Is your baby still attached to the pacifier? Would you like to know how to sterilize the pacifier? As sterilizing pacifiers concerns every mother, we’re going to explain a few ways to sterilize pacifiers in order to be safe for your baby.

However, It’s a good thing to sterilize pacifiers for your baby to avoid the negative effects because it may be a source of many pollutants and microbes if it is not taken care of properly.

How to sterilize pacifiers

Don’t delay cleaning and sterilizing your baby pacifier when it is touched by another person or child or when it falls to the ground or touches an unclean surface in order not to transmit microbes and cause harm to the baby.

However, we’ll show you how to sterilize pacifiers by using the following methods:

  • Recently, sterilization tablets have appeared suitable for baby's pacifiers that provide them with proper cleaning, just add a little water and soak the pacifier in this solution and leave it for an hour and then dry it with a cotton towel.
  • Mothers should sterilize pacifiers throughout the baby's first year at a minimum, this is to preserve your baby’s immunity, which is weak in the first year so the baby doesn’t get infected with fungi and bacteria.
  • It is recommended that the pacifier be attached to the string designated for it in the baby’s clothing; Because it is an important factor in protecting the pacifier for longer a long time from any pollutants and also protects it from falling to the ground.

How to sterilize Infant’s pacifiers

  • Since babies before six months have a weak immune system, it’s necessary to follow the method of sterilizing the pacifier, which is based on soaking in boiling water, by boiling it every day for 5 minutes to keep it clean.
  • At the beginning of the seventh month, it is possible to sterilize the pacifier once every two days, paying attention to the material the pacifier is made of and whether is it suitable for cold sterilization or boiling water.
  • In general, the main factor in cleaning pacifiers is the material they are made of, for example, silicone pacifiers can be boiled, and most importantly, when the pacifier becomes sticky, it is better to dispose of it and use another.

How to sterilize a pacifier at home

As mentioned above, There are more than one way to sterilize the pacifier, but there are additional ways in which this matter can be dealt with, and we will show them as follows:

Daily washing

  • It is important to wash the plastic pacifier every day with running water and a dishwashing liquid.
  • It is preferable to use special brushes to sterilize pacifiers that reach all their parts, which can be relied upon during cleaning.
  • Rinse the pacifier with warm water to remove traces of the cleaning fluid.

Sterilization by cooling

  • After washing and cleaning the pacifier, put it in the cooler for at least an hour.
  • As mentioned above, it is better to keep the pacifier in the cooler, so that it stays clean.

Sterilization by boiling

  • Fill a pot with some water, and then put it on the fire until it reaches the boiling point.
  • Turn off the heat and put the pacifier inside the pot and leave it for 15 minutes.
  • Accordingly, all contaminants will be eliminated.
  • Don’t put the pacifier on fire while it is on, as the plastic may be affected and poison the baby.

Sterilization by an electric device

  • This device is available at baby stores and this pacifier sterilization method is steam-based.
  • Put a pacifier inside the electric device and more than one pacifier can be placed at the same time.
  • If this device is not available, the pacifier can be placed in the microwave after placing it in ½ cup of water for up to 5 minutes.

How to sterilize pacifiers?

Most mothers, especially new mothers, have this question in their minds so we will discuss more than one method of sterilizing the pacifier:

Sterilize pacifiers chemically

  • Specific solutions are used and we put the pacifier inside after cleaning it in the first place.
  • Mothers should follow the directions on the solution package to immerse all parts of the pacifier in the solution, making sure that the container is free of all air bubbles.
  • Leave the pacifier inside the solution for half an hour, or according to what is written on the solution package. It is best to leave the pacifier inside the solution until it can be used again.
  • If the pacifier has been in the solution for more than 24 hours, change the solution to maintain its effectiveness.
  • Clean the container containing the solution thoroughly with warm, soapy water before placing the solution in it.

Sterilize a pacifier using bleach

  • There are bleaching materials dedicated only to sterilizing pacifiers, and they are used by mixing 2 tablespoons of unscented bleach with 16 cups of water.
  • After that, soak the pacifier in the solution for at least two minutes.
  • Note that the bleaching materials intended for cleaning and sterilizing the pacifier are volatile substances that don’t remain attached to the pacifier and therefore are safe for the baby.

Sterilization through the dishwasher

Dishwashers are one of the ways to sterilize pacifiers appropriately, as the pacifier can be placed inside it and set to the hot water system if the pacifier is made of a suitable material, but plastic pacifiers are not suitable for it so exposing them to hot water will cause toxic chemicals.

After the pacifier comes out of the washing machine, it should be dried with paper towels and not exposed to air while it is wet, so as not to attract dust and dirt.

How to clean pacifiers in detail

Sterilizing and cleaning the pacifier doesn’t require much effort, but it is an important issue that cannot be dispensed with and requires only easy steps in order to protect the health of children.

All what you need for this task are the following:

  • Dishwashing liquid
  • A clean sponge made for the job
  • a pot
  • Electric sterilizer
  • Microwave
  • Plastic bags


Then we follow these steps:

  • Wash the pacifier primarily with a sterilizer or with soap and hot water, rubbing gently with a clean sponge.
  • After you finish washing the pacifier, we make sure that it is intact and free of cracks, as we dispose of it immediately as it may cause choking for the baby.
  1. If we notice that the pacifier after washing has become sticky; This means that the material from which it is made is not good, and it is not possible to give it to the baby again, so it is necessary to dispose of it before it causes harm to the baby.
  2. After that, Sterilize pacifiers by placing the pacifier in a boiling water pot and leaving it for 5 minutes. An electric sterilizer can be used with the application of the instructions listed on it because each device has instructions for it.
  3. Mathers can rely on the microwave to sterilize pacifiers, making sure of its instructions as well, so that we don’t leave the pacifier for a long time, provided that the pacifier is not made of latex because it is not suitable for high heat.
  4. It is important that the pacifier be rid of the water that is inside it by shaking, then put it on kitchen towels after it dries, it is preferable to cover the pacifier with the cover designated for it and then put it in a plastic bag in case you go outside the house.

How do you keep the pacifier clean?

After we have shown the pacifiers’ sterilizing ways, it is necessary to know the way in which they can be kept clean, and it’s as follows:

  • In order to keep the pacifier clean and protected from dirt and microbes, it is best to buy one with a plastic cover.
  • As mentioned above, It is best to tie the pacifier to the baby's clothes through a plastic chain, so that it doesn’t fall repeatedly on the ground and get dirty, but remember to remove it when the baby sleeps so that the chain doesn’t wrap around his neck.
  • Mothers have not to clean the pacifier through the mother’s mouth, it is common among mothers but they believe that it is an effective way to clean the pacifier, on the contrary, it may transmit infection or disease to the baby.
  • If the pacifier falls, even once, on the floor, it is best to clean it with soap and water or breast milk.
  • Avoid keeping a pacifier worn or cracky.
  • It is preferable to keep some extra pacifiers to easily replace any unusable pacifier without the baby feeling the absence of the pacifier and getting into a crying fit.

As we demonstrated, there are many ways to sterilize pacifiers safely, most of which can be done at home, so the baby's health will be safe without any worries because pacifiers are among the most useful baby supplies that, despite being useful, can harm the baby if not taken care of properly.