Medela Quick Wipes?

[andlee]

So I started back at school (thus the not posting) and have been pumping in a closet they supplied me with There's no access to water, so I've been using Medela Quick Clean Wipes to clean my pump after each use. It makes me feel better to know I'm at least sort of sanitizing it, but man those suckers are expensive! I've been limiting myself to 2 a day, but was wondering if maybe I'm being had? Are those really just baby wipes? Does anyone have a suggestion for a no water pump clean up that's cheaper? Being environmentally friendly=double points.

[PatioGardener]

if your baby was not premature, you can keep the pump in a cooler bag with ice packs and only clean it when you get home. in cooler with ice, milk is good for 24 h, so pump will be ok too!
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/m...e.html#storage

[FarmerFemme]

I have to pump twice when I go to work and use the medela wipes. I've found that I can get two uses out of them. I pack a washcloth (just a homemade wipe) and use that to dry my breasts and do a quick wipe of the pump parts. Then I use the medela wipe to clean it. Here's the key: I stick the used wipe inside one of the breastshields. It stays moist inside there. I pump again 3-4 hours later and do the same thing, wipe with washcloth and then use the used medela wipe to wipe the parts down again. I grab a new washcloth each day and stick the pump parts in the dishwasher every other day. Hope that helps! The wipes are so big, I think you should be able to use just one each day this way. Even if you pump more than twice.

[andlee]

Thanks for the suggestions! Unfortunately, my cooler is too small to place the breastshields in, or else that would definitely be the way to go. I'm already carrying so much stuff (it's ridiculous), I don't think I could add a bigger cooler.

I've been getting 2 uses out of my wipes, though I pump 3-4 times a day. My problem is mostly with them drying out, so thanks for the breastshield tip!

So this just leaves my question about whether or not these are just overpriced baby wipes. Is it a mystery?

[crystal_buffaloe]

I think you could probably get away with not washing, even if you don't have room in your cooler. Breastmilk is good on the counter at room temp for 5 hours -- do you go 5 hours between pumping? I say, pump, put the parts in a clean bag, pump the second time and then wash when you get home. Does that make sense? So maybe some 3-hour old milk from the pump winds up in the bottle when you pump the second time, but that's still okay -- because that milk then goes straight into the cooler and the five or eight or however old milk it is on the pump by the time you get home all gets washed off anyway.

I only pump once at work, and I can refigerate the parts, so that's just an idea, not something I have experience with. Good luck! (And I also sometimes pump in a closet! But then I walk the milk down to the lounge with a fridge in it.)