How To Sterilize Baby Bottles

Everything that is used to feed that baby must be washed and sterilized thoroughly before and after use. Normal cleaning process doesn�t remove the bacteria from the milk, thereby, making the baby prone to infectious diseases. Sterilizing baby bottles is a must, if you want to ensure good health for your baby. The milk bottle is to be sterilized after it has been cleaned thoroughly. Electric and microwave sterilizing are the modern methods of sterilizing baby bottles, while boiling and cold water sterilizing are the traditional ones, which can be taken recourse to when you don�t have access to electricity. Read on to know the different ways of sterilizing baby bottles.

Steam sterilizing
Electric steam sterilizing method is similar to what is used in hospitals. This takes about eight to twelve minutes, excluding cooling time. This process is efficient and doesn't take long. You must use only those parts that are safe to boil. Bottles and nipples should be placed upside down to ensure proper sterilization. If you are using a microwave, you will have to buy a steamer for it. Do not place any metal parts inside the microwave. Sterilization in a microwave will take five to eight minutes plus cooling time. Remove the lid of the steamer very carefully as the interior becomes extremely hot. The greatest advantage of using this method of sterilization is that there is no smell or taste. If kept closed, the items remain sterile for three hours.

Cold water sterilization
Tablets used for this method are available in the market. Dissolve them in the prescribed amount of water. This will form a solution that is effective against bacteria. These tablets are safe and will not have any side effects, even if swallowed. You can buy a sterilizing unit for this or buy a bucket with a lid, which is used for this purpose alone. You must ensure that the bottles are completely submerged in the solution. For complete sterilization, make sure that there are no air bubbles in the bottles. Sterilization should be complete in half an hour, but it is safe to leave items in the solution for 24 hours. Fresh solution must be made every day. Make sure to wash your hands before removing the sterilized equipment. Fill the bottles with milk and store them in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Keep bottles in the main part of fridge, as it is colder than the door. Keep away from raw food.

Boiling
Boiling is another method of sterilizing baby bottles. All the bottle-feeding items need to be boiled for a minimum of 10 minutes. You must have a separate pan, only for the purpose of boiling these items. Some items like nipples or teats will have to be replaced more often if you use this method, as they get sticky.

Microwavable bottles
These bottles can be sterilized on their own in the microwave. A single bottle takes 90 seconds to get sterilized. While microwaving, the bottles must be kept open, so that the heat directly reaches inside.