Best baby dish soap for baby bottles. 11 baby dish soap brands that are free and clear from harsh chemicals. Gentle baby dish soap choices.
Best Choice | Best overall | The Best on a Budget |
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Dapple Dish Soap | Attitude Baby Dish Soap | Babyganics Dish Dazzler |
To expecting parents, I realize it sounds crazy to get a special dish soap for baby bottles and the other accoutrements of newborn hood.
But here’s the thing: breast milk is greasy. It needs a lot of grease-cutting power to cut through it and get your baby bottles grease-free to the touch. And it needs to do so without leaving any sort of scent or flavor on the bottle that might discourage your little one from eating.
In our experience, regular dish soap or dishwasher detergent just doesn’t cut it in either way, which is why special baby dish soap really can make your life better as a new parent.
Short on time and just looking for the best option? If you don’t have time to read the article, we think Dapple Baby Bottle Dish Soaps are the best choice for most families, followed closely by Attitude Baby Dish Soap and then Babyganics Dish and Bottle Soap. All of these soaps work both as a special baby bottle soap, and for your dishes in general, and they are low on ingredients you want to keep away from your baby.
If you’d rather have a “soak and forget it” solution meant only for breast milk (not for your general kitchen dishes), Medela Quick Clean Breast Milk Soap and Impressa Breast Milk Removal Soap allow just that.
For more info, keep reading!
Other Reason You Might Need Special Dish Soap for Baby Bottles
Effectiveness at cleaning breast milk and the ability to do it without a lingering scent or taste are two of the main reasons you might want to get special baby dish soap.
But what about for formula feeding families?
So much advice to new parents focuses around “breast is best” (which we agree with). In my experience, once the “breast is best” messaging is done, info that’s exclusively about formula feeding could be a bit scary to read.
We were combination feeders for our daughter, so I speak from personal experience. I remember feeling petrified after randomly stumbling across a piece of Irish government advice about safely preparing a baby bottle.
Spoiler: it involved a lot of advice about properly washing a baby bottle. The advice I read over and over again about formula feeding? Cleaning bottles effectively and thoroughly is of critical importance.
Finally, conventional dish soap isn’t exactly natural or free-from chemicals.
And harmful chemicals aren’t exactly the stuff you want to wash your baby bottles, pacifiers, breast pump parts, baby spoons, sippy cups, etc with. Regular liquid soap is generally scented, which means phthalates and VOCs.
At bare minimum, we try to use fragrance free cleaning products when cleaning our house, and we opt for eco friendlier options where possible, such as buying refill pouches or going to our local refillery. But that really holds doubly true when it comes to anything that she comes into prolonged or close contact with: anything that goes in her mouth, for example, and anything that goes on her crib mattress or in her crib with her (i.e. bedding, and, eventually, a toddler pillow).
For all of the reasons I’ve stated above (and some reasons that I’ll state below), I think it’s worth getting dish soap that’s better suited to baby bottle cleaning, as compared to the conventional stuff.
Best Baby Bottle Soap for Washing Baby Bottles
We’ve broken our list into two sections: dish soaps made specifically for cleaning baby bottles and feeding accessories, as well as general dish soaps we think you should consider if you need something more general for all your dishes.
Best Dish Soaps Made Specifically for Baby Bottles
- Best Overall Dish Soap for Baby Bottles: Dapple Dish Soap
- 2nd Place: Attitude Baby Dish Soap
- 3rd Place: Babyganics Dish Dazzler
- For Soaking and Forgetting: Medela Quick Clean Soap
- Runner Up: Breast Milk Removal Soap
- Alternative Choice: Made Of Foaming Organic Baby Dish Soap
Non-Toxic Dish Soap Alternatives
- Ecover Dish Soap
- Dr. Bronner’s Pure Baby Castile Soap
- Better Life Natural Dish Soap
- ECOS Dish Mate Soap
- Biokleen Dish Liquid
Best Dish Soap for Cleaning Baby Bottles Reviews
Note: If available, we’ve included the Environmental Working Group’s rating for each product in the descriptions below for your reference. We’ve worked to be sure the info is correct at the time of writing, but we recommend you double check if this is an important metric for you. After all, it may be subject to change as formulations, information available, etc., changes. You find this information directly in their Guide to Healthy Cleaning.
