how long does a bottle stay sterile?

[bumblingalong]

Hi, I know there have been threads saying sterilising isn't necessary but I do use a cold water steriliser for my twins 1 bottle a day. We are going away for one night & I don't really want to pack up the steriliser for 1 feed but I have no idea if I take the bottles out & put them together in the morning will they still be sterile for the 6.30pm feed?

I would bf instead but I'm finding just the planning of taking twins & dd1 (19 months) to in laws stressful so would rather have dp's help to feed twins at bedtime esp as dd1 will be hard to settle as always in a different bed & only wants mummy!

Any advice would be welcomed!

I've always used cold water steraliser as well and I used to steralise my bottle then let them stand but never for longer than 24 hrs. I don't know if that was correct but I never encountered any problems. I imagine it should be fine if you pack them well and handle them with care.

I think bottles are no longer sterile from the minute they come into contact with the air (taken out of steriliser).
Where are you going? can you pop them in a pan on the hob for 10 mins?

Measure out the right amount of cold water into a large bowl and add the tablet. Much easier then taking the steriliser. Just make sure everything is under the water.

no, once you remove them from the steriliser they're no longer sterile.

that said, i really wouldn't; worry about it. as you say you don't have to sterilise anyway, so i am sure it'll be fine to use them in the evening if they're done that morning

Pour some boiling water over them before you're going to use them? Not sure if that'd help, but it's a suggestion.

I too find all this sterile/not sterile thing a bit confusing

ah well I am ultimate slummy mummy - I do the hot soapy wash and air dry thing (DD was on NICU for 5days and if its what they do for those extra fragile babies then is what I do at home!). But that is only because I have the direct experience of that- and I totally get why people wouldn't do that.

Anyhow for us after airdrying if the bottle isn't used straightaway is put back together and popped in the clean cupboard and is used up to a week later. No problems so far! Every so often I run everything through the steam steriliser but am becoming more lax on that too!

Personally I prefer the air dry thing as a dry surface is much harder for bacteria to grow on than a wet one and i don't like the wetness of taking stuff out the steam steriliser and using it straight away (even though I know the water residue is supposed to be sterile!)

But anyhow you stick to what makes you comfy. I would suggest that you sterilise in the am- put the bottle together and use it that evening. The inside of the bottle is what you want to keep from exposure to microbes for her feed so would imagine if sealed up with lid on it should be fine (but I guess the inside would need to be dry not have any cold water steriliser liquid in it?). Airborne microbes are probably less of a risk than waterbourne ones (unless you wave a bottle round the loo or something!)

Anyhow good luck with however you decide to do it.

I say roll on 6months when we can all stop bothering with this faff!

thanks - went for the disposable bottles in the end, was 1 less thing to remember to bring home!