If you use a microwave or electric steam steriliser, you can store baby bottles inside for up to 24 hours if the lid remains closed. You can also keep sterile bottles in a sealed container in the fridge to help avoid any germs or bacteria. Just bear in mind that the container must be sterilised too.
When they are put together correctly, sterile bottles with tight-fitting caps or sealing discs will be sterile for 24 hours. But this is only if you keep them closed.
What to do after sterilising. You can leave sterilised items in the steriliser or pan until you need them but the majority of manufacturers advise using or re-sterilising after 24 hours. If you do take sterilised items out, you'll need to put the teats and lids on the bottles immediately.
Simply add water, then microwave for 90 seconds to get rid of any harmful bacteria. These are another practical option when it comes to sterilising on-the-go as they can be used with cold water.
If not used within 24 hours, the bottles, teats and caps will need rewashing and disinfecting again. place the caps and teats on the bottles (as above). steriliser has not been supported by research at this time and may cause rapid ageing of the bottles and teats.
After you've finished sterilising
It's best to leave bottles and teats in the steriliser or pan until you need them. If you do take them out, put the teats and lids on the bottles straight away.
After sanitizing, place items on a clean, unused dish towel or paper towel in an area protected from dirt and dust. Allow to air-dry thoroughly before storing. Do not use a dish towel to rub or pat items dry because doing so may transfer germs to the items.
Fortunately, you don't have to buy a baby bottle sterilizer to keep things sanitary. If you use bottles or pacifiers, you'll want to sterilize them before their first use and perhaps periodically thereafter, but it's not necessary to sterilize bottles after every use.
You can use microwave sterilising bags to sterilise when travelling, and they're also great for when you're on the go. They're very easy to use – you just need to add water. These microwave steriliser bags were really useful for us when travelling on holiday. They take up very little room in your luggage.
The easiest way to sterilize bottles in terms of minimum effort or expenditure could be using a large container filled with cold water and cold water steriliser tablets. You just need to pop your bottles in and they stay sterile for 24hours.
After sterilisation, your products will stay sterile for 24 hours when stored properly.
Baby bottles should be sterilized every time they're used, ideally directly before they are filled with formula, expressed breast milk or any other liquid.
Yes baby bottles should be completely dry before you feed your baby. The reason – it ensures that no bacteria is going to grow in the bottle before you add breastmilk or formula. Keep in mind that bacteria multiply in moist environments and they love wet baby bottles.
Bacteria, fungi and even mold can thrive in a water bottle, thanks mainly to its moist environment. Simply rinsing the bottle out with water isn't sufficient, and care must be taken when cleaning bottles that have attached straws and narrow-mouth lids with lots of nooks and crannies.
What happens if you don't sterilise baby bottles? Not sterilising your baby's bottles will allow bacteria to develop on the feeding equipment. This may lead to infections including diarrhoea and vomiting1.
There's no need to dry the equipment. Store equipment in a clean container in the fridge or in the solution. If you leave equipment in the solution, throw away the solution after 24 hours, thoroughly scrub the container and equipment in warm soapy water, and start the sterilisation process again.
Take some small sterilised containers, each holding the required amount of formula powder to make each feed. You can then make a feed easily, by adding the water and powder to a sterilised bottle. Alternatively, you could go for the handy, but more expensive, option of using ready-made cartons of formula.
Make sure you wash and dry your hands before you handle sterilised bottles and teats. It's easy to contaminate equipment just by touching it with unclean hands.
If you are concerned or uncertain about the safety of tap water, you may use bottled water or bring cold tap water to a rolling boil for 1 minute (no longer), then cool the water to room temperature for no more than 30 minutes before it is used.
You should clean bottles, nipples and other feeding items after every use and sanitize them at least once daily if your baby is under 3 months old, was born prematurely, or has a weakened immune system because of an illness or medical treatment (like HIV, cancer or chemotherapy for cancer), according to the Centers for ...
Washing items thoroughly with hot water and soap is all that is required to remove most harmful germs from bottles. If bottles and nipples are labeled “dishwasher safe,” you're also in luck — you can put them directly in the dishwasher, using heated water and a hot drying cycle to clean them.
If you are caring for a healthy baby with no medical issues who is living at home (i.e. is not in hospital) then you can stop sterilising bottles and feeding equipment once your baby is over 3 months of age. After this time it is generally considered that sterilising is not required.
Leave the water to cool in the kettle for no more than 30 minutes. Then it will stay at a temperature of at least 70C. Water at this temperature will kill any harmful bacteria. Remember to let the feed cool before you give it to your baby.
Most baby bottles can be cleaned and sterilized easily. That means it's safe to use them for multiple babies. But make sure to replace those nipples. Baby slings, wraps and carriers generally hold up over time.
Baby bottles (especially glass bottles) need special care, or they will likely break in storage. Wrap baby bottles in bubble wrap, and then pad the spaces between bottles with baby blankets. Stuffed animals also make excellent padding.