How long do i boil bottles to sterilize them

Sterilising baby bottles - NHS

It's important to sterilise all your baby's feeding equipment, including bottles and teats, until they are at least 12 months old.

This will protect your baby against infections, in particular diarrhoea and vomiting.

Before sterilising, you need to:

Clean bottles, teats and other feeding equipment in hot, soapy water as soon as possible after feeds.
Use a clean bottle brush to clean bottles (only use this brush for cleaning bottles), and a small teat brush to clean the inside of teats. You can also turn teats inside out then wash them in hot soapy water. Do not use salt to clean teats, as this can be dangerous for your baby.
You can put your baby's feeding equipment in the dishwasher to clean it if you prefer. Putting feeding equipment through the dishwasher will clean it but it does not sterilise it. Make sure bottles, lids and teats are facing downwards. You may prefer to wash teats separately by hand to make sure they are completely clean.
Rinse all your equipment in clean, cold running water before sterilising.

The advice above applies to all your baby's feeding equipment, and whether you are using expressed breast milk or formula milk.

How to sterilise baby feeding equipment

There are several ways you can sterilise your baby's feeding equipment. These include:

cold water sterilising solution
steam sterilising
boiling

Cold water sterilising solution

Follow the manufacturer's instructions.
Leave feeding equipment in the sterilising solution for at least 30 minutes.
Change the sterilising solution every 24 hours.
Make sure there are no air bubbles trapped in the bottles or teats when putting them in the sterilising solution.
Your steriliser should have a floating cover or a plunger to keep all the equipment under the solution.

Steam sterilising (electric steriliser or microwave)

It's important to follow the manufacturer's instructions, as there are several different types of sterilisers.
Make sure the openings of the bottles and teats are facing downwards in the steriliser.
Manufacturers will give guidelines on how long you can leave equipment in the steriliser before it needs to be sterilised again.

Sterilising by boiling

Make sure the items you want to sterilise in this way are safe to boil.
Boil the feeding equipment in a large pan of water for at least 10 minutes, making sure it all stays under the surface.
Set a timer so you do not forget to turn the heat off.
Remember that teats tend to get damaged faster with this method. Regularly check that teats and bottles are not torn, cracked or damaged.

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 straightaway.
Wash and dry your hands before handling sterilised equipment. Better still, use some sterile tongs.
Assemble the bottles on a clean, disinfected surface or the upturned lid of the steriliser.

Find out more about expressing breast milk and how to make up formula feeds.

Page last reviewed: 24 September 2019
Next review due: 24 September 2022

How to Sterilize Baby Bottles

Once you’ve done your research and decided on the best bottles for baby, there’s still another step to consider: how to clean them. Whether you’ve chosen glass, plastic or silicone bottles, you’ll have to keep them as pristine as possible to protect baby’s developing immune system. If you listen to advice from your mother or grandmother, you might be fretting over how to sterilize baby bottles—but nowadays sterilizing baby bottles isn’t absolutely necessary, except in certain situations. “This practice is a bit outdated now that the majority of homes in developed countries use treated municipal water,” says Caitlin Hoff, a health and safety investigator for ConsumerSafety. org. “There are, however, some cases in which you might want to sterilize a bottle.” Here, we break down when sterilizing baby bottles is a good idea and the best methods for the job.

In this article:
When to sterilize baby bottles
How often to sterilize baby bottles
How to sterilize baby bottles
How to clean baby bottles

When to Sterilize Baby Bottles

Sterilizing baby bottles is an added step beyond traditional cleaning that provides extra protection against germs. And generally speaking, it’s a one-and-done deal. “When you first buy bottles, it’s important to sterilize them at least one time,” says Samira Armin, MD, a pediatrician at Texas Children’s Pediatrics. After all, you don’t know where that bottle was before it was packaged and sold to you, so an initial sterilization is a quick, easy way to ensure baby’s health and safety. “After that, it’s no longer necessary to sterilize bottles or their accessories,” she adds. “Many years ago, when water supplies weren’t reliably clean, baby items required sterilization, but nowadays this is thankfully not an issue. ”

That said, there are instances when you might want to sterilize baby’s bottle beyond that first use. According to Hoff, these include:

• If you’re using borrowed or second-hand bottles. With all the gear and supplies that babies require, some moms hit up consignment shops or borrow baby bottles from a friend. In these cases, it’s critical to sterilize pre-used bottles before giving it to your child for the first time. The same goes for bottles that have been used for older siblings in your own home.

