Boiling and sterilising baby bottles: how do you do it and how often?

Clean baby bottles and teats thoroughly after every feed. Difrax recommends also sterilising them every day during the first six months: boil them for 10 minutes, or use a steam steriliser. After that, you can gradually sterilise less often. This reduces the risk of bacteria in milk residue, especially in the months when your baby's resistance is still developing.

How often should you sterilise baby bottles and teats?

• After every feed: clean bottles and teats thoroughly.
• The first 6 months: also sterilise bottles and teats every day.
• From around 6 months: gradually sterilise less often. Cleaning straight after feeding remains important.
• Always sterilise extra: with new bottles and teats, when your child is ill, or when a bottle or teat has fallen on the floor.

Clean first, then sterilise

Sterilising only works if the bottle is clean first. This is how to clean a baby bottle step by step:

1. Rinse straight after feeding. Rinse the bottle and teat with cold water first, so milk residue doesn't stick.
2. Take everything apart. You can take the Difrax S-bottle completely apart, including the base with the valve.
3. Wash. Use warm water with a mild washing-up liquid for baby products and a bottle brush. Prefer the dishwasher? Put the parts in the top rack.
4. Leave to dry on a clean cloth or drying rack.
5. Check the valve. Squeeze the valve a few times to check that the air hole is open.
6. Store dust-free, for example in a closed kitchen cupboard.

How do you boil baby bottles?

Boiling is the simplest way to sterilise. All you need is a pan.

1. Clean the bottles and teats first and take all parts apart.
2. Bring a large pan of water to the boil.
3. Put the parts in the boiling water. Make sure everything is fully under water.
4. Boil them for 10 minutes.
5. Carefully take everything out and leave it to dry on a clean cloth.

Boiling doesn't require an extra device. You do need to stay nearby, and the hot water can make the material dull more quickly over time.

What other ways of sterilising are there?

Steam sterilising. In a microwave steriliser or an electric steriliser, hot steam cleans bottles and teats in a few minutes. You don't need to stay next to a pan of boiling water, and the steam reaches every corner. You can also steam clean bottles and small parts with the hot mode of the Difrax LOVI bottle warmer.

Cold sterilising. With sterilising tablets in cold water, you can sterilise without electricity. Handy when you're out, but it takes longer and can leave a slight smell.

Not sure which device suits you? Read which steriliser suits baby bottles.

How do you sterilise teats?

You sterilise bottle teats and pacifiers the same way as bottles: wash them first, then boil them for 10 minutes or steam sterilise them. Only want to sterilise teats? Use the steriliser egg in the microwave. Read more about cleaning a pacifier in how to clean a pacifier.

What is the difference between boiling and sterilising?

Boiling is one way of sterilising. When boiling, the parts lie in boiling water for a few minutes. With steam sterilising, hot steam does the work without the parts lying in hot water. This is a little gentler on the material and is often quicker.

Should you sterilise the bottle brush too?

Clean the bottle brush after every use with warm water and washing-up liquid, and let it dry well. Sterilise it regularly too, especially in the first months. Using glass bottles? Read which bottle brush suits a glass baby bottle.