When it comes to feeding, baby bottles with milk or formula are your best friend!
You can take a break from breastfeeding, and it’ll be easy to prepare a bottle of milk wherever and whenever you need it!
Although, like any other reusable container, you’ll have to wash baby bottles clean and get rid of any residue and lingering odors.
The best way to wash your baby’s bottles is to use safe baby dish soaps. You want to make sure these products aren’t riddled with any harsh chemicals and other toxic substances.
In this list, we narrowed down the best baby dish soaps you can find in the market. All of these dish soaps are made of natural ingredients and are safe to use on any baby bottle!
9 Best Baby Dish Soap for Baby Bottles
1. Dapple Fragrance-Free Baby Bottle Dish Soap
OUR PICK
This baby dish soap has thousands of positive reviews on Amazon, and any mom would appreciate how RELIABLE this product is!
This product was specifically made to clean baby’s bottles, but it can also remove up to 50% more milk film and odor on other baby products. You can use this on sippy cups, baby bottles, pacifiers, and breast pump parts!
You’ll find a bunch of ingredients that can be hard to pronounce, which can be intimidating. Although you don’t have to worry about any of them being harmful. These are plant-based and safe to use on baby’s bottles.
It’s FREE of parabens, phthalates, sulfates, dyes, alcohol, chlorine, fragrances, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES).
Dapple products have also been awarded the Clean Label Project Purity Award for their commitment to only using clean and pure ingredients!
On top of that, this dish soap is also reviewed, tested, and approved by pediatricians and dermatologists. It’s hypoallergenic and not tested on animals too!
You can also find different scents for this product. Although the safest option will be the fragrance-free variant.
This baby dish soap checks a lot of boxes for being a great dish soap you can count on. This is our pick for the BEST dish soap on this list, and we’re sure thousands of parents will agree with us!
You won’t go wrong with our top pick for the best baby bottle soap!
Pros
- Recognized as a safe and effective dish soap
- Effective at removing formula and milk residue
- Free of harmful chemicals
- Convenient pump top bottle for easy use
- Plant-based ingredients are effective at cleaning
Cons
- Some mothers found it difficult to lather
- Some might find the pump top more of a hassle
2. Puracy Natural Dish Soap Green Tea and Lime
BEST FOR OVERALL DISH WASHING
Puracy is one of the best brands when it comes to trustworthy baby products. They make some of the best safe baby lotions, body washes, and baby dish soaps!
This dish soap isn’t specifically made for your baby’s bottles. Even so, it’s still formulated to be safe and effective for all dishwashing needs!
This baby dish soap is made up mostly of natural and plant-based ingredients like aloe vera, vegetable glycerin, Himalayan pink sea salt, pink grapefruit essential oil, and cleansers that are coconut-oil based. It’s 99.96% natural!
This product effectively cuts through grease, has fast-rinsing suds, and will leave you with spot-free surfaces.
For non-natural ingredients, you can find citric acid, sodium chloride, sodium citrate, benzisothiazolinone, and tetrasodium glutamate diacetate.
These might sound intimidating, but rest assured that this dish soap is still gentle enough to be safe on your skin. It can even leave your skin feeling silky smooth!
It’s sulfate-free and doesn’t have any parabens, triclosan, petrochemicals, toxins, and synthetic perfumes. Don’t worry about any harsh chemicals clinging to your baby’s bottles!
Some bonus features of this dish soap are that it’s also eco-friendly, biodegradable, vegan, gluten-free, and certified cruelty-free. It smells great too with its natural fragrance of green tea and lime.
You can get this dish soap in a value-filled 3-pack. Once you decide on using this dish soap in the long run, you can then purchase a 64 fl oz refill pack to reduce waste!
Pros
- Effective to use on your baby’s bottles and all other dishes
- Made of 99.96% natural ingredients
- Foams and cleanses well without using harsh chemicals
- Eco-friendly, vegan, and cruelty-free
- Safely softens skin and smells wonderful
Cons
- Only comes in a pack of 3
- Has a thin consistency
- More liquid needs to be used and can run out fast
3. ATTITUDE Baby Dish Soap
BEST ECO-FRIENDLY DISH SOAP
When it comes to the best eco-friendly dish/baby bottle soaps, ATTITUDE takes the cake! This company makes a bunch of the best earth-friendly products out there!
What makes this dish soap for baby bottles unique is their trademarked Nature + Technology. This means that it was efficiently manufactured using plant-based ingredients.
ATTITUDE is known to be friendly to the planet, so this is the perfect pick for those who are environmentally conscious. It’s recyclable, cruelty-free, and vegan too!