• If baby has been sick. It’s no fun when baby’s sick, so the last thing you want to do is risk re-infecting them by using unclean bottles. “If you’re concerned about any lingering germs or bacteria on your child’s bottles, sterilizing them will certainly put your mind at ease,” Hoff says.

• If baby was premature or has health issues. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), sterilization is particularly important if baby was born prematurely or has a weakened immune system.

• If you don’t have access to clean drinking water. If your home isn’t part of a municipality with clean drinking water, you use well water or you’re traveling in a country with questionable water, you may need to sterilize baby’s bottles often; once daily or even after each use would be prudent to avoid buildup of harmful microbes.

How Often to Sterilize Baby Bottles

As long as you have good quality municipal drinking water that isn’t coming from a well, it’s not necessary (or even recommended) to sterilize baby’s bottles too often. “Regular sterilization can potentially damage the bottle and allow chemicals to leach into the milk, especially if the bottle has BPA in it,” says Daniel Ganjian, MD, a pediatrician at St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the use of bisphenol A, or BPA, in baby bottles back in 2012 due to concerns over the chemical’s impact on infant development—but if you’re using older plastic bottles, make sure they don’t have the recycling number 7 imprinted on the bottom.

How often to sterilize baby bottles is really up to you, so do what feels right for your family. If you use a dishwasher with hot water and a heated drying cycle to clean your child’s feeding items, sanitizing baby bottles by hand isn’t called for. Otherwise, for extra germ removal beyond standard washing, the CDC says you can sanitize bottles at least once daily.

When to stop sterilizing baby bottles

If you do decide to sterilize baby’s bottles regularly, it’s okay to stop once baby is older than 3 months, according to CDC guidelines, since baby’s immune system isn’t quite so fragile anymore.

You should also stop sterilizing baby bottles and accessories if you notice any damage, Ganjian says. Glass bottles with cracks or chips should be tossed out, as should plastic bottles with splits, cracks, strong odors or any warping. Bottle nipples that have sustained noticeable wear and tear should always be replaced, since they can be a choking hazard.

How to Sterilize Baby Bottles

Sterilization kills bacteria in bottles through the use of high temperatures or chemicals, Armin says, and one method isn’t superior to another. So when it comes to deciding how to sterilize baby bottles, choose an approach that works best for you and your budget. Read on for step-by-step instructions for how to sterilize baby bottles using various techniques.

Sterilizing baby bottles with boiling water

No special equipment required here! To sterilize baby bottles using boiling water, all you need is water and a pot. And don’t worry—it’s fine to sanitize plastic bottles using this method.

Fill a large, clean pot with enough water to cover the bottles.
Submerge the freshly washed bottles in the water upside down, making sure there aren’t any air bubbles at the bottom.
Bring the water to a boil.
Boil the bottles for five minutes (check manufacturer guidelines for variations).
Turn the heat off and remove the bottles using tongs.
Place them on a clean, dry dishcloth and allow them to air dry.

Sterilizing baby bottles in the microwave

Another super-easy approach to sterilizing baby bottles? Using your microwave’s steam power! Here’s how to sterilize baby bottles in the microwave without any other special equipment:

Start with a clean microwave.
Fill bottles about halfway with water.
Microwave on high for one to two minutes.
Using oven mitts, remove bottles from the microwave, dump remaining water out and let the bottles air dry.

Another option is to purchase a microwave baby bottle sterilizer. This type of sterilizer also harnesses the power of steam, but it encloses the bottles in a plastic casing to give them a more thorough cleansing. These handy sterilizers are widely available and typically cost about half as much as the better-known electric baby bottle sterilizers.

Sterilizing baby bottles with electric steam

If you know you’ll sleep easier if baby’s bottles are sterilized regularly, you may want to spring for a countertop bottle sterilizer. Steam sterilization can reach higher temperatures than boiling water, so it can kill more bacteria and mold, Ganjian says.

