How to clean & sterilise your baby bottles properly

No matter whether you’re expressing breast milk into bottles or formula feeding, it is very important to clean and sterilise your baby bottles properly.

You are protecting your baby from harmful bacteria and germs by making sure your bottles are always spotless and sparkling. No matter whether you use glass, plastic or silicone bottles, follow this simple 3 step process for effective sterilising.

1. Clean before sterilising
2. Properly sterilise using the Milton method
3. Clean surrounding areas after Sterilising

Step 1 – Clean before sterilising

Before sterilising your baby bottles, the first important step is to clean them first -cleaning is not the same as sterilising. You must give a thorough wash to all the baby bottle parts so every trace of milk or food is removed.

After feeds, it is important to wash the bottle as soon as possible in hot water with the Milton Baby Bottle Cleaner. Disassemble the bottle, lids, teats and suction rings and use a special bottle brush to reach inside the nooks and crannies.

Take special care to clean the bottle rings where milk residue can easily be trapped and breed bacteria. Wash the teats inside and out and squeeze the water through the teat hole for a deeper clean.

Once washed, rinse all the parts well under running water and leave them to air dry on a clean cloth or towel.

Step 2 – Properly sterilise

There are 5 different ways you can sterilise your baby bottles; for a step-by-step guide through the different methods, read our article here.

At Milton, we believe the best way to properly sterilise your baby bottles is by using the Milton Method. This is because you don’t need to use heat or hot water, it’s clinically proven to kill 99.9% of germs and the solution works for 24 hours so you can reuse it multiple times.

The Milton Method (cold water sterilising)

1. Fill your sterilising unit with 4 litres of tap water.
2. Add 30ml of Milton Anti-Bacterial Solution or a Milton Anti-Bacterial Tablets and wait to dissolve. Follow the instructions on the fluid and tablet packaging carefully.
3. Fully submerge your baby bottle parts to remove any air bubbles.
4. Close the lid, press down on the vent and leave for 15 minutes.
5. After 15 minutes, items are ready to use.
6. Renew the solution every 24 hours.

It’s important to remember to sterilise your baby bottles after every use. The NHS recommends sterilising your baby bottles until your child is at least 12 months old to protect them against infections.

Step 3 – Clean after sterilising

Make sure you wash and dry your hands and wipe down the surface with an Antibacterial Surface Spray before you start to handle the baby bottle after sterilising to stop any cross contamination. Reassemble the bottles straight away and you’re ready to start feeding again.

The solution is effective for 24 hours, so your baby bottles can remain sterile for this time in the solution or stored in a clean, closed container before you use them again.

We are experts in sterilising and aim to share our knowledge with parents-to-be or new parents, whether you’re breastfeeding or formula feeding. By following the above steps, you can make sure your baby bottles are properly clean and sterilised every time.

Shop the Milton range at Woolworths, Coles, Chemist Warehouse, BIG W, Baby Bunting, IGA and other major supermarkets.