Going back to the plant-based ingredients, this dish soap is made of coco glucoside, lauryl glucoside, water, sodium chloride, glycerin, sodium gluconate, green tea leaf extract, sodium citrate, and saponins.
These are carefully formulated together to create a safe yet effective dish wash soap. You can get rid of residues and odors from breastmilk and grease on baby bottles, breast pumps, and breast pump accessories!
This dish soap is also hypoallergenic and gentle for any bottle. You won’t find any harsh and irritant ingredients like parabens, sulfates, formaldehyde, dyes, and fragrances.
For the cherry on top, this ATTITUDE product has a rating of A on EWG’s Guide to Healthy Cleaning. It’s also Climate Pledge Friendly and ECOLOGO Certified. This means it’s a safe household product with minimal impact on the environment!
Pros
- Certified to be a safe and environment-friendly product
- Plant-based, hypoallergenic, and gentle on bottles
- Gets rid of odors and residues on any baby bottle and breast pump
- Sulfate-free, paraben-free, and fragrance-free
- Affordable and comes in a big bottle
Cons
- Some parents complained of poor packaging
- Will work on standard kitchenware but you have to use a lot of the product
4. Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Liquid Soap Unscented
MOST VERSATILE
This liquid castile soap is the most versatile product out there. We even recommend this product as a safe baby bath product!
What makes this liquid soap unique is that it only has nine ingredients. Most of these are ORGANIC, while others are still non-toxic. Some organic ingredients are fair-trade certified too!
Plant-based ingredients include coconut oil, jojoba oil, olive oil, palm kernel oil, and hemp seed oil. For non-organic ingredients, Dr. Bronner only uses citric acid, potassium hydroxide, and tocopherol.
You don’t have to worry about any of these substances, so that should ease your mind! Tocopherol is used to add vitamin E, which works great at retaining skin moisture!
You also won’t find any synthetic detergents, dyes, preservatives, foaming agents, and fragrances.
On top of that, this product is vegan, 100% biodegradable, and the bottle is made of recycled post-consumer plastic bottles!
However, there is a catch with this product.
In its base form, it can be really pure and concentrated. Dr. Bronner recommends that you dilute this product. They even give diluting instructions on the bottle label.
You’ll find different diluting instructions depending on how you plan on using this liquid soap. For washing dishes and baby bottles, you should dilute the liquid soap with water with a 1:10 ratio.
This can be a hassle for many moms, but diluting this liquid soap also means you’ll be using less of the actual product. This soap will last a long time, and you can use it for other purposes besides washing dishes and baby bottles!
This is a versatile all-purpose cleaner that will get any job done!
This liquid dish soap comes in a 32 fl oz bottle, but you can also go for smaller sizes if you want to try it out.
Pros
- Mostly uses organic ingredients
- Free of detergents, fragrance, preservatives, and other harsh chemicals
- Different size variations
- Can be used for different purposes
- Lasts a long time
Cons
- Diluting can be a hassle
- Pricey compared to other dish/baby bottle soaps on this list
5. Better Life Natural Dish Soap
BEST BUDGET PICK
This dish soap is another great product we recommend, and it’s affordable and made in the USA too.
It says on the bottle label that it’s “Naturally Grease-Kicking,” and it’s true to its word. This dish soap gets the job done without using sulfates and other harsh ingredients!
It’s strong enough to work great on kitchenware but still gentle and safe enough to use on baby bottles. Whichever product you use it on, you can safely use this dish soap without using any gloves.
What we love about this dish soap is that Better Life is transparent about each ingredient and explains the purpose of each one.
An example of this is disodium coco glucoside citrate. This ingredient is a safe cleaning agent that’s sourced from corn, coconut oil, and citric acid. All other ingredients display this kind of information!
Most ingredients are also coconut oil and plant-based. You won’t find any solvents, ethers, parabens, synthetic fragrances, dyes, alcohol, and ethoxylated.
This is a safe dish and baby bottle soap that won’t leave any traces of chemicals!
Other stand-out ingredients are aloe vera and tocopherol (vitamin E). These two work well together to condition your skin and help retain moisture while you wash the dishes.
As a bonus, this dish soap is also VERY AFFORDABLE and gives great value with its 22 fl oz bottle. It’s cruelty-free and biodegradable too!
You choose from scents like lemon mint and pomegranate, but we recommend the unscented one for washing baby bottles.
