Sterilizing

alemke09

How is everyone sterilizing bottles, nipples, etc.? I am using a microwave sterilizer but water still remains in the bottles. It is taking forever for them to air dry and I feel like that just defeats the purpose of sterilizing. What am I missing?

ASmallWonder

My answer to that is that we don't sterilize except for first use.  The minute you take it from the water or sterilizer bag, it immediately become unsterile.  We boil before first use and then only if there's been an illness.

afrochick09

Like PP, we sterilized with first time use. I've only done otherwise if it had been awhile since I was able to wash the item and wanted to make sure any extra germs were dead. 

MeenaJo

Same as PPs. I wash with hot water and soap after each use and our water is very hot but I don't boil or sterilize unless I feel like they need it.

pb&jojo

Good to know! I have been sterilizing after every use.....it's so annoying.and yes, the bottles never seem to totally dry even though I use a drying rack.

somerandomlady

Sterilizing is only needed if your drinking water is unsafe. Or if your LO has an illness and your pedi recommends it; I think you sterilize while treating thrush, for example.

momintraining2013

I sterilized everything when I took them out of the package and now just use hot water and soap for cleaning.

JCWhitey

We don't clean with soap at all (just hot water) so I usually steralize once every couple of days. 

XoXBabydollXoX

I sterilize EVERYTHING before first use then after that I sterilize (using microwave sterilizer bags from muchkin) just the nipples themselves and pacifiers...and only at the end of the day.

BC&LM

We boil our bottles, pacifiers, etc. about once a week. This is what was recommended on the packaging for these items. In between sterilizations, we just wash them in the dishwasher. I'm a little surprised that not that many people sterilize after first use. I thought it was the norm.

ASmallWonder

BC&LM said:

We boil our bottles, pacifiers, etc. about once a week. This is what was recommended on the packaging for these items. In between sterilizations, we just wash them in the dishwasher. I'm a little surprised that not that many people sterilize after first use. I thought it was the norm.

Our pedi with DS1 was pretty "meh" about it.  She said that unless someone has been sick, all the germs in your house are everywhere in your house so ok you sterlize, take it out of the water, the air hits it, it's no longer sterile and is covered in whatever is in your house, just like before.  I mean, if I dropped something of his on the floor of a public place then yes, I would sterilize. But a regular bottle?  What the hell is going on in his mouth so bad that I need to sterilize? :-p