HELLO! spoke to mother-of-three and Milton International Brand Manager and Sterilising Advisor, Christine Dugedre, who highlighted the importance of sterilising and gave her top tips.

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Sterilising is a special way of cleaning your baby’s feeding equipment including bottles, teats and breast pumps to ensure they are completely free from harmful germs that can make your baby ill.

There are 2 ways to sterilise:

The 'Milton Method' of cold water sterilising is so easy to use! You just use cold tap water and either a cap of Milton Sterilising Fluid or one Milton Sterilising tablet, inside a Milton Cold Water Steriliser – it really is that simple!

Any equipment that will come into contact with baby's mouth should be sterilised. This includes feeding equipment, soothers, spoons, teethers and toys. You should certainly sterilise for the first year of a child's life while their immune system is developing.

After this, you should continue to sterilise bottles and teats for as long as baby is using them.

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The easiest way is to wash thoroughly in Milton washing up liquid and water, using the brush provided. Rinse thoroughly. To clean bottle teats, use the same method above, making sure there are no milk remnants in the opening.

Bottles should be filled immediately once removed from the steriliser.

Baby bottles and teats should be sterilised until a baby is 12 months old

Electric steam sterilisers require no chemicals or rinsing and simply plug in at the wall. They kill bacteria using the heat from steam. Sterilising takes six minutes to 15 minutes. Depending on the model you have, items can remain sterile for up to 24 hours with the lid closed.

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Can I boil steam bottles? What are the pros and cons of boiling?

Yes but when using this method, care must be taken to ensure safety and prevent scalds or burns. Hot pans and liquids should not be left unattended, especially if children are present.

Boil the feeding equipment in water for at least 10 minutes, ensuring that all items stay under the water’s surface. Remember that teats get damaged faster using this method. Regularly check that teats and bottles are not torn, cracked or damaged.

If the bottles are not being used immediately, they should put together fully with the teat and lid in place to prevent the inside of the sterilised bottle becoming contaminated.

Teethers, toys and breast pumps should also be sterilised

How often do you have to sterilise the steriliser?

You don't need to sterilise a steriliser. However, it is recommended to give them a good clean once a week and to dry them well after the clean. When using a microwave or an electric steam steriliser it is advisable to dry them after each use.

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You'll need to sterlise your pumping parts after washing them once a day. It's also advisable to do this if the equipment is brand new or hasn't been used for a while. Start by separating all parts that have come into contact with milk.

Medela.co.uk recommends four methods of sterilisation:

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