come with a built-in suction cup on the bottom so they can easily be stored upright. If yours don’t have those features, you might be able to find room for them on your bottle drying rack, or invest in a bottle brush holder to store your brushes while keeping them separate from your other dishes and kitchen tools.
Can I use regular dish soap for baby bottles?
Yes, you can use regular dish soap to clean baby bottles, bottle brushes and pump parts. Many What to Expect parents use and prefer Dawn dish soap because it’s more affordable than dish soaps specifically marketed for babies. However, some parents prefer baby dish soap like Dapple because they typically are formulated without potentially harmful ingredients like parabens, phthalates and dyes.
Trending On What to Expect