Pros
- Effective at cleaning but still gentle and safe
- No harsh ingredients used
- Plant-based ingredients are safe and can moisturize the skin
- Company is transparent and explains the purpose of all ingredients
- Affordable and gives great value
Cons
- Doesn’t lather well
6. Elysium Eco World Premium Natural Baby Bottle Liquid Dish Soap
ORGANIC AND BEST PACKAGING
There are two main reasons why this dish soap stands out as one of the best dish soap for baby bottles on this list.
First, it’s only made with organic ingredients and herbal extracts. These ingredients aren’t displayed on the actual bottle for some reason, but we researched and uncovered the ingredients for you.
This dish soap is made of water, apple vinegar, citrus peel extract, corn extract, pineapple extract, coconut extract, glycerin, and mint extract. Only 25% of these ingredients are active ingredients too.
You won’t find any harmful ingredients like parabens, phthalates, alcohol, and petrochemical substances. It’s sulfate-free too! This dish soap is natural, anti-bacterial, vegan, and will lather well without leaving any residue.
This is formulated specifically for baby pacifiers, baby bottles, and other baby products. You don’t have to worry about stubborn dried milk film residue. This product will cut right through them with ease.
On top of that, it’s also environment-friendly, recyclable, and user-friendly because of its easy-to-use ergonomic pump!
The second reason why this dish stands out is because of its packaging. Not a lot of brands put much thought into their packaging, so this product packaging is hard not to appreciate.
The dish soap comes in a premium-looking box with simple brand printing. This makes it a great gift that any mother would appreciate! Although what we love the most is that they also give you an extra cap.
If you prefer squeezing the liquid out of the bottle instead of pumping it out, you just have to replace the pump with the cap and you’re good to go!
Pros
- 100% organic and made without toxic chemicals
- Lathers well without using harsh substances
- Effectively gets rid of milk film residue
- Environment-friendly and recyclable
- Comes in premium packaging with a replaceable bottle cap
Cons
- Might not work well for non-baby dishes and products
- Natural fragrance is safe but may leave a scent on baby bottles
7. Medela Quick Clean Breast Milk Removal Soap
BEST FOR BREAST PUMP PARTS
This is a great pick-up if you don’t need a dish soap that also works on standard kitchenware.
This breast milk soap is specifically formulated to clean any milk formula on breast pumps and breast pump components. It works great at dealing with any milk residue on baby bottles too.
On top of that, you can also use this as a gentle yet effective detergent for your nursing apparel! Just place your nursing apparel into the washing machine, pump a little bit of this breast milk remover, and you’re good to go.
Since you’ll be using this breast milk remover on items that your baby will put in their mouths, Medela made sure to make it fragrance-free, tasteless, hypoallergenic, and safe for all babies!
This breast milk remover also has a special quick clean formula. You don’t need to scrub thoroughly for it to be effective. This is great and convenient, especially for breastfeeding mommies!
However, for some reason, they don’t list down the ingredients anywhere.
This can be troublesome, but knowing that this product is clinically tested by physicians to be non-irritant and safe, then we’re comfortable including it in this list.
There are thousands of positive reviews by other moms too! That’s a good sign that this is a reliable product that gets the job done without harming your baby!
Pros
- Quick clean formula and pump top makes it convenient
- Can get rid of breast milk residue up to 3 days old
- Also effectively removes breast milk stains inside baby bottles
- Clinically tested to be hypoallergenic and non-irritant to babies
- Fragrance-free and won’t leave any tastes on baby products
Cons
- Expensive for its size and amount
- Specific ingredients are unknown
8. Babyganics Foaming Dish and Baby Bottle Soap
BEST FOAMING DISH SOAP
We love Babyganics products, and this great foam dish soap for baby bottles works great for all situations. This has thousands of positive reviews from other moms and it’s hard not to see why!
What makes this baby bottle soap special is its foaming technology. It foams almost instantly, so you wouldn’t have to use much of the product every pump.
On top of that, it rinses quickly compared to more liquid dish soaps on this list!
It’s fragrance-free and also made of plant-derived ingredients. Don’t worry about any irritating substances like phosphates, phthalates, and dyes!
This foam soap is gentle enough for sensitive skin and won’t leave soap residue on any baby bottle. Despite being gentle, it still gets the job done when it comes to removing milk films, grease, and other messy stuff.
For the ingredients, Babyganics uses water, cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine, lauramine oxide, decyl glucoside, sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, glycerin, and methylisothiazolinone.
Almost all are plant-based, while the last ingredient is a synthetic preservative!
Some synthetic preservatives can be a cause for concern because they’re known to be endocrine disruptors. However, this baby bottle soap is dermatologist-tested and trusted to be non-toxic.
