scratches on the inside of bottles - ditch or use?

[aendr]

I don't want to post this on AIBU, I want some straight opinions rather than an AIBU reaction, and an idea of your experiences. I don't really want to get into a breast V bottle debate - this question applies to users of bottles for either of formula or expressed milk.

I've noticed some scratches on the inside of some of my Dr Brown's (expensive) bottles. Two of them have obviously deep marks/cracks which I have rejected outright and am avoiding using. There are some with scratches I can see in the right light, and some with none (but not enough to use without incessantly washing up).

I have a feeling these scratches are from bottle brushes - certainly pouring hot water in shouldn't have this reaction because they're designed to be heat sterilised for goodness' sake. I usually use the dishwasher (scrubbing the small bits first, but not the main bottles), but when my little one was in hospital for a bit had to use brushes there but I only had a few of the bottles with me which I think is why only a few of the bottles are affected. I've asked my husband to feel inside the bottles as he has longer fingers than me, but he says he can't feel the marks apart from one really obvious one in one of the bottles I have rejected.

My instinct is to ditch the bottles which are scratched - he objects to buying new bottles "just for the sake of a few scratches". Given we're supposed to clean and sterilise to get rid of milk residue and kill off bugs which like to breed on milk, and the scratches would more easily harbour said residue and bugs, I think it's probably more risky to use scratched bottles.

Also, my son is only 3 months old, and I'd expect bottles to really last a bit longer than that, given the teats which come with are no 1s and then you buy no 2s and 3s afterwards. We were using Avents initially so I reckon these have been in use for only 10 weeks.

What are your opinions on this matter?
Has anyone else observed scratches developing on their bottles? What about more worrying cracks?

On another note, Dr Brown's only goes up to 240ml (which is only just big enough for 210ml of water plus powder) and we got them because he was colicy. He's now much more settled so we could try going back to using Avent (though we mainly have the small Avent bottles, we could replace the duff Dr B's with 260ml Avents rather than more Dr B's) - has anyone experienced scratches on those?
(Have Avent released their BPA free bottles yet? Their website says "by the end of the year" but it's now 2009 and they wrote that in 2008. Ah I see they have but they're even more expensive than Dr B's!)

I am wondering the same thing tbh. I have been using NUK bottles, about 7 euros each and my dd is 10 mths old. They do glass ones, and now that she is down to 2 milk feeds a day, and I'm not actually taking bottles out and about anymore I am going to replace them with the glass ones.

FWIW, with my DS I had Boots own brand bottles, very cheap and didn't scratch much at all. They went up to 300 ml I think. And because they were squat like Avent, fitted in my Avent steriliser.

Well, I used Avent and they all got a bit like this, I know exactly what you mean - scratches finer than hair really aren't they? I carried on using them and DD was fine. I wouldn't worry if I were you. We don't have a dishwasher and I think it was from the brushes. If you're washing thoroughly and sterilising don't worry about germs lingering. In America they say that machine washed bottles (on hot setting) don't even need to be sterilised, so I think you're already using a belt-and-braces approach anyway.

I had thiS problem when my DS was younger, I would'nt worry about it TBH I'm pretty sure it is caused by bottle brushes so is just wear and tear.

My DS is 2.7 now and he's fine

If yo have a dishwasher you don't need to sterilise as the heat generated is enough to kill off the nasties tht may be lurking so by washing, dishwashing and sterilising they are bound to be mega clean anyway

I think the American guideline requires a hot wash, whereas I don't do such a hot one so need to sterilise too.

Thanks for your feedback. I think the ones with scary deep cracks I will retire but not the minor scratches.