Baby Feeding Bottle

How to Sterilize Baby Bottles in Microwave: The Safety Tips

How to sterilize baby feeding bottles in the microwave

A baby is extremely vulnerable and can be infected easily by the things in its environment. The surroundings can play an important role in your baby’s health. Therefore, it is vital that all the things that your baby has access to remain safe for its use.

Babies usually have the habit of putting everything they get into their mouths. Feeding bottles are one of the things that are always used by your baby. Germs and other microorganisms find their way into your baby’s body through their mouth. A mere washing with water and soap is not enough to make the bottle safe for your baby’s use. Sterilization is very important to make sure that your baby is using a germ-free bottle.

The process of making the baby products such as EA-free bottles, teats, pacifiers, and teething toys or ring safe for use by heating them in boiling water or a microwave is sterilization. Using a sterilizing machine, microwave, hot water, boiling, or steaming are equally effective methods to sterilize whatever your baby uses.

Things to remember when you sterilize your baby’s products in a microwave.

  1. You must remove all the different attachments such as the nipple, the screw cap, and so on, and keep them separately in a bowl.
  2. Wash every component separately using detergent and warm water.
  3. Ensure that there are no remnants of milk or any other food product in the nipple or the bottle. If there is any, remove using a bottle brush and wash again.
  4. Make sure the bottle, the hole of the nipple, the grooves of the cap, and any other attachment havebeen cleaned thoroughly.

While using a microwave, ensure that you are using a BPA and EA-free bottle, because heat can cause the leaching of harmful chemicals and affect your baby’s health. Brand new baby bottles have to be sterilized even before the first use. Using a microwave is relatively easy. Wash the bottle and fill it halfway with water and place it upright in the microwave. Otherwise, fill water to half the capacity of a microwave-safe bowl, place all the parts including the bottle and other paraphernalia in the bowl, and place it inside the microwave.

Is it bad to sterilize baby bottles in the microwave?

No, contrary to some myths, it is safe to sterilize baby bottles in a microwave. However, you must be careful about the cleanliness of the microwave.

Microwaves that are used for all the needs of the house, such as cooking regular food, heating, or reheating everyday meals, can seldom be completely clean. Therefore, it is imperative that the microwave is cleaned first and safe to use for baby products.

Remember that sterilized bottles cannot be stored away in a dirty or dusty space. You can use tongs to remove the sterilized products from the microwave if you do not have oven mitts. However, using bare hands to remove recently steamed products is a very bad idea, and could lead to serious injury. When the items have been removed from the microwave, they can be stored away in airtight containers to make sure that they are safe for use at a later time.

Another precaution that should be taken is that the microwave should not contain anything that is not safe for use in the same. Metallic containers are a big no, so the bowl that you are using to sterilize the products should be microwave safe and not made of metal.

Following the instructions given with your baby product would prove useful. Normally, most companies have specified times and temperatures if you want to sterilize using the microwave. The life of the products depends on how well you follow these. It is best to adhere to the instructions to avoid any mishaps in the kitchen and to make sure that your baby is using a properly sterilized product.

It is also important to fill half the bottle with water before placing it in the microwave. Otherwise, you could end up melting the bottle. This would definitely prove to be a bad option. It is also important to use enough water in the bowl in which all the attachments are placed. Again, if this is not done, there could be disfigurement caused by melting. It could also lead to the sterilizing process being incomplete.

How long does it take to sterilize bottles in a microwave?

Sterilization in a microwave is a quick and easy method of keeping things clean. Your baby’s feeding bottle requires only one or two minutes, on a high setting.

The microwave uses steam power to sterilize the product. You can use a clean utensil to place all the products or buy a microwave baby bottle sterilizer. Start with a clean microwave, clean utensils that have been washed with soap and water, and microwave on high for one to two minutes.

The water in the bowl or bottle will heat up, and this steam is used to sterilize the bottle and its attachments. Though most companies recommend one to two minutes, this depends on the products, your microwave, and the type of sterilizer you are using. It could also depend on the number of products that you are sterilizing.

Another important thing to remember is that you must allow the products to cool enough before removing them from the microwave, as steam is hotter than boiling water and can result in burns. Use oven mitts to remove the utensils from the microwave to make sure that you do not get burnt or hurt yourself.

How often do you sterilize baby bottles?

Baby bottles have to be sterilized daily or at least once a week to make sure that they do not carry any disease-causing germs such as bacteria or viruses growing in them.  As your baby grows older, it is not necessary to sanitize the bottles every day, but you cannot skip this step completely. Sterilizing once a week should be enough to keep bacteria away.

As a new parent, you could be over-protective about your baby, and be too careful about cleanliness. You might end up sterilizing the products too often, maybe multiple times in a day. This is not necessary. Instead of sterilizing baby bottles after every use, you can wash them with warm soapy water. Alternatively, you could use a dishwasher to clean the feeding bottles, but you need to ensure that the dishwasher is clean.

It is recommended that you use separate baby bottles to feed your baby when it is ill so that the disease-causing germs are restricted to those products, and others are safe from exposure to the same bacteria or viruses. These bottles should be sterilized regularly so that the baby is not exposed to the same germs during consecutive feedings.

Do you have to wash bottles before putting them in a sterilizer?

Yes, the bottles, teats, and caps should be washed carefully to remove remnants of food products and milk from the bottle and teats. Sterilization alone is not enough. In order to remove all the impurities that could be stuck in the bottle, it is important that the products be washed thoroughly.

Washing is important because it prevents any build-up from residual food. It also helps you to check for cracks in the bottle or teat. Washing helps to remove any milk or formula that is left in the bottle, or at the tip of the teat or nipple.

In order to make sure that your bottle is thoroughly cleaned, use hot, soapy water. Use a clean bottle brush to clean the insides of the bottle. While doing this, check for any cracks, as these can be harmful to your baby. If the nipple is cracked or torn, dispose of it. Pay careful attention to the grooves at the bottom of the bottle, and where the cap is screwed on. Any residue in the grooves becomes a fertile breeding ground for bacteria.

Once you have washed the bottle with soapy water, fill it with a little warm water and squirt this water through the teat to make sure that the teat-hole is clean. Rinse everything thoroughly.

Wash your hands again and dry them on a clean towel or a disposable tissue, so that no bacteria is transferred from your hands or the towel to the washed products.

It is always wise to use anti-bacterial gloves while washing, as the chances of bacteria spread are less. Since warm to hot water is used to wash the utensils, gloves will also prevent sensitive skin from getting burnt or prevent injuries.

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