I think I found the suggestion to put pump flanges in the refrigerator between pumping on Jack Newman's website. I had no issues with the flanges being cold as plastic warms quickly. I also had some raynauld's symptoms that were not made worse by this practice. Once could run the flanges under warm water if needed. I found that in the early days of pumping 7 times a day, my hands were a mess from all the washing up. I started rinsing and placing pump parts in a ziploc bag in the refrigerator between pumping which was a great time and skin saver. I washed parts well once a day with soap and water. I had a healthy baby over 1 month old. Not sure when or if I would suggest this practice for a premature baby in the NICU. Cordelia Merritt RN BSN IBCLC > Speaking of which, what do other Lactnetters tell moms (and hear from > moms) who are exclusively or mostly pumping about how often they > rinse, how often they wash with soap and water, and how often they > sterilize the milk-contact parts of their pumps? I have pointed out > to moms that they can switch out bottles and refrigerate empty > flange/valve/bottle assemblies to keep microbial growth down between > closely spaced pumpings. If the flange is detachable, it can be > easily (unlike the valve portion) washed (or wiped with an approved > wipe) and stored at room temperature so mom doesn't start pumping with something cold against her skin. *********************************************** Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html To reach list owners: [log in to unmask] Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask] COMMANDS: 1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail 2. To start it again: set lactnet mail 3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet 4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome