Boiling
To do this, follow these simple steps
- Step 1– Choose a sufuria or saucepan that’s large enough to fit the baby’s bottle
- Step 2 – Place the clean bottles, caps and the teats in the sufuria and add sufficient water to submerge all the equipment’s
- Step 3 – Bring the water to a boil and keep boiling for 5 to 6 minutes
- Step 4 – Turn the stove off and let the water cool enough to handle without scalding yourself
- Step 5 – At this point, thoroughly clean and dry your hands before handling your baby’s bottle
- Step 6 – Lift the various items from the saucepan and shake off the excess water, then use
Other pointers to note include:
Cleaning with Chemicals
Different manufacturers have different instruction regarding their chemical solutions. In regard to this, ensure to always follow through and make the correct strength solution.
What you can expect from the guideline is:
- Step 1- Thoroughly clean the baby’s bottle
- Step 2 – Ensure that you submerge all the various pieces of apparatus in the solution
- Step 3- Follow through on the minimum recommended time frame provided by the manufacturer
- Step 4- When the time has elapsed, remove your baby’s bottle from the solution but do not rinse it
- Step 5 – You can reuse the solution within 24 hours then discard it.
Steam sterilizing
A steam sterilizing equipment is designed to cater to a baby’s feeding bottle. The design of the steam sterilizers is intended to cook and hence kill the bacteria at very high temperatures. To do this:
- Step 1 – Thoroughly clean your baby’s bottle
- Step 2 – Place the teats and bottle openings facing down in the sterilizer
- Step 3 – Follow through on the instructions provided on operating the baby bottle sterilizer
- Step 4 -When done, you can leave them in the sterilizer until when needed
Take care when disinfecting with steam as it can burn and scald just as aggressively as boiling water.
Microwave sterilizing
Often deemed the easiest way to sterilize your baby’s bottle, here is what to need to do:
- Step 1 – Place a clean baby bottle in a microwave sterilizer
- Step 2 – As per bottles instructions, adjust the power needed on the microwave
- Step 3 – Zap the microwave for about 2 minutes ensuring all the bacteria has been killed
- Step 4 – Avoid placing any metals in the sterilizer, as it will cause sparks and can burn holes through the walls of your microwave.
If unsure of how clean your baby’s bottle is, sterilize it again. Sterilize the bottles after 24 hours if left unused and immediately after use. As your baby grows, so does their immunity. Eventually, your baby will be able to use the cups and plates everyone else uses in your household.
Disclaimers:
#Please note that development differs from one child to another
# Content intended for educational purposes only, and should not be substituted for medical advice from your doctor.
# Be careful when using any products mentioned on this website. We hold no regulations for such products or their providers.
Last reviewed January 2019
Sources: pregnancybirthbaby, thebump, raisingchildren, raisingchildren, fatherly
