Sterilising your feeding equipment

How to clean your feeding equipment before Sterilising

1. Wash your hands well with soap and water.
2. Clean the work surfaces with hot, soapy water.
3. Check that the bottle and teat are not damaged. Then clean the bottle and teat in hot, soapy water using a clean bottle brush. A dishwasher will clean the bottle-feeding equipment, but it won’t sterilise it.
4. Rinse all your equipment in clean, cold running water before sterilising.

1. Steam (electric or microwave)

It is important that you closely follow the manufacturer’s instructions and guidance, as there are many models and pieces of equipment available to choose from.

2. Cold water Sterilising solution

It is important that you closely follow the manufacturer’s instructions and guidance.

1.     Make sure there is no air trapped in the bottles or teats when putting them into the Sterilising solution.

2.     Leave the equipment in the Sterilising solution for at least 30 minutes.

3.     Keep the equipment under the Sterilisingsolution with a floating cover.

4.     Change the Sterilising solution every 24 hours.

3. Boiling

1.     Make sure that the feeding equipment you plan to sterilise is safe to boil.

2.     Boil the equipment in water for at least 10 minutes, making sure that all the equipment stays under the surface of the water. You may need to use a small plate to keep the bottles under the water. Never leave hot pans and liquids unattended.

Teats tend to get damaged faster with this Sterilising method. Check them thoroughly for damage after boiling them before using them to feed your baby

For more information about Sterilising your feeding equipment, please visit:

www.unicef.org.uk/babyfriendly/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/10/Bottle-feeding-leaflet.pdf