sterilizing bottles

[kazzie-bo]

hi i have a couple of questions regarding sterilizing bottles, i hope you guys can answer for me!!......

1, say for example i have sterilized 4 bottles then only use 1, i wash it and then put it back in the sterilizer with fresh water (its a microwave one) do i need to wash the other 3 bottles again or can i just re-sterilize them?

2, once the bottles have been sterilized i sometimes take them out of the sterilizer and put them together with out anything in them......how long will they remain safe for before i need to sterilize them again?

thanks in advance i hope you can help

kaz x

 

[Charlie:-)]

Sterilising is a bit of a mystery to me so Im probably not the best person to answer but I will try and help with what I think is right, feel free to correct me if wrong.

1. This si what I do, I have 2 bottles very rarely use them both at the same time so I use 1 and the other stays in the steriliser. Then wash it up and add the clean bottle back to the steriliser and sterilise them both again.

2. I was under the impression that once you take a bottle out of the steriliser or open the lid of the steriliser then it is no longer sterile. Once my microwave has finished sterilising the contents will remain sterile for 3 hours if un-opened. I usually pour my expressed milk straight into the bottle after the microwave has finished sterilising and then I store it in the fridge until needed. I feed Maia from the same bottle I just add the teat. To be honest I think Im a bit relaxed with sterilising.

 

[daftscotslass]

I was doing the whole keeping bottles in the steriliser thing and my HV told me I was bonkers because of course the second you open it it's no longer 100% sterile. She said as long as they have a lid and you have clean hands when putting them together (does anyone use teat tongs?) then you can put them in a cupboard or a clean surface and they're fine for 24 hours. We sterilise once a day, the bottles get half filled with boiled water, put out on the kitchen worktop and they're ready to go (we top them up with boiling water then add the powder).

This is the way we've been doing it for 4 months (and the way one of my friends has done it for longer) and we've not had any problems. Bear in mind that manufacturers HAVE to recommend the safest way to do it on their instructions.

 

[Jollypops]

We sterilise 4 bottles at a time, make them up and put in fridge then warm when needed.