Though they’re a bit more pricey than any of the other options, electric baby bottle sterilizers are probably the quickest, easiest option if you want (or need) to sanitize bottles frequently. Simply follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer. Plus, they can be used to sanitize bottles, bottle parts, nipples and more. Many moms even use these for small plastic toys and teething rings once baby outgrows the bottle stage. That’s knowing how to stretch a dollar!

Sterilizing baby bottles with bleach

If you’re in a pinch and don’t have access to boiling water, steam or a dishwasher, the CDC condones the use of bleach to clean baby bottles. Here’s how to sterilize baby bottles with this method:

Combine one teaspoon of unscented bleach with 16 cups of hot water.
Submerge bottles in the solution, taking care to avoid any air bubbles in the bottom of the bottles.
Soak bottles for two to five minutes, then remove with clean tongs.
Place bottles on a clean dish towel to air dry. There’s no need to rinse, Armin says: “Any remaining bleach will break down quickly during the air-drying process and will not harm baby.”

Sterilizing baby bottles using sterilizing tablets

Wondering how to sterilize baby bottles when you’re away from home and don’t have access to your normal equipment? Food-grade, chlorine-based sterilizing tablets are just as effective at removing all the same microbes as the other sterilization techniques above. Be sure to follow the instructions on the packaging to ensure proper sterilization.

How to Clean Baby Bottles

Regardless of whether you decide to sterilize baby’s bottles, you’ll still have to thoroughly clean them after every feeding. “Newborns and infants have underdeveloped immune systems are vulnerable to infections by viruses, bacteria, parasites and fungi, which can all lead to illness. These germs can grow quickly if breast milk or formula is added to a partially used bottle that hasn’t been well cleaned,” Armin says. “Washing items thoroughly with hot water and soap is all that’s required to remove most harmful germs from bottles.” You can choose to wash bottles and their parts by hand or in the dishwasher. Here’s how:

Cleaning baby bottles in the dishwasher

Are your baby bottles dishwasher safe? Good news: Using your dishwasher’s hottest water setting and a heated drying cycle effectively sterilizes the bottles!

Separate all bottle parts.
Rinse the bottles and parts with clean water to remove any milk particles.
Place all small parts (including rings, valves and nipples) in a dishwasher-safe basket to prevent them from falling to the bottom of the dishwasher.
When possible, run the bottles on a hot-water cycle and heated drying cycle or select the sanitizing setting.
Remove the bottles and parts from the dishwasher and allow to air dry on a clean dishcloth.

Cleaning baby bottles by hand

When cleaning by hand, the CDC recommends washing the bottles and their parts in a special container that’s only used for bottles, rather than having bottles come in contact with the sink, to prevent cross-contamination. You should also use a bottle brush or other cleaning utensil that’s set aside just for baby’s bottles.

Start with clean hands.
Separate the bottles and their parts and rinse each piece under running hot or cold water to remove any milk particles. Don’t set the bottles down in the sink.
Fill a clean basin with hot water and soap.
Scrub the bottles and parts with a bottle brush, taking care to thoroughly clean all the way to the bottom of the bottle.
Clean inside the nipples, making sure to flush water through the tiny holes at the tips.
Rinse again under running water.
Air dry on a clean dishcloth.

Updated February 2020

Expert bios:

As a health and safety investigator for ConsumerSafety.org, Caitlin Hoff educates families about important consumer topics that impact the general public’s health and safety. She holds a certification in CDC Health Literacy for Public Health Professionals.

Samira Armin, MD, FAAP, is a pediatrician at Texas Children’s Pediatrics. She earned her medical degree from St. George’s University in 2009 and specializes in newborns and healthy eating.

Daniel Ganjian, MD, is a pediatrician at Providence St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California. He earned his medical degree from the University of California, Irvine, in 2004 and is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha honor society, a designation given to just 10 percent of American physicians.

Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.

Plus, more from The Bump:

16 Best Baby Bottles

How Much Should a Newborn Eat?

