sterilising bottles - when can i stop?

[katherine2008]

i know that i have read somewhere that you can stop sterilising bottles when your child reaches a certain age - and just wash them? can anyone tell me what age is recommended and if that is a sensible guideline? thanks!

I stopped sterilising mine (just chucked them in the dishwasher) at about 6 months.

Don't know what the recommended guideline is - but I figured that once he was picking up god knows what off the floor and eating it and sucking on shoes unsterilised bottles was the least of my worries

Guidelines say one year, but many people stop and just dishwasher them once the lo is mobile and eating stuff off the floor!

Milk does grow disgusting things quickly though, so depends how you feel about hese things. I did ds's bottles until 1, btu not cutlery and plates.

I stopped when mine was about 6-7 months when i saw my dd pick up my shoe and put it in her mouth.

Guidelines are 12 months, it is a pain in the arse but as nicky said milk grows nasty stuff if it isn't sterile. My DS is 7 months, I sterlise bottles but not cups, plates and spoons just rinse them in hot water just before I use them.

thank you!

I think the official line is sterilise all feeding equipment to age 1 - this is because warm/room temp milk is a perfect environment for bacteria to grow, so if there is any bacteria inside the bottle it has the opportuinty to grow and become harmful. But dummies, toys, etc, don't need to be sterilised past 6 months.