Baby Hygiene: Tips on Cleaning your Baby’s Bottles

Every parent wants to keep their little ones safe and healthy. Whether you’re new to parenthood or not, sanitizing is important to maintaining the development and health of your baby. If you are an experienced parent, you might have picked up some bad habits along the way. If you are new to all this, getting used to good habits at the early stages of parenting will help your baby stay healthy. 

Hygiene plays a vital part to help improve your child’s well-being and overall health. Along with basic cleaning, there are many other things that you might not have realized can be harmful to your baby. Health experts emphasize that it is vital that parents get baby hygiene education. Baby clinics and health centers often hold classes and seminars to help educate parents, but during the pandemic, most of these classes have been canceled. Lots of parents have turned to the internet to help them learn more about baby hygiene. If you have any further queries regarding baby hygiene, make sure you speak with a pediatrician or another fully trained expert. 

Because bacteria tend to grow very quickly in milk, making sure your baby’s bottles are clean will help protect your child from infections and germs. Here are a few tips to help your child stay healthy and avoid infections and other issues. 

What can happen if you don’t Sterilize Baby’s Bottle?

Bottles that are not sterilized pose a risk to your baby. Here are a few of the dangers if the bottle or accessories are not sterilized properly:

• Gastroenteritis: Dirty baby bottles can easily cause gastroenteritis. This is an infection found in the intestines that can cause cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea. If a person suffering from gastroenteritis comes into contact, coughs, or sneezes on your baby’s bottle or any of the accessories, they can easily catch the infection. There is no treatment for viral gastroenteritis and the infection can lead to death as babies tend to have weak immune systems. Sanitizing your child’s bottles can help reduce the risk of becoming infected.
• It is common to find bacteria growing in your baby’s bottle. Unsterilized baby bottles are one of the most common reasons why baby’s suffer from food poisoning. Cleaning or preparing your baby’s bottles with dirty hands or if the kitchen area is not sanitized, increases the likelihood of food-borne illnesses. Bacteria grows quickly in both breast milk and formula. Experts recommend that formula has to be consumed at least one hour after you make it. If it is sitting around your home for hours, expect a lot of bacteria to grow. Rinsing it with water without properly sterilizing it can lead to your baby getting sick.
• Germs: Experts claim that if a baby’s bottle isn’t sterilized correctly, it can be contaminated with rotavirus or hepatitis A. Germs like these can live on surfaces for a long period, even weeks. These are very harmful germs that can cause problems with your baby’s liver, and also cause dehydration and diarrhea. 

If you think your baby might be ill because of unsterilized bottles, make sure you speak to your pediatrician for advice. 

Should I purchase a Sterilizer

If you are expressing breast milk or using a formula, it is important that your baby’s bottles and all the other accessories included are safe and clean. Sterilizing is a vital part of protecting your child against infection and germs. Sterilizing units are readily available and due to strong competition, you will be able to purchase a unit that fits your budget. 

Unfortunately, bacteria grows fast in milk. That’s why experts recommend that we not only sterilize our baby’s bottles, but also teats, breast pump equipment, dummies, knives, spoons, forks, and all the other feeding accessories that we use. Even your baby’s toothbrush can be placed in the sterilizer. 

Before you use the sterilizer unit, wash with special soap for baby bottles. 

What are the Different types of Sterilising Units on the Market?

There are three different types of sterilizing units on the market:

1. Electric: Electric steam sterilizers don’t need any chemicals or rising. The unit manages to kill the bacteria by using heat from steam. All you need to do is plug it in, press the button, and wait for about 10 minutes. Most models keep the bottles and the other accessories inside the unit sterilized for around 24 hours. This is the most popular sterilizing unit on the market. 
2. Microwave: Similar to the electric unit, microwave sterilizers do not need chemicals nor rising. They also fight against bacteria by using heat from steam. If the items remain in the container, they should stay sterile for 24 hours, depending on the model. Depending on the wattage of your microwave, depends on how long it will take for the baby’s equipment to be sterilized. The process shouldn’t take longer than 7 minutes. 
3. Cold Water: To use the cold water method to sterilize a baby’s bottle and accessories, sterilizing tablets are needed. You’ll also need a plastic container with a cover. The baby’s items are soaked in cold water with the sterilizing tablet for around 15 minutes and placed into the container still submerged in the solution with the lid firmly placed on the top. Items inside the container should remain sterilized for 24 hours. 

Some sterilizing units can hold up to eight bottles at a time. Some baby’s bottles have a wide neck, so check the measurements before you buy, just in case they don’t fit.

What Sterilizer unit should I Purchase?

When trying to figure out what type of sterilizer unit you would like to purchase, keep an eye out for these helpful features and functions:

• Do they come with a pair of tongs and a bottle brush?: Tongs are helpful so you don’t have to pick up the bottle with your hands, and a bottle brush will help you clean in small areas of the nipple that are hard to get at with a normal brush. 
• Extra bottles: Some units include spare bottles when you buy one.
• Does it have an alarm: Most electric sterilizers have a built-in alarm to notify you when the process is complete. 
• Accessory tray: Many units have different levels. Some are specifically for bottles, others for nipples, and you’ll often find a tray to place other accessories. 
• A hot signal: Most electric sterilizers have an LED display screen. They show users how many minutes are left before the sterilization is complete and if the unit is on or off. If the machine has just recently been used, it should show a signal displaying the letter “H” which warns you that the device is hot. 

There are advantages and disadvantages to each of the sterilizing methods. Research what method is best for you online before you purchase a unit.

Summary

For new parents, all this information might feel a bit overwhelming. It really isn’t that difficult, eventually sterilizing your baby’s bottle and other equipment will become second nature. 

Remember to keep your baby’s hands clean also. They are known to touch the nipple with their hands, and of course, they frequently put their hands in their mouth. To help your child avoid germs and infection, make sure you wash their hands frequently with soap and dry them with a clean towel.