Sorry if i sound really stupid, but i just can't work out how to store baby equipment once it's sterilised. For example bottles, surely you need to put them together to prevent the air from getting in, or put them in an air tight container, but how do you dry them first with contaminating them. If i put them together wet, the water inside will go stale or mouldy, but drying them just seems to defeat the whole point of sterilising them in the first place.
Any tips, or methods that anyone else uses would be very helpful.
Thanks.

Hi

You could always dry them with kitchen roll as this is cleaner than using a tea towel. I thought the main reason for sterilising was to kill off any germs that the milk my leave behind. As long as you follow good hygeine around that I don't think it matters if the bottles are exposed to the air etc.

You baby will be breathing in germs and fumes everytime you go out so you can't protect them from everything, plus they have to be exposed to germs to build up their immunity. I doubt drying the bottles with a clean dry cloth / towel will do your baby any harm. I think the main empahsis on sterilising is to kill off the milk bacteria.

x

hi jojoakerman,
once i have sterilised the bottles i leave them for about an hour then just put them together, and put them in the cipboard until i need them..i'm not sure what a health visitor would say but....
my friend sterilisers hers then adds all boiled water than puts them in the fridge, and my other friend just sterilisers them then leaves them in the sterliser until she needs them...
I'm not really sure what you are supposed to do.. but that's we what do and our lo's have all been fine. hope this helps. X

hi jojoakerman,
once i have sterilised the bottles i leave them for about an hour then just put them together, and put them in the cipboard until i need them..i'm not sure what a health visitor would say but....
my friend sterilisers hers then adds all boiled water than puts them in the fridge, and my other friend just sterilisers them then leaves them in the sterliser until she needs them...
I'm not really sure what you are supposed to do.. but that's we what do and our lo's have all been fine. hope this helps. X

Hi,

I sterilise the bottles and make up the feeds in them and put them in the fridge until I need them (no longer than 12 hours worth at a time). I know they generally frown upon this and say to make them up as and when you need them but I think as long as you keep everything clean and make sure the bottles are refrigerated then it should be ok.
Other option is to get some powder dispensers to use so the formula isn't mixed with the water until you need it.

Hi,ive read that the bottles can stay in the sterliser for 3hrs but no longer than that or they need to be done again!i just add the pre boiled water to my bottles and add the powder when i need it,i give my little boy his bottles at room temp so i just leave the bottles out on the side,so long as they are not left longer than 24hrs this is fine,or you could put them in the fridge.....you will find a way that works best for you!

the water thats left inside the bottles after you've sterilised them is sterile water, cooled boiled water the same as you'd make a feed up with. it won't go mouldy or bad. it's fine just to put the bottles together and keep them till u need them. like a few others have said, every morning i sterilise the bottles then put the boiling water in them. i then leave them on the bench and the water cools. i then just add powder to bottles as i use them. xx

Thanks for all your replies. Sounds like im just being a bit over protective. I actually breast-feed my daughter, so use the bottles when i express. I've started drying them with kitchen towel for the past week, so feel much better about doing that now. xx

Hi, I just leave my bottles in the steriliser until i need them...if they have been in there for more than 3 hours i will sterilise them again. I dont even bother drying them as i leave them in the steriliser....some days i will get 3 or 4 bottles out, add the boiling water then leave them on the side till i need them. I dont worry too much as i could see myself getting very paranoid about whether its clean enough or not!!!

i sterilise then make up the bottles and leave in fridge until i need them and then reheat them!
I tried adding the powder when i needed a bottle but i find the powder doesn't mix as well as when the water is warm/fresh!
I don't see the problem with making them in advance myself! why do they say you shouldn't do this? does anyone know???