Sterilizing Bottles - Eastlake, OH

I used the microwavable bags by Medela or Munchkin, it is quick and easy!!! You can travel with them and if need be sterilize a bottle at a gas station!!!

You don't even need a dishwasher to sterilize bottles. Just put them in a pot of boiling water for 5 minutes and it's done. This only needs to be done one time. There is no need to sterlize each and every time. You can put the bottles in the dishwasher for washing even with the jet dry in it. I don't know about the things in the stores for sterilization, but I know the boiling water for 5 minutes is good, and it sterilizes the bottles, nipples, and nipple rings.

D.

I am 31 and have been married for 12 yrs. My husband and I have 3 boys ages 10,7, and 4.

I used a sterilizing contraption made by AVENT. You fill the bottom of it with hot water and it goes in the microwave for a set amount of time. It was easy to use and easy to clean up and store. Good luck finding what works best for you!

Well, as everyone else has mentioned (gfor the most part) you don't need to sterilze the bottles aside from boiling them for 5 minutes before the first use. After that hot soapy water works just fine. One thing you might want to ask you Ped is whether or not to boil the water before using. My girls were born at 33 1/2 weeks and we were told to boil the tap water for one minute before making the formula. One minte gets the impurities out of the water, but boiling it for longer than that removes minerals that are good. You should never use distilled water (even for yourself as it strips minerals from your body). We were told to boil the water up until they were 6 months old. Also, we were advised against using bottle water as it is not regulated too well. You never really know what is it and it might be the same or worse than tap water.

Hope this helps, but I was ask your Doc what they recommend. A quick phone call to be sure is always worth it.

Wow - 8 weeks old! I'm sure he's probably already hit his "growth spurt" kids have at 6-8 weeks...and he would be eating you out of house and home!! :)

You can use the dishwasher, just make sure to use the "heat dry" cycle. It's the high temp of the heat to dry things that sterilizes them. We have 2 daughters (5 and 2) and that worked fine.

If I washed them in the sink, I would also put just a little capful of bleach in with the soap too (restaurants do that to sanitize the things they hand-wash).

I never sterilized bottles beyond washing them in the dishwasher. When we were traveling, and I didn't have a dishwasher I hand washed in very hot water. With 3 kids, I never had any problems.

I did boil the water for the formula for my first 2, but didn't even do that for my 3rd. For the 3rd I used filtered water.

Oh, about the JetDry, we used it in the dishwasher too. And again, I never had trouble.
M.

I've heard from a couple of different doctors (and I believe a nurse on here once said it, too) that sterilizing bottles and such doesn't do any more good than just good old washing them in very warm soapy water.

I loved the Medela Microwave Sterilization bags. They come in packs of 5 and you can use each bag up to 20 times. They look like giant freezer plastic baggies. I used them to sterilize bottles, nipples, breast pump equipment, pacifiers and milk storage bottles. I think they are great. I have only seen them at Babies R Us. They are also very user friendly. You fill them up with nipples or whatever, put 2 ounces of water in the bag, seal it and then put it in the microwave for 3 minutes. When it is done, you just let the nipples or whatever air dry.

Hi Lori,

I use sterilization bags. You can buy them at Babies r us (that is where I got mine), but I am sure they are available at Wal-Mart also. They are super easy! It is a bag that you put 2 oz of water into, then put in the bottles (or whatever you want to sterilize) and pop it into the microwave for 2 minuites. Thats it! They work great and are sooooo easy to use. Each bag can be used 20 times. They are so worth the money (I remember they weren't expensive at all....maybe $5 for 4 bags). I highly recommend them. Congrats on your baby!

Hello,

we absolutely loved AVENT's bottle sterilizer that you use in the microwave. It's quick and the bottles will stay sterilized 3 hours until you have a chance(LOL) to open the lid. Trust me, I'm a working mom also. All the best to you...

I use a microwave sterilizer bought at Target - it works great! You just add 7ozs of water and pop it in the microwave for 5 minutes, let it sit a couple of minutes to cool off and you are good to go - it's very easy! Good luck!

Those "contraptions" are very much worth it. Easy to use and eases the mind. I highly recommend them, although I can't remember the brand that I had when my son was a baby. It had a white top and blue bottom.

You don't need to sterilize bottles. Hot soapy water works just as good (studies were actually done for this!) and the dishwasher does a great job. No need to waste time and money on a fancy special sterilizer.

I used glass bottle and a sterilizer with my children. My son just did the same with his twins. I agree with the others it is faster and you stand less of a change at getting scalded. But my advice would be not to use the dishwasher. The chemicals we use to clean our dishes in the dishwasher are harmful. Unless you are using something that is not. I would steer clear for the baby. Also, your dishwashing liquid can be as well especially the ones with bleach.

Lori,
Please do not use Jet Dry at all. So many of our common house hold cleaners contain chemicals that are terrible for our families and pets. Jet Dry contains Sulfamic Acid which is not something we want near our children.
I educated people, especially moms, about the dangers in the home. I was shocked as a new mom to find out that their are over 60 hazardous chemicals in everything from toothpaste to laundry detergent. Since my son was born almost two years ago I have been very passionate about sharing this information. I have much more if you are interested I would love to help. My e-mail is ____@____.com for the sterilizer contraptions, my personal opinion is that they are a waste of money. After I washed my bottles with safe dish soap I would pour boiling water in them and let them soak. Make sure you are using safe plastic or glass bottles.
I am not trying to scare anyone, I just know how we all want to protect our little ones.
Hope this helps and welcome to Mamasource

I throw in about 1/3 cup of vinegar in the final wash to get of white residue soap stains. I don't use Jet Dry. I read about this in Frugal Living column in the About.com website.

I don't have babies, so I can not tell you about putting bottles in the dishwasher. But, I have heard about it being done. Hope more people will answer your request.

I am a nurse in a hospital NICU, so preemies are right up by alley. You do NOT have to sterilize your bottles. Ask your Ped if you want to know for sure. Those fancy things won't hurt anything, and the companies would love you to buy them, but sterilizing is a throwback to the old days when you had to use cloth diapers, and holding baby would spoil it. Also I read a post that stated she used filtered water. Again, we advise our parents to use tap water if it is city water so the baby gets the flouride for the teeth. Iknow there is controversy about this, but again, ask your Ped if in doubt. If you use bottled water, it has to say Nursery water, for the fluoride for the teeth.
Enjoy your precious little one. Before you know it, he will be running around. And remember, treat him like any other baby. Dont' baby him just because he was born a preemie.
R.

I wouldn't put them in the dishwasher with all the news on BPA leaching into the bottles. After the initial sterilization(in boiling water) I just washed them with hot soapy water. They do sell sterilizing kit for the microwave too. You just put everything in a bag and into the microwave.

I LOVE the Medela sterilizing bags as well as my ADVENT Microwave Sterilizer. I use them both daily, sometimes more. (My son is 7.5 months) So easy and convenient - worth every penny!! Just make sure your bottles are BPA-free.

Enjoy your little one - they grow up fast!