How do I sterilise bottles in the microwave?

[nellieellie]

Help! - Steriliser has broken. DD is 16mths so not finger biting awful but can anyone tell me how to sterilise in a microwave? Ages ago I bought a tommee tipee breast pump and it came with a container that you could put the pump in with water and sterilise in microwave. Never used it as had a steriliser. Now that the steriliser has broken would be great if I did not have to buy another. I just cannot remember how much water goes in the container or how long it is microwaved for. Have lost the instructions needless to say. Any help much appreciated!!

If you log onto the company website (tommee tippee or whatever) you should be able to find instructions there. I had to do it when I forgot how long to put my avent steriliser in for.
But, none of my business but if she is 16m, is it really nec to sterilise bottles?

Thanks little boy blue - will see. I think you are still meant to sterilise the bottle teats until 2yrs.

Hope you sort it all ok. I always thought it was recommended to sterilise up to a year, but it's whatever your happy with.

Have looked on website - there are instructions for their actual microwave steriliser - but not for the box which comes with the breastpump. Have sent email but no doubt will be few days at least before get answer. If anyone out there has any idea would much appreciate!

Can you not boil them for 10mins in a saucepan like in the old days? That's enough, or do you have a food steamer?

no need to sterilise at 16 months - a good wash in hot soapy water and rinse in hot water will be sufficient. The guidance is to sterilise bottles and teats till 1 year so your lo is well past that now. If you really want to sterilise then do as pp said and boil in a pan of water.

I have this. You put in something like 100 ml - basically up to the level of the textured bit at the bottom. Then you put the lid on and make sure that the little hole is uncovered. Microwave on full power at 700W (if your microwave is different then let me know and I'll get off my arse and look at the instruction book!) for six minutes then leave to stand for three minutes. Then close the hole to keep them sterile, apparently (they are all sopping wet so I generally dry them all on clean kitchen roll at this point).

Having said that, I no longer bother to sterilise and DD is only 10 wks!

I found the instructions in with the instructions for the breast pump (if it is the closer to nature one):

Using the terilising box

1. put 100ml of water into the box
2. load upturned bottles, etc
3. fit box lid
4. open ?flower? valve
5. put box in microwave
6. follow instructions according to microwave output
7. ensure box is cool to touch before lifting out
8. fit flower valve to make box airtight and sterile

Wattage under 800W - full power for 6 mins and cooling time of 3 mins
Wattage over 850W - full power for 4 mins and cooling time of 3 mins

that will be a sterilising box of course

sorry again it is the freedom breastpump

Seona and Anglepoise - thank you so much!!

On matter of sterilisation, on quick tour of internet seems that a lot of advice is still to sterilise bottles and teats as long as use them. After a yr babies often get put onto beakers rather than bottles anyway. Think the reasoning behind continuing with the sterilisation is that milk bugs are v unpleasant and bits of milk can lurk in the folds and crevices of bottle tops. I don't sterilise anything else - didn't sterilise plates or cutlery when DD went onto solids at 6mths - and certainly didn't sterilise my boobs which were her milk source until 13mths!. Just rather be careful on this one.

I have a friend who still sterilises for her dd who is 2y. But she says it's because she enjoys it. Whatever you're happy with, glad you worked out how to get it done.