Dapple Dish Soap
Plant based and alcohol free. Free from parabens, sulfates, phthalates and synthetic dyes/fragrances, chlorine, and formaldehyde. No SLS, SLES, MEA, DEA, or TEA. Rated as B (few/no known or suspected hazards) in the EW G Guide to Healthy Cleaning Database.
This Dish Soap from Dapple is our pick for the best bottle cleaner for baby.
It’s highly effective and proven to remove up to 50% more of the odor and film on baby bottles that’s left behind by milk. It is made out of completely plant-based ingredients and contains no chemicals that would be harmful for your baby.
It is fairly economical and comes in a pack with three 16-ounce bottles. It also has a pump for easy dispensing. And as a bonus, it has never been tested on animals.
Attitude Baby Dish Soap
With 100% of ingredients coming from vegetable or mineral sources, this product has an A rating (few/no known or suspected hazards to health or the environment based on good ingredient disclosure) in the EWG Guide to Healthy Cleaning Database.
Babyganics Dish Dazzler
Plant based formula made without parabens, sulfates, phthalates, artificial dyes, and artificial fragrance. Rated as C in the EWG Guide to Healthy Cleaning Database.
This dish soap contains no SLS, phosphates, phthalates, or synthetic dyes so it won’t leave any chemical residue on baby bottles or sippy cups. It’s made out of plant-based ingredients and provides the satisfying foaming quality you expect from dish soap without all of the harmful ingredients.
It comes with a convenient pump bottle for easy dispensing and a large refill bottle.
Medela Quick Clean Soap
A no-scrub soap with no added fragrance or taste. Unfortunately, limited information about ingredients available.
Specially formulated to remove breast milk residue, this liquid soap is great as a baby bottle cleaner, but also for breast pump parts, nipples and even clothes that have breast milk stains.
It is hypoallergenic and fragrance-free, and it has been clinically tested to be gentle on skin.
Breast Milk Removal Soap
Another no-scrub soap that’s made in the USA. Free from dyes and fragrances, but not much info about ingredients.
Created for the sole purpose of removing breast milk, this soap works to wash baby bottles, nipples, pump parts and nursing apparel. It has been formulated to break down breast milk residue, even after it has been sitting for three days because you’re too busy with your little one to worry about laundry and dishes.
It is fragrance- and dye-free and made in the USA. It comes as a set of two eight-ounce bottles.
Made Of Foaming Dish Soap
An A rating from EWG, but unfortunately sometimes out of stock on Amazon. Non-GMO, soy-free, nut-free, paraben- and sulfate-free, with no dyes or fragrances.
Created with the purest of ingredients, this soap is EWG verified, a free from many concerning ingredients and allergens, making it a great option to wash baby bottles if anyone in the family has severe allergies.
It is effective on food debris without leaving any toxic residue. And as a bonus, if you prefer a fragrance, they offer all-natural lavender and sweet orange scented options.
Made with the purest of ingredients, this soap is EWG verified, non-GMO, soy-free, nut-free, paraben- and sulfate-free. It contains no dyes or fragrances, making it a great option to wash baby bottles if anyone in the family has severe allergies.
It is effective on food debris without leaving residue.
Ecover Dish Soap
Plant and mineral-based ingredients, with an A rating from EWG. Contains Sodium Lauryl Sulfate.
All the ingredients of this dish-soap are plant-based or mineral-based, making it a great option as a bottle soap as it’s free from contaminants and chemicals. It is delightfully foamy and highly concentrated to last longer.
It is entirely biodegradable and never tested on animals.
Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Baby Soap
Biodegradable and made with a large number of organic ingredients, this one gets an A rating from EWG.
Castile soaps are effective and derived from natural plant oils like coconut and avocado, among others. Dr. Bronner’s is made with almost completely organic ingredients and is 100% biodegradable.
It is super-concentrated, so you can actually dilute it to make each bottle stretch a little further, and it is incredibly versatile. You can use it for dishes, as an all-purpose cleaner, as a regular liquid soap for your hands, or even as baby shampoo. And of course, it also works for cleaning baby bottles.
Better Life Natural Dish Soap
Made with all natural ingredients, Better Life’s dish soaps generally get an A from the EWG. However, this one specifically isn’t listed.
