How should the Evert-ItTM Nipple Enhancer be cleaned and sterilized?

Updated

Wash the Evert-It™ Nipple Enhancer with hot soapy water, rinse it well, and let it air dry. That is the routine the manufacturer recommends. If you want extra assurance, you can boil the device, but expect the soft tip to shrink slightly; the suction should still work. The tip alone is dishwasher safe, while the syringe should stay out of the dishwasher. Do not autoclave or microwave the device, because heat treatment affects the syringe.

Routine cleaning: the default method

Maternal Concepts® states that, because breastmilk has antibacterial properties, sterilization should not be necessary. The standard cleaning routine is:

  1. Wash the device in hot soapy water.
  2. Rinse thoroughly.
  3. Air dry before the next use.

This applies to the whole device, tip and syringe included.

When you want more than washing

Boiling

Boiling is allowed if you decide sterilization is necessary. Two things to know before you do it:

  • The soft tip may shrink slightly. The manufacturer says the suction should be unaffected.
  • Boiling is a whole-device step, not a substitute for the routine wash.

Dishwasher

Only the tip is dishwasher safe. The manufacturer notes that the syringe becomes very difficult to pull after repeated dishwasher cycles, so keep the syringe out and clean it by hand.

What to avoid

Method Allowed? Why
Hot soapy water + rinse + air dry Yes, recommended Standard cleaning
Boiling Yes, if sterilization is needed Slight tip shrinkage possible; suction unaffected
Dishwasher, tip only Yes Tip is dishwasher safe
Dishwasher, syringe No Syringe becomes hard to pull
Autoclave No Affects the syringe
Microwave No Affects the syringe

Why the syringe drives the rules

The device pairs a soft tip with a syringe that creates suction. The cleaning limits all trace back to that syringe: repeated dishwasher exposure and high-heat methods like autoclaving or microwaving change how it performs, and a stiff or damaged syringe undermines the suction the device depends on. The tip is the more heat-tolerant part, which is why it can go in the dishwasher or survive boiling with only minor shrinkage.

A practical routine

For everyday use, hand-wash in hot soapy water, rinse, and air dry. If you want to sterilize — for example, before first use or after illness — boil the device and accept that the tip may shrink a little. Skip the dishwasher for the syringe, and never autoclave or microwave any part. If the syringe starts to feel stiff or hard to pull, that is the signal to check how you have been cleaning it.