Just feeding your baby a bottle is a complicated and multi-step process, so a sterilizer that gives them one less thing to worry about is helpful. This plug-in steam sterilizer is very easy to use: Fill the reservoir with water, turn the control knob to choose your setting, then walk away. The First Years sterilizer sanitizes your bottles or other feeding supplies and, if you choose, dries them for 40 to 60 minutes, then shuts off by itself. You can then leave the contents stored for up to 24 germ-free hours. If you overheat the liquid in the bottle, the vapor will rise and condense in the vent. To prevent this, avoid warming the liquid beyond body temperature. With no need for steam, tablets or a microwave, this innovative UV steriliser from Nuby is a game-changer. While it looks a bit like a big makeup bag, the steriliser blasts bottles and dummies with ultra violet light, killing 99.9% of germs in just 3 minutes. Like any electric steriliser, it attracts limescale on its heating plate so will need regular descaling. Our tester also didn’t like its short cable, which limits where it can be placed in the kitchen, and that it arrived wrapped in a lot of unnecessary plastic.

Karen adds that the Hauture fits comfortably on her counter, and likes that the machine can be used to sterilize, dry, and store bottles. Clean bottles one of two ways: In the dishwasher using hot water and a heated drying cycle or sanitizing setting. Or hand-wash with hot water and soap, using a scrub or bottle brush only used to clean baby feeding items and a water basin only used for your baby's feeding gear. If you’re pregnant and unsure how you’ll be feeding, or you’re only an occasional bottle-user and don’t want to find space for a bulky appliance, Medela’s microwave steriliser pouches could be a great option. These would also be handy for days spent at a friend or relative’s home, since they’re so small and straightforward to use (add water, seal, start the microwave). Our tester, Maisie, is a mum of three with a six-year-old, four-year-old and an 11-month-old baby. She spent six months testing the shortlisted products with her own bottles and breast pump parts, each for a minimum of 10 days. You'll follow the instructions on the model you choose, but the CDC lays out the basic method for using a steam sterilizer:If you’re using bottles and breast pumps regularly but not intensively, you might find that a travel steriliser is sufficient for your needs – it’s certainly cheaper to buy and easier to throw into a drawer. If you’re bottle-feeding full-time, though, sterilising one or two bottles at a time will be too inefficient and labour-intensive to manage. 5. UV steriliser Can only sterilise two bottles per cycle – so if you’re getting through more than four bottles a day it’s fairly labour-intensive

The system my own mother used (‘and nobody died’, she tells me), and still a favourite on maternity wards, the so-called ‘Milton method’ has been trusted for more than 70 years, and it doesn’t get much simpler. More expensive than some other electric models, like the Tommee Tippee Super-Steam Advanced Electric Steriliser or the Nuby Natural Touch It’s best to use sterile tongs to handle teats afterwards to prevent contamination, and the majority of sterilisers come with a pair – put the tongs in with the cycle and you know they’re OK to use. She investigated best practice safety recommendations from the NHS and sourced expert advice from Kate Bennett, a midwife of nine years and course teacher with antenatal education provider, New Life Classes.As a steam steriliser, it’s a spacious model that does its job in just over 10 minutes (seven minutes to sterilise, four minutes cooling time) and in microwave mode – useful if you’re travelling – it takes about the same time, depending on your wattage. It also keeps items bacteria-free for up to 48 hours, twice the usual duration, and stores all your kit out of sight.

We tried electric and microwave and ended up using cold water Milton - it’s so easy just keep adding bottles after washing them and they’re sterile in 15 min."Tried and tested by Mumsnetter CharlieB93 Our verdict The NHS recommends sterilisation for the first 12 months of a baby’s life. It’s important to note that whatever method you choose to use, everything needs to be washed in hot soapy water as soon as possible following feeds, and rinsed in cold running water, prior to sterilisation. What can I use a steriliser for? BabyCenter's editorial team is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world. When creating and updating content, we rely on credible sources: respected health organizations, professional groups of doctors and other experts, and published studies in peer-reviewed journals. We believe you should always know the source of the information you're seeing. Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies. Capacity: Five bottles | Materials: BPA-free plastics and metal electrical components | Included: Sterilisation unit, one Nuby Combat Colic 180ml bottle and a dummy Good for parents who Bottle sterilizers kill bacteria on the surface of baby bottles or other items that you use to feed your baby. Though they do the same job, sterilizers have different capabilities. Here are some things to keep in mind.With midwife and One Born Every Minute star Lara Basini What’s the difference between steam sterilisers, cold water sterilisers, microwave sterilisers and UV sterilisers? I have the Nuby UV one and I love it. I wash the bottles and let them air dry and then put them in there dry for three minutes and it's done! If you're formula feeding Nuby had a sale on their UV steriliser and Rapidcool (can make milk to NHS recommendations and they be cool in 3/4 minutes) bundle." Loved by Mumsnetter Grace185 Our verdict Usually, they’re of a size that isn’t truly portable, however, and you still might find it inconvenient to find the cupboard space or take it with you to a grandparent’s house. Some of the larger models might not fit inside more compact modern microwaves either.

Other parents appreciate that the Baby Brezza has a large capacity, with enough room for six bottles. The orange prongs that hold bottles are well-spaced so you can hang anything on them, including pump parts or sippy cups. You can also nestle larger items in between them, which increases the multifunctionality of this machine. Do you have enough kitchen counter space to keep a sterilising unit out all the time? Would you want to if you did? Electric units usually stay plugged in on the counter – they’re too large to store and too bulky for it to be convenient to move them often. If you’re bottle-feeding full-time, however, and need something reliable that will fit in all of your gear, the Dr Brown’s Electric Steam Steriliser is a good choice. In the hazy days with a new baby, keeping them safe is the number one priority – and also likely to be the biggest source of anxiety for parents. A steriliser can be used to kill bacteria found on lots of different baby feeding equipment like baby bottles, teats and breast pump parts. But which is the best steriliser to make your feeding schedules easier to juggle? After our latest intensive round of testing, we’ve got all the information you’ll need about our favourites. Sterilizing method: Traditional sterilizers use steam to do the job; some plug in and sit on a counter, others go in the microwave. Some countertop sterilizers use UV light instead of steam to sterilize, but neither the AAP and CDC have weighed in on whether UV light works as well as steam to disinfect.After the sterilisation cycle is complete, you can leave the items inside without opening the lid and they’ll remain sterile for a set period of time (often 24 hours, but it varies between products). Or you can take them out and use them once they’re cool. I got the Dr. Brown bottle warmer and sterilizer. I sterilized all the bottles, parts, and nipples once a day until I was done with it at 11 months. The warmer was handy for those late night feeds so you don't have to wait longer for the milk to warm from the fridge."