Made with all-natural ingredients that are derived from things like corn and coconut, this liquid soap is great for both your family and the environment. It’s also tough on grease, making it a good choice for a baby bottle cleaner.
It is hypoallergenic, fragrance and dye-free, biodegradable and toxin-free. It also contains vitamin E and aloe to soothe your dry hands, which is important, since you’ll be washing a lot of baby bottles in those early days! It’s also made in the USA, using solar energy.
Once this dish liquid is disposed of down your drain, it won’t harm the water supplies or marine life, and it is not tested on animals.
ECOS Dish Mate Soap
Sustainably produced, with a A rating from the EWG.
This dish and bottle soap is produced sustainably in facilities that are platinum zero-waste certified and powered by 100% renewable energy.
It is hypoallergenic and free of any harmful dyes or perfumes. It has been formulated to be hard on grease, yet gentle on the environment with biodegradable packaging.
Biokleen Dish Liquid
A made in the USA plant-based dish soap. No EWG rating available.
Made in the USA, this soap is comprised of entirely non-toxic and plant-based ingredients. It has no artificial colors, preservatives, fillers or dyes and is effective on even tough, baked-on messes – and for baby bottles, of course!
It contains no ingredients that are listed by the ACGIH as hazardous and is gentle on skin. It has no negative effects on plants, rivers, streams or wildlife once it has been disposed, making this a great choice for bottle soap.
Should You Buy Special Dish Soap for Baby Bottles?
Newborns have developing immune systems, meaning their baby bottles need to be really clean and free from bacteria to be safe. And unfortunately, crusted on breast milk or – especially – formula, can be a breeding ground for bacteria. Because of this, you have to be quite careful and thorough when you wash baby’s bottles, especially if you’re formula feeding your little one in any way.
At the same time, newborns and young children are uniquely vulnerable to chemicals in their environment. As a parent, it’s important to minimize the environmental chemicals your kids are exposed to, especially in the early years.
Household products like laundry detergent and dish soap often contain fragrance. , With fragrances, come phthalates and VOCs. In our opinion, both are worth avoiding for the whole family, but especially with kids.
Finally, having the right tools for the job will make your life easier as a new mom or dad! And that’s worth its weight in gold, right there.
Breast milk is really hard to get off of bottles. It’s greasy and fatty, so having dish soaps that can really cut through that makes life as a new parent slightly easier
Choosing a safe dish soap that works for your baby’s bottles will give you peace of mind knowing the ingredients are safe, and it’s going to do the job.
How to Find the Best Dish Soap for Your Baby’s Bottles?
As a general rule of thumb, less is better.
Look for dish soaps with fever ingredients, because the fewer ingredients overall most likely translates to fewer harmful ingredients, too!
We recommend steering clear of fragrance whenever possible. Fragrance is a catch all term. Manufacturers combine multiple component ingredients and label it all as “fragrance.” Fragrance is linked to phthalates and VOCs, chemicals with known health effects.
Ditto for colorant and dyes. Research links some of these chemicals to behavioural disorders and endocrine disruption.
Scientists suspect parabens are another endocrine disruptor. There’s some evidence they are estrogen mimickers, disrupting reproductive systems. Because kids’ systems are still forming, they may be uniquely vulnerable to the effects of these chemicals.
Some consumers also want to avoid products with Sodium Lauryl Sulfate & Sodium Laureth Sulfate. We’ve reviewed different sides of the arguments for and against SLS, and personally don’t think the science supports the concerns against SLS. However, we recognize every family needs to make the choice for themselves.
Final Thoughts on Finding the Best Dish Soap for Cleaning Baby Bottles
In our family, we try to avoid regular dish soap due to our worry over harmful chemicals and sensitive skin typical of babies and younger children.
Short on time and just looking for the best option? If you don’t have time to read the article, we think Dapple Baby Bottle Dish Soaps are the best choice for most families, followed closely by Attitude Baby Dish Soap and then Babyganics Dish and Bottle Soap. All of these soaps work both as a special baby bottle soap, and for your dishes in general, and they are low on ingredients you want to keep away from your baby.
If you’d rather have a “soak and forget it” solution meant only for breast milk (not for your general kitchen dishes), Medela Quick Clean Breast Milk Soap and Impressa Breast Milk Removal Soap allow just that.
For more info, keep reading!
