Cleaning your baby’s equipment

Any equipment that comes into contact with breastmilk or formula should be disinfected until your baby is at least 12 months of age. This helps to stop your baby from getting sick from germs.

You will need:

• A bottle brush
• Items to sterilise the equipment
• For boiling: a large saucepan
• For steaming: an electric or microwave steam sterilising unit
• For chemicals: use a large plastic or glass container

Process:

Hands should always be washed thoroughly with soap and water before cleaning and sterilising feeding and preparation equipment:

• Rinse the bottles, teats caps and other feeding equipment with cold water from the tap as soon as possible after feeding
• Clean the bottles, teats, caps and any other feeding equipment in hot soapy water using a clean bottle brush to remove milk curd and to reach all parts of the bottle.
• Use a bottle brush to clean all the bits of milk off the inside of the bottle
• Pay special attention to any ridges or uneven surfaces
• Turn the teat inside out to clean off bits of milk, and squirt water through the holes
• Rinse well in clean running cold water before sterilising

Disinfecting equipment

Using boiling water

• Fill a large saucepan with cold water
• Place bottles, teats and other feeding equipment into the saucepan ensuring all equipment is covered and place a lid over the saucepan
• Bring the water to a rapid boil and boil for five minutes.
• Let the water cool down before taking equipment out of the saucepan
• The use of tongs can help prevent burns
• Shake off excess water, put the lids on the bottles, and store everything in a clean, dry place
• Alternately, you can use your dishwasher to disinfect equipment

Using a Steam Steriliser

• Follow the product instructions carefully
• Glass bottles or metals (such as knives) must not be put in a microwave steriliser. Metal knives can be sterilised by boiling (see above)
• Once you are finished, clean out the unit as per the instructions
• Put the lids on the bottles, and store everything in a clean, dry place

Using chemicals

An anti-bacterial solution is mixed with cold water and bottles, teats and dummies are placed in the solution. This method takes a minimum of one hour.

Precautions:

• Follow the instructions on the product
• Make up the solution in a large glass or plastic container
• Don’t put metal (e.g. knives) into chemicals to sterilise. Metal knives can be sterilised by boiling (see above)
• Ensure all equipment is covered completely by the solution with no air bubbles
• Generally equipment needs to be in the solution for a minimum of 15 minutes (or as per the manufacturer’s instructions)
• Change the solution every 24 hours (or as per manufacturers instructions)
• Wash out the container with soapy, hot water and rinse it well before making up the new solution