Cleaning and Sterilising Bottles

Proper cleaning and sterilisation of bottle-feeding equipment are crucial to ensure your baby's safety. Here’s a guide on how to clean and sterilise bottles, teats, and other feeding accessories. 

Cleaning Bottle-Feeding Equipment
It’s important to clean your bottle-feeding equipment thoroughly after each feed, ideally right after use. Cleaning is essential before sterilising, and here’s how you can do it:

1. Wash Hands: Start by washing your hands with soap and water, then dry them with a clean cloth or paper towel.
2. Prepare Soapy Water: Fill a clean sink or basin with hot, soapy water.
3. Scrub Bottles and Teats: Use a bottle brush to scrub the bottles inside and out.
4. Clean Teats Thoroughly: Squeeze water through the teat holes to ensure they’re clear. Use a teat brush to clean inside and around the teats, checking for cracks as you go. Dispose of any damaged teats, as bacteria can hide in the cracks.
5. Wash Caps and Rings: Clean the caps, rings, and any other parts that come into contact with milk.
6. Rinse: Rinse everything well with hot water, and leave the items to air dry on a clean surface.

Sterilising Bottle-Feeding Equipment
After cleaning, sterilisation is the next step to eliminate any remaining bacteria. There are several methods to sterilise feeding equipment:

1. Boiling

Boiling is a straightforward and effective method.

• Fill a large pot with water, and place all washed items in it, ensuring they are fully submerged, with no air trapped inside.
• Cover the pot, bring the water to a rolling boil, and let it boil for 5 minutes.
• Let everything cool in the pot. Use clean hands or sterilised tongs to remove the items.
• Store any unused sterilised equipment in a clean, sealed container in the fridge, and use within 24 hours.

2. Steam Sterilisers

Electric or microwave steam sterilisers offer a convenient way to sterilise your equipment:

• Place the clean bottles, teats, and other parts inside the steriliser.
• Add water as directed by the manufacturer.

Electric Sterilisers: Switch the unit on; it will turn off automatically once the process is complete.

Microwave Sterilisers: 

• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully, including checking the required microwave power level. 
• Ensure no metal parts are placed inside the microwave.
• Never use a microwave to sterilise feeding equipment directly without a designated steriliser, as this can damage or melt the items.

3. Chemical Sterilisers

Chemical sterilisation involves soaking equipment in a sterilising solution:

• Follow the instructions on the packaging to prepare the solution.
• Fully submerge the equipment and let it soak for the specified time.
• After sterilising, rinse the equipment with cooled boiled water if needed (check the product’s instructions).

Additional Tips

• Always check the manufacturer's guidelines for your bottles and steriliser.
• Use sterilised tongs or clean hands to handle sterilised equipment to avoid contamination.
• Replace any items showing signs of wear, such as cracked teats or damaged bottles.

Sterilising is not required for breastfeeding equipment if you have a well term baby. If your baby is immunocompromised or you are using formula you will need to sterilise. Don’t rinse/towel dry the bottles etc when you remove them from the solution.