If you’re still uncomfortable with this ingredient, it would be better to go for dish soaps that have no synthetic preservatives instead.
You can get this product in a 3-pack with a fragrance-free variant or citrus variant. Both are gentle and safe for baby bottles, but we recommend getting the fragrance-free one to avoid any lingering scents that could latch onto baby bottles.
Pros
- Foaming technology makes it convenient
- Formula is gentle yet effective at cleaning
- Non-toxic and free of harsh ingredients
- Pump top bottle is easy to use
- Lasts a long time
Cons
- Synthetic preservative can be a cause for concern
- Using too much foam can make it longer to rinse off
- Some might find the pump top a hassle
9. Seventh Generation Dish Liquid Soap
BEST VALUE
If you’re looking to get the best value for dish soap for baby bottles, then nothing will beat Seventh Generation. This dish soap comes in an affordable and value-filled 6-pack. Each bottle contains 25 fl oz of liquid soap too!
These dish soaps weren’t specifically made to be baby bottle cleaners.
Although they’re formulated to be safe and free of harsh chemicals, they still pass as great dish soaps you can count on.
Seventh Generation is a proud member of the Certified B Corporation. This is a group of corporations that are certified to be worker-friendly, community-friendly, and environment-friendly!
Seventh Generation packaging is made with 86-100% post-consumer recycled material. This dish soap is an EPA Safer Choice Certified Product and USDA Certified Biobased Product 95% too!
None of their products are tested on animals and NO animal-based ingredients were used as well.
For some of the ingredients, you can find water, sodium lauryl sulfate, glycerin, lauramine oxide, citric acid, benzisothiazolinone, and methylisothiazolinone.
The last ingredient is a synthetic preservative, so avoid this product if you’re uncomfortable with this.
Despite the presence of SLS and other synthetic substances, Seventh Generation was still able to pull off a gentle, hypoallergenic, and effective cleanser that isn’t harsh on sensitive skin.
However, some parents found that their skin dried up when exposed to soap for a long time. We recommend wearing gloves just to be safe.
On the upside, you won’t find any fragrances, dyes, phosphates, or triclosan. Don’t worry about any of these harmful substances getting into your baby bottles.
Pros
- Comes in a big bottle and a value-filled 6-pack
- Certified to be environmental-friendly
- Effective at cleaning dishes and baby bottles
- Hypoallergenic and plant-based formula
- Non-toxic and safe for baby bottle cleaning
Cons
- SLS can still irritate some skin types
- Synthetic preservative can be a cause for concern
- Can dry hands if used for extended periods
Choosing the Best and Safest Baby Dish Soap
Before buying dish soap products to clean your baby bottles and sippy cups, there are a couple of things you should know about.
These factors will help you understand why some baby dish soaps are safe, while others aren’t.
Your baby will be drinking from their baby bottles every day for a couple of years.
As much as possible, you should make sure your baby bottles are clean and not riddled with different harmful chemicals.
The Good Ingredients
Organic and Natural Ingredients
The best baby-safe ingredients are always organic and natural. These can be sustainably sourced, plant-based, and fair-trade certified.
A dish soap formula filled with these safe ingredients is gentle enough to be safe on the skin yet effective enough to get the job done when it comes to cleaning!
These ingredients also don’t leave any residue on baby bottles.
It will leave your bottles squeaky clean without leaving any unwanted scents and tastes that can affect your baby’s feeding time!
Here’s a brief list of the ORGANIC ingredients to look for:
- Plant-based surfactants – These materials are derived from safe, natural sources like coconut or palm, and are better alternatives to synthetic ingredients.
- Essential oils – Some essential oils like lemon, tea tree, and lavender make great, non-toxic cleaning agents.
- Aloe vera – Aloe vera is another plant-derived substance that effectively cleans dirt and grease residue.
- Chamomile – Chamomile’s cleaning properties keep baby’s items clean and glistening.
Safe Non-Toxic Ingredients
Organic and natural ingredients are the best when it comes to baby safety, but that doesn’t mean that some synthetic substances can’t be just as safe.
There are a bunch of non-toxic synthetic substances that a lot of dish soap products use!
Some examples are glycerin, citric acid, tocopherol, sodium citrate, sodium chloride, and other similar substances. All of these give added benefits to make dish soaps more effective without being harmful.
It’s also important to note that none of these products are meant for consumption anyway.
You don’t have to worry about your baby accidentally ingesting any of these because these also won’t cling to baby bottles.
These are more ingredients that are completely non-toxic and SAFE to use in the kitchen:
- Glycerin – Glycerin is a natural odorless cleaning agent that helps remove stains and residue.
