Sterilising – what, when and how

1. Steam sterilisers. They’re quick and easy to use (it takes approx 10 minutes) and have the added benefit of not involving any chemicals. They are quite expensive to buy (about £35) but will see you through all your babies. You could also buy one second-hand or borrow from a friend.

2. The boiling method. You can use an ordinary saucepan for this. All items needing to be sterilised must be immersed in cold water, brought to the boil and then boiled for 10 minutes. The items can then be used immediately, or left in the water in the saucepan for at least 12 hours, providing you do not take the lid off.

3. The soaking method. For this you can use any non-metallic container (e.g. a plastic jug, ice-cream container or pyrex bowl) and a bottle of sterilising solution, which can be bought from any chemist, supermarket, etc. All items needing to be sterilised must be fully submerged in the sterilising solution (you may need to use a saucer to weigh them down), then left to soak for a minimum of two hours. Left in the sterilising solution, the items will remain sterile for 24 hours, after which point you will need to make up a fresh solution. It is perfectly OK to take anything out of the sterilising solution, shake off the solution and use it immediately. But if you want to rinse off the solution, you must use boiled water from the kettle – if you use tap water the item will no longer be sterile.