Pumping Breast Milk 101

HOW TO STERILIZE PHILIPS AVENT BOTTLES

Teats and bottles harbor millions of microbes. They are not afraid of boiling water, soda and detergents. The only thing that kills them is hot steam, which literally dissolves bacilli with a probability of up to 99.9%. Porridge and milk keep longer. A formula-fed baby is less likely to get sick.

So, mums, end your feeding with poorly washed bottles and learn how to disinfect them the way our grandmothers did. Only in a new way.

How to sterilize baby bottles

Washing with a brush or sponge is a must after every feeding. And it is better to sterilize in the evening or in the morning, in order to get rid of all pathogenic bacteria and not worry about the cleanliness of children's accessories.

When doing this, you must follow the safety rules: otherwise you can inadvertently scald or deform plastic dishes.

Below are three general guidelines for sterilizing baby bottles.

The utensil must not be immersed in boiling water, otherwise it will soften and melt.
Glasses and bottles are placed with their neck down: so that the steam cleans the inside, and the condensate flows down the walls into a bowl.
Bottles must not touch the sides of the pot as they may melt and stick to them.

After sterilization, it is better not to remove the dishes from the container for about ten minutes. It should cool down to a comfortable temperature. And if you really need it, you should use tongs, oven mitts or a kitchen towel folded in several layers.

By the way: Baby utensils: how to choose - 4 key parameters to help

How to sterilize pacifiers for children?

Teats are sterilized in the same way as bottles, but with the base down - to steam not only the outer, but also the inner walls. And let the moisture drain.

Types of sterilization

Two types of sterilization are used for the treatment of children's utensils - steam and dry heat.

In the first case, the vessel is steamed.
In the second - washed and still wet bottles are heated in the oven, sterilizer, microwave, multicooker and even in the dishwasher, which supports steam treatment at 80+ ° C.

Life hack: how to steam bottles and other things with sterilization bags (such as Nuvita NV1087)
- Put dishes in food bags.
- Pour 60-70 ml of water into them.
- Microwave for 2-3 minutes.

The sterilization process is as simple as a copper penny. Evaporating moisture destroys pathogenic (and not only) microbes from various surfaces. Materials exposed to hot air and steam do not creak from cleanliness, but are sterile and safe for health.

In this way, not only nipples and bottles are disinfected, but also brushes, bowls, thermoses and cups like Avent SCF796/01 and so on.

Interesting article: When did the first baby stroller appear: 10 facts from history

Microwaveable

The microwave oven offers 3 sterilization options. Not all of them are suitable for processing nipples.

Place the bottles in a glass or ceramic dish → fill it with water → cover with a lid → put the microwave on maximum power for 5-7 minutes.
Pour water into the bottle 1-1.5 cm from the bottom → microwave for 3-5 minutes. The nipples will have to be washed separately.
In the Nuvita type microwave sterilizer (NV1085), it is enough to put the container → pour water → click on the valve → set the device to work for 5-8 minutes.

Picking up a hot dish is easier with tongs or oven mitts.

Sterilization in the microwave gives its advantages and disadvantages, described in the table: the inner bowl of the multicooker. So that the saucepan does not smell like food, otherwise bottles or children's dishes will take over this smell.

The subsequent sterilization process in the multicooker is similar to microwave.

Pour ≈ 1-1.5 liters of water into the bowl.
Place the steam rack and place the bottles upside down.
Seal the steam device hermetically.
Set "Steam" mode to 15 minutes or "Sterilize" mode.
Remove the dishes and cover with a towel to cool completely.

This method also has its pros and cons.

Sterilizer

Children's sterilizer is an electrical device for processing utensils. Works carefully, the bottle will not crack due to overheating.

Everything is calculated with medical precision in the method of steaming with a sterilizer. The device holds up to 6-8 bottles and the same number of nipples. A great example of such a device is the Philips Avent 3-in-1 steam sterilizer. It is ideal for a family with several kids.

How the device works is as simple as it gets. It consists of step by step actions.

Pour cold water into the tank (how much is indicated in the instructions).
Place pre-cleaned bottles in special niches. This should be done upside down.
Close cover.
Switch on the sterilizer for 7-15 minutes.
Let the device “cool down” for 5-7 minutes. This is necessary so that you do not accidentally burn yourself with steam.

