Sterilisers

Bottles and all bottle feeding accessories need scrupulous cleaning followed by careful sterilising after every use. Regular users of bottles will find a custom-built steriliser invaluable. As the purpose of a steriliser is to make your baby’s feeding equipment free from bacteria, it is essential to follow the user instructions to the letter.

There are three types of steriliser. All take different numbers of bottles (from two to ten) and accessories, depending on the make:

Electric steam steriliser A freestanding unit that plugs in. All the items for sterilising are stacked inside with a specified amount of water (but no chemicals) and it takes around nine minutes to sterilise. Items remain sterile for several hours (this differs according to unit) as long as the lid isn’t lifted. You need to be careful as hot steam escapes when the lid is lifted.

Microwave steam steriliser This works in the same way as an electric steriliser except that it goes in the microwave, usually for around 10 minutes, and keeps items sterile for two or three hours, as long as the lid isn’t lifted. Very convenient, cheaper than the plug-in sterilisers, but you do need to check that it will fit into your microwave cavity before buying, and that all items you sterilise in it are microwave-safe (ie no metal parts).

Cold water steriliser This is a container with a holding rack and lid. You mix a sterilising tablet or liquid with cold water and then fully immerse all the items in it. It takes 30 minutes to sterilise and then all items must be rinsed with recently boiled water before use. The solution needs changing every 24 hours and items remain sterile as long as they are not touched. This type of steriliser is often sold complete with feeding bottles, sterilising tablets and bottle brush for cleaning. Cold water sterilisers leave the equipment smelling, and tasting of chemical sterilising solution, but as long as everything is well rinsed, this does no harm to your baby.

Disposable sterilising bags These are useful when you're travelling. You add a sterilising tablet, fill with water, immerse the items you're sterilising and hang the bag up.

See the results of babyworld's product test: sterilisers on test

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