Dishwasher to sterilise

[goldenoldie]

I've been told that I can use dishwasher to sterilise bottles/teats from birth. Apparently it heats to higher temp, for longer than steam/microwave sterilser. Use of dishwasher for this is also common practice in the USA.

Anyone else tried this?

Havent from birth - mainly because i didnt get my dishwasher til jess was 2 months old, but have put all her stuff in it since about 4 months.

This time round ill wait and see how lazy i feel!

i think its ok as long as you dont add salt to the dishwasher (or use tablets with added salt), as there have been incidents of the salt making babies ill

Have a look at this link...I thought it was great

mumsnet

Whenever I can be bothered to sterelise, I use either a dishwasher or a boiling pan. But really haven't bothered much.

By the way, when I had DD in the USA no one even mentioned sterelizers....

Nail - you have to add salt to dishwashers? You invalidate warrenty/muck them up if you don't?

yup, I use a dishwasher. which is basically a big steam steriliser. I only start using it from about 2 months though, because I don't like the idea of any residue in bottles much earlier (not that there is much, but probably a bit more of the stronger detergent than you get with washing in fairy liquid and putting in a steam steriliser.)I don't sterilise at all after 6 months.

do you goldenoldie? didnt know that

i use the dishwasher for a good wash, rinse out the bottles (to get rid of the salt and detergent) and then sterilise on top!

Redtartenlass, I was going to suggest looking at that thread too. RTKM's email from the microbiologist at UCH is fairly conclusive. I don't have a dishwasher but I feel sufficiently confident now to just hot wash everything. I'm going to get some extra strength marigolds so I can have the water as hot as poss!

I brought this up at our parentcraft leesons when I was expecting DS1 - it got a big no no from the midwife and DH was really embarrassed that I'd asked the question but I'd been reading the Best friends Guide to pregnancy (American) and she said dishwasher was OK!

Tommy - I read this too, and as I wrote on the other thread linked here, IME a lot of american mums are more paranoid about some things to do with feeding than in the uk so I figure if they're happy with it then we should be too! You've also got to remember that midwives will be using the 'one-size-fits-all' method of giving advice; it's the same as the 'Never-Use-A-Microwave-To-Heat-Bottles' rule. They've got to watch their backs as there'll always be some eedjit who puts the milk in for 3 mins or deosn't shake it, or doesn't bother to wash the bottles properly if they're not sterilising.

I've decided we won't be sterilising with no.2 who is due in 2 and a half weeks. There's still a little niggle in the back of my mind but this is due to being told we HAD to do it for so long, I think. We will use dishwasher, very hot soapy water and marigolds like karmamother said!