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The best sterilisers for baby bottles and feeding gear

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If you decide to bottle feed full-time with either formula or expressed milk, an efficient steriliser is a must.

Your baby will need around six clean bottles a day, so make sure you choose a larger model that can sterilise that amount in one go, or a super-fast microwave version that will only take a couple of minutes to work.

Larger sterilisers are also roomy enough to fit in breast pumps and the odd dummy, too.

How much does a steriliser cost?

The cheapest way to sterilise is the cold water method, with a sterilising tank costing around £15, and additional sterilising tablets around £2.50 for a month’s supply.

Microwave sterilisers generally ring in at around £20 to £30.

Electric sterilisers cost from around £45 up to £100, depending on the brand, features and what’s included: some come with a complete feeding kit, with bottles, teats and breast pump.

UV sterilisers can cost over £100 and do not need any special extras chemicals.

What are the different types?

Cold water sterilisers are simple tanks that you fill with a measured amount of water and sterilising tablets. You immerse your baby’s bottles in the water for around 30 minutes, and then rinse them in cooled boiled water. This is a cheap way of sterilising and is safe as it doesn’t involve electricity, hot water or steam but it’s time-consuming and you need to change the sterilising fluid every 24 hours.

Microwave sterilisers use the heat of the microwave to kill off bacteria. You add a small amount of water and your equipment, and the microwave generates steam to sterilise the kit in about four minutes. This is one of the cheapest and quickest ways to sterilise, but microwave sterilisers generally don’t hold as many bottles as electric sterilisers, so you may need to use it more often. You also need to check that it will fit inside your microwave.

Electric sterilisers plug into the mains, and use electricity to heat a small amount of water in the unit. This generates steam, which sterilises your feeding equipment. Electric sterilisers are usually fairly quick to use, with a cycle taking about six minutes, and the contents stay sterile for several hours as long as the lid is kept shut. They also have a larger capacity – typically six bottles – so you may be able to sterilise all the bottles you need for the day in one go. However, they are the most expensive type of steriliser, and they can also be rather bulky, which is an issue if you don’t have much space. You’ll also need to descale it regularly to prevent damage caused by limescale build-up. Features to look for in an electric steriliser include an audible beep or buzzer to let you know when the cycle has finished, automatic power shut-off, and a selection of baskets inside to keep your feeding equipment organised. Some also have a stacking feature so you can change the size of the steriliser depending on what you’re sterilising.

UV sterilisers are the latest on the market. They plug into a socket and then use UV light to kill bacteria and viruses. They can be used for all your feeding gear but also for anything else you want to sterilise, from phones to toys.

Need to know

Some method of sterilising is essential if you’re bottle feeding, but you’re also likely to need it if you’re breastfeeding. Anything that comes into contact with breast or formula milk needs to be sterilised, including breast pumps, nipple shields and breast shells. You should sterilise all milk feeding equipment until your baby is a year old, although other weaning equipment, cups and tableware don’t need to be sterilised once he’s over six months. If you only need to sterilise occasionally, you can buy disposable steriliser bags, which are used in the microwave; these are also good for travel.

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