If the use of the bottles "does not burn", then they can be left under a closed lid - so they will be sterile for another 4-5 hours. If you need to get one of the bottles, take only it, and close the rest of the clean bottles with lids.

Before putting the dishes into the sterilizer, make sure they are clean. The device removes germs and odor, but does not cope with pollution.

Read: Top 5 Best Convertible Strollers

Avoid Sterilization Mistakes: 4 Common

Many parents make basic mistakes that are best addressed in advance.

1. Unwashed or poorly washed utensils
Leftover food provokes the reproduction of microflora and can cause stomach problems in a child. And sterilization does not wash out food residues - only cleaning can do this.

2. Pot boiling
You can't boil! The maximum allowable temperature for children's utensils is 110 ° C. And often it is even less. Otherwise, the bottles may melt.

3. Installation in a steamer and microwave without water is contraindicated
The device will burn, and the dishes will melt.

4. Sterilization of dishes with visible chips and cracks
Microbes accumulate and multiply in them, which can cause diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and not only.

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Pros and cons of sterilization

Each parent has his own opinion about sterilization, but there are definitely no indifferent to this issue.

Arguments "For" and "Against" are summarized in the final table:

So when choosing "to sterilize or not", everyone decides for himself. However, if the child is often fed in public places where it is impossible to verify the cleanliness of the surfaces, it is advisable to at least wash the dishes thoroughly in very hot water.

Read: TOP 5 baby tricycles

How to sterilize baby dishes | Agu-baby.by

How to sterilize baby dishes

You can argue about the need to sterilize baby dishes, pacifiers and nipples for newborns. Some mothers say that an extra microbe in the body will not hurt, because very soon the baby will have to face bacteria in reality, outside the home. Others believe that cleanliness is above all and carefully process all objects that have fallen on the floor.

To sterilize or not to sterilize?

We are for the golden mean. While the body of a newborn is weak, it is very easy to catch an intestinal infection from a poorly washed bottle, stomatitis or a number of other diseases, and getting sick with these diseases in infancy is much more dangerous than, say, in a year. Therefore, at first, you should protect the child.

There are also circumstances when sterilization is indispensable:

immediately after purchasing a new bottle or pacifier;
after an illness of a child;
if the mixture remains sour. Bacteria multiply very quickly in a dairy environment, so it is impossible to store the finished mixture for a long time. Wash dishes immediately after feeding!

Until what age is sterilization necessary?

Pediatricians consider - up to 4-6 months. Then the decision is made by the parents themselves. Most mothers extend the sterilization procedure up to 1.5 years, gradually reducing it to rinsing a dropped nipple in soapy water or pouring boiling water over a bottle.

How and with what to sterilize?

It is necessary to sterilize clean dishes, so you must first wash it with baby, laundry soap or soda.

Boiling

Put bottles and pacifiers in a pot of water, cover, boil for 4-10 minutes. Glass bottles can be boiled for up to 10 minutes. On modern plastic products, manufacturers themselves indicate the temperature and method of disinfection.

Then drain the water and wait for the items to cool down.

There is a drawback in this method: not all accessories can withstand boiling. For example, low-quality plastic bottles can be deformed. Quickly become unusable and nipples. Latex and silicone are processed for only 4 minutes, but they are somehow deformed and cracked. More wear-resistant are rubber tips (they can be boiled for 10 minutes).

Steamer and multicooker

In a double boiler, the destruction of microbes occurs under the influence of hot steam. Putting the bottles upside down, it is enough to process them for 5 - 15 minutes. For this purpose, turn on the multicooker in the “Steamer” or “Cooking” mode.

Microwave.

Put food items in a regular microwave bowl, pour water and turn on for 7 minutes. You can use bags for sterilization, in which the bottles are folded and sent to the oven. And finally, you can buy a special microwave sterilizer.

Cold sterilization

In pharmacies, you can buy special tablets, from which it is easy to prepare a solution for disinfecting dishes (treatment 30 minutes). Such tablets are convenient to use on the road.