If you’re searching for an honest Grownsy Bottle Washer Pro review, especially as a new mom trying to save time, here’s my real experience after using it daily.
When I was making a list of things I wanted to include on my baby registry, I spent hours reading reviews about products that would make our life easier with our little one. I wanted the essentials, but I didn’t want to be an over-consumer. I didn’t want to clutter our house with things that worked well in theory, but really didn’t simplify our lives.
Out of all the things that we most regret eliminating from our registry checklist, our Grownsy Bottle Washer Pro ranked top of the list. If you’ve read my post about 5 Panic Buys for my Newborn I Don’t Regret, then you’ll know how many hours (literally) I added to my day after purchasing a bottle washer for my pump parts.
Why a Bottle Washer Is a Must-Have for New Moms
After washing and drying my pump parts (and bottles) a minimum of 15 minutes per day for a total of 8 times per day, I realized I could be spending that extra two hours elsewhere.
Furthermore, I almost drove myself crazy trying to dry every single crevice of my pump parts with a hand towel. I could leave them to air dry, but I was forfeitting two square feet of my counter top. I would still be able to shake puddles of water from my parts after leaving them for hours to dry.
Needless to say, a bottle washer is a complete time saver, especially if you’re looking for a bottle washer for pump parts.
Why I Chose the Grownsy Bottle Washer Pro
There are several baby bottle washer brands for pump parts on the market right now. I had several criteria that my ideal bottle washer needed to meet before I purchased it.
Compact Design and Countertop Space
One thing that discouraged me from purchasing a bottle washer was the fear of it being an eyesore on the counter. Also, I didn’t want it to take up more space than I already did by laying out all my pump parts to dry on the counter.
The Grownsy Bottle Washer Pro measures 9.82″ long, 13.75″ wide, and 16.09″ high. This is just under one square foot of counter space. It’s MUCH less than the surface area I was using on my counter to air dry my pump parts.
Naturally, the only part about the bottle washer that dictates its location is its proximity to the sink (and an outlet). After each cycle, the Grownsy Bottle Washer Pro empties the dirty waste water into the sink drain using an attached hose, keeping a reservoir of clean water available for rinsing.
The reservoir is detached from the rest of the unit to be refilled with water, then reattached back in placed. I usually try to keep the reservoir attached to the unit, then use the extendable faucet from my sink to reach the reservoir to refill it. I do this to avoid wearing out the seal on the bottom of the reservoir where the water flows into the main unit.
Fits Breast Pump Parts and Baby Bottles
Washing baby bottles wasn’t the hardest part. It was cleaning my pump parts, which is why I needed a bottle washer that could handle breast pump parts.
I use the Momcozy M9 Wearable Pumps in addition to a traditional Spectra Breast Pump. Finding a pump that would fit my Spectra pump parts was easy. My Momcozy M9 pump parts are more awkwardly shaped and don’t fit in many bottle washers.
With the Grownsy Bottle Washer Pro, I’m able to fit both my Spectra pump parts (plus 2 bottles) as well as my Momcozy M9 pump parts (plus 2 bottles) comfortably.
This bottle washer by default also has inserts that are designed to hold bottles upright during the washing process. For wearable pumps with bulky parts, these inserts can be removed to allow for more room for larger parts.
Cleaning, Drying, and Sterilizing Performance
If you have already researched bottle washers, you may realize that some models look identical to each other. For example, both the Grownsy and Momcozy bottle washers have almost the same dimensions and settings. However, most reviews report that the Grownsy Bottle Washer Pro offers slightly better cleaning of complex pump parts and more consistent, dryer results.
Compared to other options, this is one of the best bottle washers for drying pump parts completely. I can confirm the accuracy of the reviews.
In addition to washing and drying bottles and pump parts, the Grownsy Bottle Washer Pro also sterilizes the contents. This bottle washer can maintain a sterile environment of up to 72 hours (or if the lid is opened sooner).
I use the Grownsy Bottle Washer Pro too often to use the sterile feature to its full potential. This would be ideal for someone who washes their pump parts after returning home from work on Friday, nurses during the weekend, then doesn’t need their pump parts again until they go back to work on Monday.
Customizable Cleaning Modes
One thing I love about the Grownsy Bottle Washer Pro is its ability to customize your washing settings into 9 different cleaning modes.
You can choose between a “fast” 19-minute wash cycle for freshly just-used bottles and pump parts, or a “standard” 29-minute wash cycle that gets off the toughest buildup. Both modes use a single bottle-washer-specific detergent tablet with each wash. The tablet is tossed at the bottom of the main unit of the bottle washer prior to the wash cycle.
The drying cycle only has one setting and takes 60 minutes.
The 9 different cleaning modes can be arranged such that you can:
- Fast Wash
- Fast Wash + Sterilize
- Fast Wash + Sterilize + Dry + Storage
- Standard Wash
- Standard Wash + Sterilize
- Standard Wash + Sterilize + Dry + Storage
- Sterilize Only
- Sterilize + Dry + Storage
- Dry + Storage
Cons of the Grownsy Bottle Washer Pro
While we are overall happy with the Grownsy Bottle Washer Pro, we have ran into a few minor drawbacks.
Buttons Can Be Difficult to Press
Some of the buttons on the front of the unit can be difficult to press when first using it. Now that pressing these buttons has become second nature, I’m used to the interface.
Water Reservoir Requires Frequent Cleaning
The inside rim of the water reservoir lid needs to be cleaned frequently to avoid bacteria buildup.
Hard Water Residue May Appear Over Time
We have used the descaling tablets throughout our time with our Grownsy Bottle Washer Pro. Still, we noticed a mild buildup of hard water on our bottles after our usual cycle about two months ago (six months into our use of the product). While we do live in an area with very hard water and lime buildup, I’m not sure why we all of a sudden began noticing significant amounts of it.
I don’t believe it affects the cleanliness or sterile state of the pump parts or bottles. I would just feel better if the bottles looked as clean as they actually were.
Higher Price Point Compared to Other Bottle Washers
Another con that initially deterred us from purchasing the Grownsy Bottle Washer Pro is its nearly $300 price point. I believe the cost is worth the price after using it and realizing how much time I’ve gained back. I wouldn’t have been able to convince myself that the price is worth it without a Black Friday deal.
Final Thoughts: Is the Grownsy Bottle Washer Pro Worth It?
Overall, this Grownsy Bottle Washer Pro review reflects my honest experience as a mom who uses it daily. If you’re looking for a time-saving baby product that simplifies cleaning bottles and pump parts, this is one purchase I truly don’t regret. This is a key tool for fellow pumping moms!