How to Clean the Medela SNS Tube and TwistLok Components

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Prepare clean hands and identify the exact set

Wash your hands and clear a clean working surface. Check that the system has the reusable TwistLok components and its original Cleaning Aid. Keep feeding equipment out of a dirty sink and away from household chemicals. If the set is disposable, incomplete, or a different design, obtain its own instructions. This page does not establish whether supplementation is needed or which feeding arrangement to use; it explains cleaning of the specified equipment after that decision has been made.

Step 2: Disassemble promptly after the feed

Empty leftover milk according to your feeding plan and separate the parts shown in the SNS instructions. Keep the small valve and lid components together in a clean container so none disappear into a drain. Open the tube clamp for cleaning and avoid pulling or stretching the thin tube at its connection. Inspect for cracks, kinks, or residue that cannot be reached. Replace a visibly damaged component with the correct part rather than repairing it with tape or an improvised connector.

Step 3: Wash accessible components in warm soapy water

Use plenty of warm potable water and mild washing-up liquid to clean the separated components before first use and after every use. Work over a dedicated basin, not directly against a contaminated sink surface. Pay attention to milk-contact edges and connections without scraping soft material. Rinse with clean water. Do not assume the container is the only food-contact surface: a clean-looking bottle with milk left in the tube is an incomplete cleaning job. Keep washed parts separate from those awaiting cleaning.

Step 4: Flush the tube with the supplied Cleaning Aid

Connect the Cleaning Aid as shown in the product instructions. Medela specifies flushing with warm soapy water three times, then clean water three times. Rinse the aid between stages so it does not reintroduce detergent. Follow with air until the inside of the tube is visibly dry. Do not blow through it with your mouth, insert wire, or use excessive pressure to defeat a blockage. If the expected flush cannot pass, seek advice or replace the affected component.

Step 5: Apply additional cleaning only to permitted parts

Before first use and once daily, Medela calls for an additional method for the container, TwistLok lid, valve, and lid. Options include five minutes in boiling water, a dishwasher, or Medela Quick Clean microwave bags according to their directions. Keep the tube, clamp, ring, clip, and Cleaning Aid out of this heat/dishwasher group. The manufacturer's SNS instructions, reproduced here spell out these exclusions. Do not extrapolate a bottle-sanitizing routine to every piece of the system.

Step 6: Dry without trapping water inside connections

Place cleaned parts on a clean surface with space for airflow, keeping the tube arranged without kinks. Confirm the inside looks dry after air flushing and let remaining external moisture dry. Protect parts from splashes and pets. Do not seal damp equipment into a travel bag or assemble a wet lid simply to clear the counter. Clean and dry the basin and Cleaning Aid as well; they are part of the routine, not permanently clean accessories. Keep small pieces contained while they dry.

Step 7: Reassemble correctly and inspect before reuse

Reassemble using the SNS parts diagram once components are dry, checking that no valve or lid part has been omitted. Store the set clean and dry. Before the next use, inspect for milk film, damage, or persistent odor, then reclean or replace as appropriate. A short visual check cannot certify sterility, but it can catch an obviously incomplete clean. Follow the infant's care team's directions if a stricter hygiene protocol is required, especially when the standard home routine may not be suitable.