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Using Steam Steam Sterilizers For Our Airway Clearance Devices
Feeling confident about how we sterilize our airway equipment is crucial and it's great to see more people finding methods that work for them, whether it's boiling, using baby bottle sterilizers or alcohol soaks.
However, an often overlooked aspect of this process is the importance of properly drying our airway clearance devices.
Drying is just as critical as sterilization, but it presents unique challenges. We can't actively dry devices by hand because skin cells can contaminate them and manual drying could damage their delicate components.
Here are some tips to ensure effective drying:*
✨Make sure to shake out all the water in your pieces thoroughly before air drying. Be mindful of the humidity in your environment, as it can significantly affect drying time. For instance, if you're cooking or showering nearby, the increased humidity will slow down the drying process.
✨When using a baby bottle steam sterilizer, shake out your device components before placing them inside. Baby bottle steam sterilizers differ on the temperature and length of their drying cycle so it’s up to us to make sure our devices are dry. It’s very likely that depending on the room's humidity, they might not be completely dry after one cycle.
✨I recommend running a second dry cycle to ensure they are completely dry before storage. Afterward, perform a simple test by shaking each piece and checking for any remaining moisture.
✨Consider storing your devices disassembled to allow better air circulation, ensuring they remain dry.
✨If you air dry and are looking for a more efficient drying solution, consider investing in a UV sterilizer and dryer.
Do you live in a humid climate? How do you dry your devices?
*Heat sterilization is for devices that can withstand high heat
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A few followups to your excellent post. Do you have a UV sterilizer and dryer to recommend? Also, are you in the sterilize after every use camp? Or once every few days or once a week camp for sterilizing?
Early on I had issues with nebulizer parts not drying in the baby bottle sterilizer. Now that I stand the parts upright everything seems to dry really well with no moisture left behind. I have 2 sterilizers, one for home (Bololo on your recommendation) and one for travel (Grownsy) where it can be operated without its tank. It makes sterilizing the stuff less onerous but I still need to find distilled water once I get to where I'm going. Or use boiled/lifestraw/steripen water and deal with the inevitable mineralization.
How long is the steam cycle on the Grownsy? The Bololo will steam for a good 13 to 14 minutes which I prefer.
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1 ReactionScoop what do you mean be saying that granny’s can operate without the tanks. I looked online and it looks to me like any other baby bottle sterilizer. What is different?
@cwal @lilianna The Grownsy I have steams for about 9 minutes. I remove the middle tank (its largest piece) and use the accessories tray with the bottom tray only, which reduces height footprint. Fits in my carry on nicely. Bololo steams longer, which I use at home. I take Grownsy on the road or air.
Have you used it overseas?
No.
Linda,
Thanks for the very helpful post! I purchased the Phillips Avent bottle sterilizer with dryer and it has been a game changer for me. We were traveling all month so I was boiling everything and it was such a pain in the neck not to mention not exactly 100% sterile moving all the device parts around the kitchen. It's so nice to have the built in dryer and have everything ready to go when it's time for airway clearance.
One question regarding drying. I'm assuming as long as you keep the parts in the sterilizer after the drying cycle they are completely sterile if kept in the sterilizer with lid on and used within the next 24h? Your recommendations on drying are focused on drying and storing the devices outside of the sterilizer?
Thank you!
Kate
Hi Kate!
I'm so happy it was helpful. Yes. My point is to make sure the device pieces are dry before using or storing them. Several of the sterilizers have the "store" feature. I don't use it because I have multiple devices and I do 3 "loads" including an extra dry cycle with each once a week. Then I shake them to test that they are dry and put them away.
If your system is to leave them in the Avent and the pieces are dry after being stored overnight, then that is what matters.
Let me know if you have any questions, Linda
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2 ReactionsHi Kate,
It looks like you can remove the middle portion of the Advent Sterilizer to use the top for travel. Is that the case?
Thank you!
Hi Beth,
Yes! I realized after I opened everything that I only need a single level system so it doesn't have a massive footprint. It's not super compact, but it would definitely be possible to travel with it next time.
So far, it's great! I'm going to try to get a second Aerobika so I have two full sets of everything.
Kate