- Citric acid – Citric acid helps break down hard water, which, in turn, helps break down greasy stains dirty dishes.
- Sodium Bicarbonate/Baking soda – Baking soda is a common cleaning agent that can help get out the hardest stains on any kitchenware.
The Bad Ingredients
Synthetic Fragrances
Natural fragrances from fruit oils and other essential oils are fine.
Although, you should avoid synthetic fragrances as much as you can. This ingredient is known to be an irritant to sensitive skin.
It’s nice to have good-smelling dishwashing soap, but these can be harmful to mommies with sensitive skin, especially if you’ll be doing the dishes for extended periods.
Antibacterial Agents
Triclosan and benzalkonium chloride are examples of antibacterial agents that are used to kill bacteria. However, these substances can actually cling to surfaces even after you rinse them thoroughly.
High levels of antibacterial chemical exposure have been linked to immune-related sensitivities, especially for children. It would be best to avoid these as much as possible!
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) & Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)
These two substances are common in a lot of personal care products like shampoos, body wash, and other soaps. They make cleaning and lathering easier and more effective.
These surfactants are made from coconuts, but they’re highly toxic because of the manufacturing process behind it.
They’ve been linked to irritation, organ system toxicity, and endocrine disruption. It would be best to avoid dish soaps with these substances.
One product on this list, the Seventh Generation dish soap, has SLS in its formula. Even so, it’s still considered a safe and gentle dishwashing cleaner.
If you’re still uncomfortable with this, all the other products on this list are sulfate-free, so we recommend going for those instead.
Toxic Substances
Some toxic substances you should avoid in dish soaps are parabens, formaldehyde, chlorine, and even ammonia.
A lot of these substances are linked to cancer, endocrine disruption, organ system problems, and other developmental issues.
All products listed above are non-toxic and safe for bottles and babies. That should help ease your mind and help you pick the best dish soap for your situation!
Is It Okay to Wash Baby Bottles With Dish Soap?
It’s 100% safe to wash your organic baby bottles using dish soap.
As long as the dish soap product you use doesn’t contain any harsh chemicals, then you have nothing to worry about.
Some cleaning agents are effective at killing bacteria and other substances inside bottles. Although, as we previously said, these antibacterial agents can also latch on to them and can be harmful to your little one.
The safest way to clean baby bottles is to use dish soap that has natural ingredients while also not having any harmful substances.
All baby dish soaps we listed above are safe and reliable for washing baby bottles. As long as you clean these bottles well, then you have nothing to worry about!
Best Practices for Washing Baby Bottles
Dishwasher
The most convenient way to clean your baby bottles is to use a dishwasher.
It’s also more environment-friendly since you’ll be using less water.
However, ensure that your baby bottle is dishwasher-safe, and it would be best if they weren’t made of plastic.
The high temperatures inside a dishwasher can make plastic bottles leach out chemicals, which is a big no-no for your babies.
It would be best to go for organic and non-toxic baby bottles that are dishwasher-friendly.
Hand-Washing
The best way to clean your baby bottles is to wash them yourself in the sink to ensure that each bottle is taken care of.
You can also add extra effort to cut through grease, milk fats, and other residues!
Just apply any safe dishwashing soap on a bottle brush, use hot water and scrub thoroughly, and leave them to dry inside the drying rack.
You can also use a towel to dry them. Just make sure it’s a clean towel that you only use for bottles and not other dishes.
Before storing the bottles back to where you keep them, make sure they’re 100% dry. Any leftover water can cause mold and bacteria to grow!
Sterilizing
For extra security, you can also sterilize your bottles.
This isn’t essential, but it’s still a good practice to ensure that your bottles are as clean as they can be.
Sanitizing them will make sure that any bacteria or germs you might have missed are eliminated for good!
Conclusion
From all the great products on this list, our pick for the best baby bottle soap is the Dapple Baby Bottle Dish Soap. It’s recognized to be safe and effective, and it works perfectly on any baby product you need to wash!
Puracy is a reliable brand you can count on, and their Natural Dish Soap Green Tea and Lime is hard not to recommend. This will work effectively for all dishwashing needs, and it’s also perfect for those who prefer scented dish soaps.
For environmentally-conscious moms, the ATTITUDE Baby Dish Soap is an easy pick. This company is known to be one of the best eco-friendly baby brands out there. This product is safe on bottles and babies, and safe for the planet!
FINAL TIP: Premature babies need extra care when bottle-feeding. You can use any of these preemie baby bottles to make feeding time easier!