when to stop sterilising

[kbaby]

At what age can I stop sterising dd's bottles?. DD is now 11 months.
Can I just clean them with hot soapy water?

[angelp]

I stopped at 6 months when I started weaning. Washed the bottles in the dishwasher so they got a really hot wash but hot soapy water will be fine. 11 months is absolutely fine to stop sterilising.

[fuzzywuzzy]

I stopped sterilising once baby started crawling, not much point as she was eating everything on the floor anyways....

[Donbean]

Oh MY GOD! some friends were round at mine for coffee a few weeks ago and i was just boiling the kettle and at the same time i was putting ds's bottles into my electric steriliser. Suddenly all conversation ceased and they all were looking at me quizzically, then one of them said to me "you still sterilising then?" "yes" says i, "why do you ask?" they all burst out laughing and pointed out that as ds is now 22 months surely it was time to stop.
Honest to god i have continued out of habit and never thought twice about it! LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSEEEEEEERRRRRR!!!!
So the moral of the story is dont continue till they are 20 years old like i would probably have done!!!
I think the answer is when they start on cows milk its ok to wash in hot soapy water.
HTH x

[Kayleigh]

Stopped at 8 months with ds1 and at 6 months with ds2. Bottles went in the dishwasher after that.

[lunarx]

i stopped at about 7 months when ds was moving around the floor and putting things in his mouth ...

[anchovies]

I stopped a couple of weeks ago (after reading on here!) at 14 months, was devestated when I realised I could have stopped ages ago!

[jessicasmummy]

dd's bottles have been in dishwasher from 6 months - if at dads house, hot soapy water! dd is 9 months

[Toothache]

Kbaby - I never actually started sterilising feeding equipment (as in spoons and bowls) and dummies! I still sterilise the bottles though.... coz warm milk breeds bacteria faster than most substances! Then again... I don't even heat her milk for her now (dd is 9mths). And since bottles are made up as and when we need them I don't think I have any need to sterilise them. It's different if the milk is going to be stored in the bottles for hours before feeds.

Thats it folks.... I've just talked myself out of sterilising. After all, I found dd sucking one of DH's dirty socks the other day. EEEEEURHG!

[dropinthe]

LOL-DONBEAN

[collision]

Once they start putting things in their mouth there really is no need to sterilise things IMO. Ds is 6 months and I think we will stop soon.

[MarsLady]

PMSL @ Donbean. Excellent!

[QueenEagle]

Think I sterilised bottles til about 8 months or so, but it could be from the time they start sucking the carpet I s'pose.

Am on baby no.5 now and have not sterilised any of his feeding bowls/spoons at all.

[Sponge]

I don't do bowls and spoons and never have done but I do still do bottles (ds is 9 months). As toothache says, milk breeds bacteria easily so I'd rather be careful. Using the dishwasher is sterilising though - it gets very hot in there for a long time.

[kbaby]

in the dishwasher though how can i make sure the water gets all the milk out of the teats. I tried it and the milk gets stuck

[matnanplus]

Continue to wash in hot soapy water and use a bottle brush and teat brush then squeeze water thru hole, a dish washer or a hot bowl wash is fine from 6mths.