Up to what age do you need to sterilise bottles?

[Geekster]

Just that really DD is nearly 11 months, I'm still sterilising them but how long do you have to do it for?

Once they are on the floor, putting things in their mouths is a good time to stop I reckon - maybe 6-7 months... Most friends stopped around then. I think 11 months is plenty but that is just my opinion.

Only you know what you feel comfortable with

Ps, I stopped at 6months with DC1, #2 never took a bottle and will stop around on this with #3

With formula bottles should always be sterilised as there are so many bacterium in powdered formula. If it's breastmilk then you don't need to sterilise.

If feeding formula bottles should always be done. The tests especially.

Thanks for that, she is having formula so I will continue to sterilise.

I agree, formula bottles need sterilising for longer than you'd think - not the same bugs as floor/dog bugs.

I know some people use the dishwasher to sterilise though - apparently the heat and steam is enough?

And in fairness the most important thing is the very thorough cleaning before the sterilising. Some people don't realise you need to wash them, and just think the Milton magically lifts off the encrusted milk slurp

I believe it depends on the dishwasher. US Health Authorities have recommended sterilising in dishwashers but US dishwashers heat the water to a much higher temperature.

My previous dishwasher, a Bosch, had a 95 degree setting which would've been suitable. The house we're in at the moment has a dishwasher, a Hotpoint, which only goes up to 65 degrees - nowhere near hot enough.

I never sterelised. Didn't own a dishwasher either. Made sure bottles were clean though. Very clean.

On that note, how the feck do you clean inside the spout of a tommee tipee cup?

We don't have a dishwasher but I always thoroughly wash the bottles, and turn the teats inside out to wash in red hot soapy water before sterilising.

Starlight I don't know. On the side of the sma follow on milk carton it says you need to sterilize bottles but not cups when using formula . I had to sterilize bottles, it was like a tick but that's just me!

I wonder if it is actually to do with people making up bottles in advance, therefore allowing bacteria to multiply.

Sorry for being dim, but how does sterilsing the bottle affect the bacteria that could be present in formula? You sterilse the formula powder by using sufficiently hot water, not sure how a clean but unsterilised bottle would matter?

Because bacteria could also be on the bottle? Then if you made it up they could multiply in the formula. I think unless the bottle was filthy you would have to leave it a while for this to be an issue though.