How do you use the Bololo?

Posted by lvnl @lvnl, Oct 5 9:29am

Hi all, I just got the Bololo baby bottle sterilizer after so many positive comments here. Trying to sort out the most effective & time-saving use ... So all input welcome and thanks!
If you have the Bololo...
How often do you sanitize?
How many nebulizer sets do you sanitize at once?
Do you still soak in soapy water first?
Do you leave the "extended" function on? If so why, if not why? Meaning it turns on heat every so often to keep parts sanitized as they are stored in the machine. Not sure if all the machines have this?
And I can't find a way to turn off the extended function without turning off the machine altogether. So if I turn on the machine when I go to bed, it kicks on and makes some noise periodically (I have it in my room).
Thanks and best to all.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the MAC & Bronchiectasis Support Group.

Profile picture for bernadene24 @bernadene24

@pacathy: Did I read you right? Dr. Falkenham said that most cities don't have MAC in the cold water? That is great information! Does this mean that one can rinse fruits and vegetables in cold water and not be coating them with MAC? This could make life a lot easier. I am pretty comfortable with my equipment cleaning regime, but instead of having to boil water, if I could use cold tap water to rinse the equipment after the soak in Dawn and before putting it into the baby bottle sterilizer, that would cut down on significant work . I do not find boiling water to be an easy thing to do.
I live in a condo and have no way of upping the temperature of water into my unit. I bought a LifeStraw Home dispenser right away for drinking, thinking that would give me time to explore a point-of-use filter for the kitchen and for the shower. I'm still in the midst of that search, but I would probably shift my focus to the shower filter first if the cold water tap is ok.

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@bernadene24 There is no need to rinse your equipment in boiled water before your sterilize. Just tap or Lifestraw water is fine - sterilizing takes care of any germs.

Also, the goal is to eliminate any NTM or biofilm on your equipment - It will not be truly sterile because our homes are not. Do not worry about being totally dedicated to making things sterile - just clean.
When you walk around in this world you are constantly exposed to organisms and your body takes care of most of them. The goal is to keep the truly nasty stuff out of your lungs. As @pacathy said, we need to take sensible steps and live our lives.

Keep in mind that with all "bugs" risk is a combination of time and density of exposure. So random particles in a roomful of air are low risk, whereas showering in a roomful of steam with a lot of NTM's in it is higher risk.
In 8 years of living with Bronchiectasis and asthma, I have camped and traveled with my equipment, soaking in hot soapy water, rinsing with filtered or spring water and boiling in distilled water, drying on a clean paper towel covered by another and storing in a zip log bag. I change the baggie every week or so to prevent accidental contamination. And I have been off antibiotics for 70 months and tested free of NTM and Pseudomonas again last month.

The longer I live with this, the more I feel simpler is better.
Also, I focus on good diet, sleep and aerobic exercise to help stay healthy.

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Sue I am happy for you- tests negative for NTM and pseudomonas.

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I sterilize my 2 PARI e rapid sets plus my one Aerobika set once a day after my morning session. After my night session the handset just sits on a table until the next day’s Bololo treatment. I use the lower compartment only without the bottle attachments, because some of the e rapid parts won’t fit in the top basket. I soak everything for a while in hot water with dawn beforehand, then
rinse under my normal tap, then put all of it in the Bololo on “auto”. I never boil now that I have the Bololo to sterilize.
I love my Bololo, but the equipment isn’t completely dry after the auto session. Anyone else have this problem, or is mine defective?

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Profile picture for sarahlynn1960 @sarahlynn1960

I sterilize my 2 PARI e rapid sets plus my one Aerobika set once a day after my morning session. After my night session the handset just sits on a table until the next day’s Bololo treatment. I use the lower compartment only without the bottle attachments, because some of the e rapid parts won’t fit in the top basket. I soak everything for a while in hot water with dawn beforehand, then
rinse under my normal tap, then put all of it in the Bololo on “auto”. I never boil now that I have the Bololo to sterilize.
I love my Bololo, but the equipment isn’t completely dry after the auto session. Anyone else have this problem, or is mine defective?

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@sarahlynn1960 My stuff is usually dry on auto, but occasionally isn't. When it isn't, I turn on dry button and press button to get it down to 20" and then it's usually dry. I sterilize my Squeezie bottle with neb and have to have it positioned right for it to completely dry. I've also wondered if a slight variation in amt of water we put in makes a difference or if the humidity in room makes difference.

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Profile picture for pacathy @pacathy

@sarahlynn1960 My stuff is usually dry on auto, but occasionally isn't. When it isn't, I turn on dry button and press button to get it down to 20" and then it's usually dry. I sterilize my Squeezie bottle with neb and have to have it positioned right for it to completely dry. I've also wondered if a slight variation in amt of water we put in makes a difference or if the humidity in room makes difference.

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@pacathy
Humidity definitely makes a difference. I live in a very humid climate so I always hit the dry cycle another time after the auto cycle.

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Profile picture for pacathy @pacathy

@bernadene24 I'll double check with him. I think he did, but maybe I didn't hear correctly. I though most issues were in the warm water. I emailed him. I just reviewed a couple papers he did and he didn't say that, so I may have misheard. I listened to a lot of info while I was getting diagnosed a couple years ago and definitely got the impression it was more the warm water in showers and taps that was biggest issue. I've been rinsing food in cold water since then. In the email, I specifically asked about rinsing food and equipment in cold (after equipment soaped in hot).

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@pacathy I rinse/soak with baking soda my fruits and veggies with my life straw filtered water or sometimes I have a couple pitchers of boiled water in the frig as well to use.

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Profile picture for Sue, Volunteer Mentor @sueinmn

@bernadene24 There is no need to rinse your equipment in boiled water before your sterilize. Just tap or Lifestraw water is fine - sterilizing takes care of any germs.

Also, the goal is to eliminate any NTM or biofilm on your equipment - It will not be truly sterile because our homes are not. Do not worry about being totally dedicated to making things sterile - just clean.
When you walk around in this world you are constantly exposed to organisms and your body takes care of most of them. The goal is to keep the truly nasty stuff out of your lungs. As @pacathy said, we need to take sensible steps and live our lives.

Keep in mind that with all "bugs" risk is a combination of time and density of exposure. So random particles in a roomful of air are low risk, whereas showering in a roomful of steam with a lot of NTM's in it is higher risk.
In 8 years of living with Bronchiectasis and asthma, I have camped and traveled with my equipment, soaking in hot soapy water, rinsing with filtered or spring water and boiling in distilled water, drying on a clean paper towel covered by another and storing in a zip log bag. I change the baggie every week or so to prevent accidental contamination. And I have been off antibiotics for 70 months and tested free of NTM and Pseudomonas again last month.

The longer I live with this, the more I feel simpler is better.
Also, I focus on good diet, sleep and aerobic exercise to help stay healthy.

Jump to this post

@sueinmn so encouraging to think that simplier ways to clean our equipment is effective as well for those of us filled with anxiety and frustration on the "must do or else" method. I appreciate this site the more I read to calm my fears.

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Profile picture for kate2025 @kate2025

@sueinmn so encouraging to think that simplier ways to clean our equipment is effective as well for those of us filled with anxiety and frustration on the "must do or else" method. I appreciate this site the more I read to calm my fears.

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@kate2025 PLease see the video link here about balancing life and Bronchiectasis:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/overwhelmed-by-bronchiectasis-must-dos-watch-this-video/

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I've watched before but never hurts to watch again and again when feeling overwhelmed. Thank you.

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