When and How Should I Sterilize Baby Bottles?

Sep 21

3 mins read

Sterilizing baby bottles is a big topic for parents when it comes to ensuring their baby’s developing immune system is protected. Usually, sterilizing baby bottles is a one-and-done deal, especially when you first buy the bottle. After the purchase, you don’t know where the bottle was, so doing it as an initial step before using it can ensure the baby’s health and safety.

Many parents are unsure if they need to sterilize the bottle often, but it is not necessary. In the past, because we couldn’t rely on how clean the water suppliers were, the process of cleaning had to be way more intense, but thankfully nowadays that is not an issue anymore. However, there are some cases in that you might need to sterilize the bottle again, which are:

  1. If the bottle is second-hand or borrowed.
  2. If the baby has been sick.
  3. If the baby has health issues or was premature
  4. If clean potable water is not available

 In general, the process of sterilizing is really up to each individual but doing too often can damage the bottle and allow chemicals to leach into the milk, especially if the bottle has BPA in it – which is not the case with Yooforea’s glass silicone coated baby bottles free of any harmful substances and chemicals. Moreover, if you wash the baby bottles in the dishwasher with hot water and a heated drying cycle, sanitizing them with your hands is not required. If you decide to do it regularly, it is fine to stop once the baby is older than 3 months because their immune system is not going to be that fragile anymore.

When it comes to how to do it, there are different ways you could try. The main point is to kill bacteria using high temperatures or chemicals, and you can choose the one that best suits you and your budget. Bellow, there are some methods you could use:

  • Boiling water:
  1. Fill a large, clean pot with enough water to cover the bottle
  2. Insert the bottle into the water upside down, but make sure the bottle is freshly washed and that there aren’t any air bubbles at the bottom
  3. Bring the water to a boil
  4. Boil the bottle for five minutes – it can vary from different manufacturers, so make sure to check the guidelines.
  5. Remove bottles after turning off the heat
  6. Let them air dry in a clean and dry dishcloth
  • Microwave:
  1. Make sure the microwave is clean
  2. Fill bottles about halfway with water
  3. Microwave on high for one to two minutes
  4. Remove the bottle from the microwave, dump the rest of the water out and let the bottle air dry
  • Electric steam:

This option can reach higher temperatures than boiling water, so it can kill more bacteria and mold. This option can be more pricey than other options, but it is definitely the quickest and easiest way if you would like to sterilize bottles frequently. All you need to do is to follow the instructions from the manufacturer.

If you are looking to purchase electric steam for bottle sterilizer, here are some recommendations:

Philips Avent Advanced Electric Steam Sterilizer

Babybrezza Steri-Dry Steam Sterilizer                      

Dr Brown’s Deluxe Bottle Sterilizer

  • Bleach: This option should be used only if you don’t have access to boiling water, steam or a dishwasher.
  1. Combine one teaspoon of unscented bleach with 16 cups of hot water
  2. Insert bottles in the solution, making sure to avoid any air bubbles in the bottom of the bottles
  3. Wait 2-5 minutes, and then remove the bottles.
  4. Let bottles air dry on a clean dish towel – you don’t need to rinse them because any remaining bleach will break down quickly during the air-drying process and that won’t harm the baby
  • Sterilizing tablets:

Food-grade, chlorine-based sterilizing tablets are a good option when you are not at home and need to sterilize the baby bottle. All you need to do is to follow the instruction on the packaging to ensure proper effectiveness.

 

 

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