Baby Bottle Sterilizer: User Instructions


If you have a baby who is on the bottle, a baby bottle sterilizer is a great way to ensure that you have decontaminated each piece of each bottle so that baby is safe from any infections that may come with dirty bottles.

A long time ago, sterilization was done by boiling. The bottles were made of glass, but as time progressed, people realized that there was marked danger in using glass especially when babies were older and could feed themselves. If the bottle fell and broke, the baby would likely cut themselves on it.

Plastic bottles came along, and they too were boiled for sterilization for a while. Concerns arose however about the safety of continuously boiling plastic and eventually, the baby bottle sterilizer was born. They are made to plug directly into a power source and they use steam to sterilize. They will usually have racks so that the teats and other small parts of the bottle are on a separate rack from the bottles and the steam can reach all parts.

They usually come in two types, a steam sterilizer and a microwave sterilizer. There are correct ways of using each of them.

Steam Sterilizer

The sterilizing unit will come with instructions. It’s important to read those instructions even if you have read these article as different models are used differently.

  1. Put your sterilizer close to electrical outlet and get the cable out of the way. After that, check the manufacturer’s instructions for just how much water should go into the unit and add it.
  2. You will need a pair of prongs that are specifically used for baby. Do not use them for other tasks around the kitchen as you increase chances of contaminating baby’s bottles. Using the prongs, place the bottles up-side down – most units will take up to 6 bottles at once. On the rack provided for teats (it’s usually a separate one), place all the smaller bottle parts. They should not touch each other.
  3. Replace the lid once everything is in and turn on the baby bottle sterilizer. It will take about 10 minutes to get your bottles safe for the next use. Most modern sterilizers have an automatic cycle and will shut off automatically when the required temperature is reached (2120F). Once it shuts itself off, the unit begins to cool. Most units will not allow you to open until the bottles are completely cool. This is because the hot steam and cold air from outside are likely to present conditions where microbes can breed. Once the bottles are cool, they are ready for use.

Microwave Sterilizer

This kind of sterilizer requires a microwave and you can only use it for microwave safe bottles and teats. Once the necessary amount of water and parts are put in and placed in a microwave, steam is produced at a certain temperature to kill off germs. In many homes, the microwave can be a place full of germs – it’s used all the time to warm food and cook and there are splatters and splashes and food particles all over the inside. If this is the case, before you use it clean it. If it’s too dirty or if it’s used a lot by the rest of the family, consider getting baby their own little cheap one.

  1. The sterilizing unit will come with a tray. Arrange all bottles and teats, rings and caps on the tray. Make sure they do not touch and that steam can reach every part. Many trays will take 4 bottles at once, a bit less than a steam sterilizer.
  2. Check the manual for the recommended amount of water and add it. Put the baby bottle sterilizing unit in the microwave.
  3. Close the microwave door and set the timer as recommended. Most will take about 8 minutes to get the bottles ready for use but this can vary depending on microwave model.
  4. After the timer has gone off, let the bottles cool before taking them out and for the same reason as we outlined above. After a few minutes they will be ready for use.

A baby bottle sterilizer is one way of ensuring that your baby does not ingest any kind of germs that may make them ill. It may be a bit more expensive than the boiling method, but it’s a one off cost that will save you lots, especially if you occasionally have to leave baby with someone else who may not be so keen in boiling bottles.