to ask what to do with my bottles and no microwave?

[MrsKeithRichards]

My dh, the heavy handed fuck that he is, opened the microwave last night. It was a totat crash bang wallop moment and next thing he's standing with a microwave door in his hand.

So we'll replace it, all we really use it for is sterilising bottles.

So do I just boil them in a pan? For how long?

I meant we'll replace it soon but in the meantime what do you do?

Get some sterilising fluid. Just follow the instructions (usually just soak them for a set period of time).

Not sure how long you should boil, but what about buyong some Miltons instead?

Do you have a dishwasher? That does just as good a job as a steriliser. If not, you buy electric sterilisers that you just plug in, we had one for DS's bottles. Boiling them in a pan will be a massive pain in the bum.

You can wash them and put them into milton sterilising solution.
The instructions are on the bottle of milton.

I'd say get milton too. You use it with cold water and it sterilises a bottle in 15 minutes, if you make up a big tub you can use it for 24 hours and just pull bottles out when you need them.

I steam mine in the pressure cooker (set to steam only, no pressure) sitting on a trivet for 5 mins.

Or use sterilising solution - but I actually find the pressure cooker easier!

Just use Milton.

Or dishwasher if you have them.

Or even Wash them well in fresh washing up water, rinse in nice hot water and leave to air dry.

I'd say Milton as well.

DSD melted all her DDs bottles when she tried to boil them in a pan.

You have to boil the completely submerged bottles for at least 5 mins. I find putting the next-smallest-pan-lid on top of the bottles pushes them down under the water, but you should make sure they're completely full of water too - no air pockets.

It Milton. But it smells funny and I don't like to think of it still being in the bottles after sterilising, even though it must be completely harmless ...

How old is you LO? And how many bottles? And when will you be able to pick up a microwave?

If its just a couple of bottles til you can get to e.g. argos this afternoon, I'd boil them. instructions here

But if its going to be a week or 2, or your on 6 bottles a day, I'd milton them. Instructions above also.

Dishwasher if you've got one, and your LO is nearly (or over) a year.

I think you're supposed to boil them for 5 mins.

I'm not sure the dishwasher would do such a good job? I mean isn't it normally about 70 degs?? Plus you'd have to rinse them all in boiling water afterwards to get rid of the dishwasher tablet residue surely? (Wondering if I'm making life harder for myself here as I have a dishwasher and I use milton!)

No Milton and will get to shops tomorrow. Ds is 16 weeks 5 bottles a day.

Thinking dishwasher but is that enough?

If you Milton them I don't think you should steam sterilize the same bottles again.

I think you need to boil in a pan, I think it's for 15 mins, make sure there's no bubbles in bottle.

Dishawasher is totally fine to use and will sterilise them.

Stick a Facebook status up. One of your friends would help you out - I'd be over in a jiffy if I was your mate. I have Milton and a spare steriliser. Seriously help often comes from unexpected places.

Yes good scrub and dishwasher fine too.

Soaking them in a cold water Milton solution is probably your easiest option, boiling will require supervision. Depending on the age of your baby you may not need to be that fussy about it anymore, I just use the dishwasher for mine.

Dishwasher does sterilise them, even for prem babies they say dishwasher will do the job. You can google it or check with a HV if you dont believe me.

Buy some sterilisation fluid or there are disposable bottles that come pre sterilised.

I found a bucket with sterilising solution was easiest. Bung 'em all in at end of day and pull 'em out one by one the next day (rinse before filling). At 6months I started just washing out with hot water and babies are all fine. At 6months I also started using formula milk cold (made up with previously boiled water) and by 9months formula made up with cold water straight from tap.

I did use a bowl of water & Milton initially, but soon moved on to a steam steriliser. Brilliant invention. When I'd finished with it I asked the HV if there was a scheme to pass on such items to disadvantaged parents and there was, so she rehomed it for me. Maybe your HV knows how to get one to tide you over?

Stangirl, formula should always be made up with hot water to kill off the potentially very dangerous bacteria that could be in the powder.