Sterilising Bottles

[Wookie1]

Just wondering when to stop sterilising - DS is now 6 months. :D

If you don't sterilise how do you clean your bottle?

Do you use the dishwasher?

Ta :sunshine:

[BeatoNo3]

Hi there, I stopped sterlising bout then mayb a bit later. But yea all i do now is use the dishwasher does the same job if not a better one then washing with a bottle brush n doing it in the sink. But i think it is a presonal preferance. I did read somewhere that hot water is all that matters in a sense....

[kotakai]

My DS is just a little older & I stopped ages ago.

I rinse & scrub with a bottle brush under running water & then they go in the dishwasher.

[TripleTime]

I stopped at about 5 months, hot soapy water is enough. I do put them through the dish washer once a week though.

[Yummy_Mummy]

I still sterilise DD bottles but its more of piece of mind for me because other people look after her every now & then & i dont know if they rinse the bottle straight away like i tell them too.. it has also just become a habit for us

[cheeky_cheek]

my DD is only 3 months old but i dont think i will stop for a while. its a peace of mind thing for me. she got gastro somehow when she was 7weeks old and was really sick so id say ill be doing it for a long time as well as still using boiled water but each to their own :D

[~BEXTER~]

i didn't stop until after 12 months.

[Lily of the Nile]

Hey Wookie1:wave:
I stopped sterilising ages ago, I don't see the point, he's got all sorts in his mouth. I use hot soapy water and my bottle brush, just like I do when I wash dishes, rinse, air dry and they sparkle! I think everyday household germs is good for the immune system too so I don't go over the top with being too too clean :D

[JustUs3]

We stopped when DD was about 8 months. :)

[waterlily]

I read that you should sterillise till 12 months but when Bub is old enough to be eating the carpet and putting god knows what in their mouths. I think your safe to stop. Hehe.

[mummy2lilly]

I did DD's bottles until she was about 4 months old then started to wash them by hand in a boiling hot soapy water ( from the jug) as our steriliser was making them more dirty with all this brown stuff going on them. We brought it brand new but had nothing but problems with it. Also i put them in the dishwasher after i have washed them by hand to make them even more clean.

[mum2bubba]

I stopped sterilising around 2 or 3 months of age. Hot soapy water and air drying them is fine.

[Nowhere]

I still sterilse all dds stuff and she is neally four, I wash it all in hot soapy water then rinse in hot water then sterelse it all.

[cookie087]

I stopped at 5 months and now just wash them in hot soapy water. The health nurse told me once they are old enough to put everything in there mouth then there's not really much point.

[Bellini]

I agree that it's not much point if they are putting random objects into their mouth anyway....but I still sterilise for some reason! I wash all bottles by hand, our dishwasher is dodgy (came with the rental), and I have a feeling the bottles would come out dirtier than they went in :laughing:

[dillydAlly]

Am I the only person who didn't sterilise at all?

Having worked in childcare and researching "current recommendations" I decided NOT to sterilise!

When doing our parenting classes they said that they don't provide sterilising equipment nor do they recommend that you sterilise.

I have a specific (and very funky) drying rack that is allocated JUST to DD's bottles. Before I prepare for washing her bottles I clean down the sink with hot soapy water and dry it. I then run the hottest water (so no cold) and some detergent into the sink and then place all DD's already rinsed bottles into the hot soapy water. Once it's cooled a little I get in there with the scrubbing brush and then rinse all the bottles under HOT water and place on the drying rack. Once they are dry I line them all up and put freshly boiled water in them and put the lids and caps on and let the water to cool enough to add the formula.

In my opinion this is similar to putting everything in a steriliser......... I have also read that once the lid is opened on the steriliser and come into contact with the air they aren't sterilised anymore anyway.....

I also think of it this way "do breastfeeding mums sterilise their nipples before breastfeeding"

FYI DD's happy healthy :yes:

I agree with everyone else here though. There isn't much point sterilising once they put random objects in their mouths.!

[RedPanda]

I stopped with DS1 at ten months and DS2 was mostly breastfed. If he had the occasional bottle, I just washed the stuff really well in hot soapy water. I always sterilised the breast pump though.

[nugglyboysmum]

I stopped sterilising bottles when DS was 7 months old. I just rinsed in hot water after a feed then I would wash them in hot soapy water and rinse in hot water.

[florence]

Sterilising isn't necessary because as soon as you touch the bottle it is no longer sterile.
I used to boil my DD's bottles in a large saucepan (I only use glass bottles and would never do this with plastic) and then let them dry under a clean tea towel.
When DD hit around 6 months I just started using really hot soapy water, scrubbing them and let them dry the same way as when I boiled them.
I also abhor the idea of using Milton tablets or anything of the likes. Using a chemical to 'sterilise' my bub's bottles makes me feel ill.

[bubbies4me]

My DS is just a little older & I stopped ages ago.

I rinse & scrub with a bottle brush under running water & then they go in the dishwasher.


when you are putting them in the dishwasher do you put all parts of the bottle in there, teats and all? I want to wash mine in the dishwasher too but not sure what parts to put in there.

[TripleTime]

when you are putting them in the dishwasher do you put all parts of the bottle in there, teats and all? I want to wash mine in the dishwasher too but not sure what parts to put in there.


Yes i do, everything goes in the dishwasher.

[Little Gorilla]

Am I the only person who didn't sterilise at all?

Having worked in childcare and researching "current recommendations" I decided NOT to sterilise!

When doing our parenting classes they said that they don't provide sterilising equipment nor do they recommend that you sterilise.

I have a specific (and very funky) drying rack that is allocated JUST to DD's bottles. Before I prepare for washing her bottles I clean down the sink with hot soapy water and dry it. I then run the hottest water (so no cold) and some detergent into the sink and then place all DD's already rinsed bottles into the hot soapy water. Once it's cooled a little I get in there with the scrubbing brush and then rinse all the bottles under HOT water and place on the drying rack. Once they are dry I line them all up and put freshly boiled water in them and put the lids and caps on and let the water to cool enough to add the formula.

In my opinion this is similar to putting everything in a steriliser......... I have also read that once the lid is opened on the steriliser and come into contact with the air they aren't sterilised anymore anyway.....

I also think of it this way "do breastfeeding mums sterilise their nipples before breastfeeding"

FYI DD's happy healthy :yes:

I agree with everyone else here though. There isn't much point sterilising once they put random objects in their mouths.!

The way you wash your bottles is how I do them - from cleaning the sink down to filling with the water!

With DS I sterilised till about 12 months....what a waste of time - this was just a bit of first time mum over kill for me:laughing:

With DD we did it till 4 or 5 months.

[talia11]

I stopped sterilizing when I would catch my dog licking DD on the face and mouth, and her laughing hysterically.... (about 6 months) We just wash in hot soapy water and air dry...

[MagicalLeopluradon]

I stopped sterilizing DS1's bottles, dummies etc at hmmm must have been 8 months....he picks everything up off the floor anyway haha

[bookwormmum]

I stopped sterilising every day at around 6 months but sometimes I do it anyway, in case we've been out all day and the milk has been sitting in the bottle all day. So probably once every couple of months. My DD is 11 months btw. Like others have said she eats so much off the floor anyway :laughing: