How long do bottles stay sterile for?

[Greycat100]

I need some advice on sterilising baby bottles, I am using a Philips Avent steam steriliser. I know that the bottles stay sterile for 24 hours if kept in the steriliser. I would like to know how long do the bottles stay sterile for if out of the steriliser? Could anyone let me know what they do, for example, how do people use bottles for feeding throughout the day?

They don’t stay sterile once you open it as the bacteria is in the air.

I have no idea, definitively. When I had DD I checked and checked the instructions, which didn't say, and called mothercare, who didn't know, and asked my hv, who had never been asked before, and didn't know.

In the end I decided that 24hrs in the steriliser must have some extra time built in (they can't become unsterile at 24hrs + 1 min!) and decided that when I opened the steriliser for the first bottle I would make up all the bottles to seal them and give them max 24 hrs from when I sterileisd them.

Made sure I only touched the outside surfaces of the bottles/rings/lids etc.

Thing is though ICJ I get what you're saying, but if I sterilise 6 bottles, open it to make one feed, then what about the remaining 5?

Surely if it was only till opened, and not OK to use after that, sterilisers would be for one bottle only?

The bottles don't need to be surgically sterile, as pp said handle outside surfaces where possible. Most important is to make up the infant formula safely.

We take out of the steriliser. Nothing's ever happened. My midwife (40 years experience) says nipples aren't sterile either and we don't make a fuss about that.

There's no need to panic. When they can start weaning at 3 months (yes shoot me now), we wouldn't sterilise cutlery and plates either, so it's only really for the first 3 months.

What flibbertigibbet said, why do you want the bottles to be sterile? As long as they are clean that's ok

Surely if it was only till opened, and not OK to use after that, sterilisers would be for one bottle only?

That's the point though - they are fine to use they just aren't sterile. There is bacteria in the air - the air your baby is breathing and "tasting".

A steriliser kills off any of the "milky" bacteria but even that isn't necessary if it's been through the dishwasher.

Soup I get it, I read the OP as asking how long she could keep them for to use before having to sterilise again, but rereading that's not actually what they asked. Although I still think it's what they meant?

Agree it's about killing the 'milk bugs', rather than being sterile.

We used to be able to fit four bottles in our steriliser, which we would easily use in a day. Sterilise in the microwave. Take the bottles out one at a time to use, and then sterilise the next lot. An ongoing cycle that I do not miss!!
As said previously, the sterilising bit is to kill off any lingering bacteria from the milk.

Thanks for your replies.

Remove and assemble the bottles and they are ok for 24 hours

Any microbiologist will tell you that you cannot really sterilize anything in a home kitchen. What you are doing is sanitizing.