Nuk Pacifier: Sterilize in A Microwave

Also called a binky or dummy depending on where you are, pacifiers are useful in aiding the relaxation and calming of your baby. Orthodontic in design and child-safe, their teats promote oral cavity, gum, and teeth development. To give your child a healthy start, you must learn the Nuk pacifier sterilize microwave instructions recommended by the manufacturer.

You must keep your child’s Nuk pacifier clean, seeing as it spends lots of time in their mouths. If your baby is below six months, you’ll be cleaning and sterilizing their binky a lot. The microwave oven offers a quick and effective setup that’s easy for maintaining hygiene intensity.

Every Nuk pacifier comes with a reusable storage container that you can use as a portable sterilizer. Add a specified amount of water, and you can whizz the binky with a microwave oven for at least four minutes. However, there are exceptions to which type of dummy you can keep germ-free like this, so keep reading to find out more.

How Do You Sterilize a Nuk Pacifier Using the Microwave?

As a new or experienced parent, you’ll often search for the best way to sterilize your baby’s Nuk pacifier. You’re especially unsure how often this process needs to be done and if it’s as complicated as you think. But with a microwave oven in your kitchen, daily sterilization, followed by warm water and soap cleaning routine, will suffice.

In the days before dishwashers and microwave ovens became commonplace, water quality was more reliable. Today, it’s best to learn how to put this essential implement to use for protecting your baby from ill-health. It would be best to sterilize new Nuk pacifiers before offering your tot for first use. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC recommends once-a-day sterilization of binkies for babies less than three months old.

You’ll need effective sterilization items to ensure that your baby is sucking on a safe Nuk pacifier. The steps you’ll need to use when microwaving your child’s dummy include;

Washing the Pacifier First

Before putting your Nuk pacifier through sterilization with a microwave, you must have washed it. Add at least ½ cup of white vinegar to a bowl of hot water with soap and rinse the pacifier in the solution. If your baby’s binky is particularly dirty, such as having congealed food or chocolate, use a soft brush to scrub this out.

Inspecting Your Baby’s Nuk Pacifier

Check over your child’s pacifier to ensure that it’s in good shape. Look over the Nuk binky to see if there are tears, cracks, or widened teat-holes. Tug at the latex or silicone nipple while examining the dummy for signs of wear and tear, such as rubber becoming distended or sticky.

To prevent choking hazards, toss any compromised pacifiers out since the material has lost safe use parameters. It’s also recommended that you replace a Nuk pacifier that’s been in constant use at the end of every two months.

Sterilizing the Pacifier in Microwave

Take a microwavable glass bowl, or use the plastic storage container that your Nuk pacifier comes with. Fill these with about half their capacity of clean water.

Place your baby’s binky with its nipple facing down. Run the microwave oven for about two minutes, remove and turn the dummy upside-down before zipping the container again for that same period.

Letting the Binky Dry

You’ve microwaved your child’s Nuk pacifier in boiling water. Remove it and place it on a clean towel to dry. If condensation or water vapor is present within the nipple, squeeze or shake it off as best as possible while holding the dummy by its shield or ring handle.

Store Your Baby’s Nuk Pacifier in a Sterile Condition

When the binky is dry and completely cooled down, you’ll need storage if it’s not going into use immediately. Use the plastic storage container you’ve just ‘nuked’ the pacifier in or a zip lock bag to store a sterilized Nuk pacifier.

What to Consider When Choosing a Nuk Pacifier That’s Easy to Keep Clean

A few features make your baby’s neck pacifier easier to sterilize, other than being microwaveable. That’ll be differentiated early on by whether your binky’s nipple is made from heat-resisting silicone or natural rubber latex. Other attributes include whether or not it’s coming with a storage case that you can use when putting it through a microwave.

However, you’re interested in the overall wellness of your child. General maintenance-worthy aspects of a Nuk pacifier to keep in mind include;

Its Shape

Binkies will come with a classic rounded shape. Others have an elongated orthodontic nipple. Still, you’ll find Nuk pacifiers that are shaped differently for bottles and breastfeeders. Go with size recommendations for your child’s age. These have been designed for that age-groups preference.

Construction

Like I’ve elaborated, it’s the nipples materials that’ll determine if you can microwave a Nuk pacifier or not. Some binkies also come with extras, such as the glow-in-the-dark variety that minimize instances of nocturnal screams as you scramble in the darkness.

Some pacifiers are made from a single piece of silicone. Others contain a nipple, shield, and holding ring. Some aspects of your binky are manufactured from BPA and phthalate-free plastics that are safe to microwave.

Conclusion

When your baby is hungry, sleepy, or generally in a foul mood, a Nuk pacifier is the handy calmer that’s only second to breast or bottle. However, it’s one accessory with the capacity to cause your baby’s stomach and respiratory ailments, if it’s not properly sterilized. Your microwave is not only functional and easy to access; it’s effective for ‘nuking’ coliform and other nasties that could be lurking on your tot’s binky.

While constant washing with warm water and soap works to keep your Nuk pacifier clean, you should sterilize at least daily. That’s especially so if your baby is less than three months old, and later you can regularly microwave your older child’s dummy.