Wait, there’s a difference between sanitizing and sterilizing?
Is one better than the other?
Why do some bottle washers say one or the other? I thought they were interchangable words for the same thing.
Here’s the confusing truth on sanitizing vs sterilizing your baby items and the current recommendations.
There is a difference between sanitizing and sterilizing. Sterilizing is the complete removal of all pathogens and microorganisms on an object. Sanitizing is the process of reducing pathogens to a safe level.
For a better picture of the difference, think of a hospital operating room and the sterile field. All of the operating tools are sealed, hands thoroughly cleaned and covered, there is a lot of rigorous cleaning and chemicals used to keep the environement as clean as possible. That is sterilization. Sanitization, is like how a restaraunt kitchen has a 3 compartment sink, after they wash with hot soapy water, they rinse off the dish, and then dip in a sanitizer solution to help make sure everything is clean. There’s no intense process, but the dish is clean and ready for the next dinner.
Sanitizing is the step above basic cleaning, sterilizing is the step above that. Both are important for baby’s safety and have their time and place depending on baby’s age, health, and individual circumstances.
The most common way in today’s age to sterilize baby products is with using steam. This is the gold standard approach for newborns and high-risk infants. While it is a common thought that bottles can be sterilized in a dishwasher, this is not true. Dishwashers sanitize the bottles, they can not effectively get to the high enough temperature to be considered sterilized. Even boiling water is sometimes mislabelled as sterilization, it is only a sanitization method. This can get confusing when multiple resources use the terms interchangably.
The most accessible way to sanitize your baby bottles and pump parts would be to clean them thoroughly with hot soapy water and then boil them in a pot of water for at least 5 minutes at least once a day. This is the recommended method for babies 3 months and younger, premeeies, and those with a weakened immune system. In som einstances, you may be recommended to sanitize more frequently, talk to your doctor.
Sterilizing should be done before the first use of any baby product. As mentioned sterilizing is most commonly done in a home setting with steam. The easiest way to do that is with a microwave steam sterilizer. There are also bottle sterilizers that can be purchased that either use steam or UV light. Some go in the microwave and some are washer and sterilizer/sanitizer combo units that sit on the countertop. Another method is a correctly diluted bleach and water solution that you would wash the baby items in after washing with hot soapy water.
It’s important to understand the difference between sanitizing and sterilization as they are not the same thing. You do not have to sterilize multiple times a day, unless recommended to do so by your health care provider. This means that no you do not have to buy the $200 Baby Brezza bottle sterilizer if you can’t afford it. The bare minimum to keeping your baby safe is washing all bottle and pump parts in hot soapy water after every use and at least once a day boiling them in a pot of water, if you have a dishwasher with a high heat sanitizing cycle than absolutely use it! I just know that isn’t an option for everyone.
Being educated and understanding the information is important in a day and age when facts are mudled with misinformation from baby companies as they try and convince you that you have to have their products otherwise you’re not parenting correctly and putting your baby at risk. Not everything works for every family. Look into all of your options, budget, and comfort levels and take every situation as its own.
References:
https://www.texaschildrens.org/content/wellness/best-practices-for-baby-bottle-sterilization
https://www.whattoexpect.com/first-year/bottle-feeding/when-and-how-to-sterilize-baby-bottles
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