A quick question to al the Mum's out there?

Question

When a bottle is sterilised, how long can it be kept before it will have to be sterilised again before use?

Answer 1

If the bottle is cleaned, sterilised and then the caps replaced tightly including the little disk bit that seals it airtight, then I don't see why it wouldn't be good for at least a few days.
I don't know why someone said only 3 hours? Maybe I'm missing something but 3 hours seems a bit silly. You would have to re-sterilise everything all day long or only use one bottle and continously sterilise it.

Answer 2

Advise has recently changed and you're supposed to make up each bottle fresh and keep for no more than an hour. How long a bottle stays sterilised for depends on your sterilisation methods. One of my sterilser keeps them for 6 hours but only if not opened! The other had a cycle that works for 24hours.

Like most though - this seems ridiculous. I sterilise, fill with water and refigirate for no more than 24 hours.

Answer 3

3 - 4 hours as long as the bottles are kept in a closed steriliser, from what i can remember

Answer 4

We would sterilise 6 bottles & leave them in the steriliser until they were used.But our daughter would go through about 8 bottles a day so they would be used within a day.
We threw it away when she was about 12 months & have since washed the bottles with hot water & washing up liquid, its been 2 months since we started this & no problems at all.
Advice is generally to sterilise until 12 months.

Answer 5

It says in my booklet that came with my steriliser that if they have been sterilised they are ok to keep for three hours in the closed steriliser as long as it hasnt been opened during those three hours otherwise they need sterilising again.

Answer 6

it depends on the method of sterilisation, if it is a steam steriliser than usually as long as it is left closed 12hrs, if it is a cold water steriliser than the bottles can be left for 24hrs in the fluid. if the bottle has been made up and properly sealed than 24hrs if keep refrigerated . Best thing to do is check with the manufacturer.

Answer 7

I can only tell you how we did it,maybe things have changed I don't know.We used liquid sterilisation method dissolving tablets.My husband used to make up 6 bottles first thing in the morning,put them in the coldest part of the fridge (the bottom door rack),I would use them throughout the day.

Answer 8

Im a Mum of 2 and I used to use 6 bottles up before I sterilised them all at once, I often took 2 days to use up the 6th bottle and the health visitor told me that it was fine as long as the lid was kept on the bottle. I would have to agree with Cindy V.

Answer 9

Once you have sterilised the bottles, if you keep the lid on, the bottles will remain sterile for 3 hours.

EDIT - I'm not sure why people are saying they keep sterile for days - this is not true - I asked my health visitor. I have an Avent steriliser and it says in the instructions manual that they will keep sterile for 3 hours with the steriliser lid on. If you are not using a steriliser but sterilising solution then this is different - maybe you could specify in your question.

Answer 10

I'm with Nadine. My family works in the medical field and that is how I was told to do it, also by our local health department. They also recommanded drying the bottles in a clean enviroment with constant air circulation so that you would decrease chances of food poisioning which is chancey in a humid southern climate. It was also explained to me by the pediatrician that you did not want to keep the bottles too clean ( sterilizing them all every three hours) because that would weaken their immune system by NOT exposing them to ordinary enviromental elements. Just to be on the safe side though I would speak with the baby's docter and see what they recommend themselves. Regions, the cleanliness of your home, etc. are important factors in deciding this and they would have the most up to date info for your area.