Guides · Newborn kit · Sterilising
Do I need an electric steriliser or can I just boil bottles?
What sterilising methods does NHS actually list?
Three, all after a wash. NHS sterilising baby bottles and the Best Start in Life 'how to sterilise equipment' page list boiling, steam sterilising (electric steriliser or microwave), and cold-water sterilising solution. You wash first in hot soapy water with a bottle brush, or you can use the dishwasher to clean — then you still sterilise. Keep going until your baby is at least 12 months (NHS and NCT).
NHS Best Start in Life, before any method: wash your hands; clean the worktop with hot soapy water; check bottles and teats are not damaged; wash in hot soapy water; rinse in clean cold running water. A dishwasher cleans. It does not sterilise.
How do I sterilise by boiling?
- Check the item can be boiled NHS: make sure whatever you sterilise this way is suitable for a rolling boil. If the maker says no, use steam or cold-water solution instead.
- Submerge everything NHS: a large pan, at least 10 minutes, items under the surface. Best Start in Life says you may need a small plate to keep bottles down. NCT: do not put your fingers in; use tongs kept for this job.
- Set a timer and stay with the pan NHS: set a timer so you do not forget to turn the heat off. Never leave hot pans unattended, especially if children are around.
- Cover and take items out just before a feed NCT, citing NHS: after 10 minutes, turn the heat off and cover. Keep items covered and remove them just before use. Wash and dry your hands first. Do not dry kit with a used tea towel.
- Check teats more often NHS: teats tend to get damaged faster with boiling. Regularly check teats and bottles for tears, cracks or damage and replace them.
NCT adds the physics in one line: most bacteria are killed at 100°C for 10 minutes, which is why a pan you already own is a full method, not a stopgap.
What does an electric steriliser add that a pan does not?
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| Method | Official time / rule | Kit you need | Typical extra cost that day | Trade-off NHS or NCT names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling | At least 10 minutes, fully submerged; timer on | Large pan, hob, tongs, a plate to hold bottles down | £0 if you already have a pan | Teats wear faster; hot pan and steam |
| Electric steam | Follow the maker; openings face down | Worktop unit and a power socket | Tommee Tippee Super-Steam Advanced £50.24 at John Lewis; Argos Advanced Electric £56 | Faster cycle and a lid; still a wash first |
| Microwave steam | Follow the maker; openings face down | Microwave-safe steriliser and a microwave | Usually less than a worktop unit (re-check the till) | Needs a microwave; still NHS steam, not a fourth standard |
| Cold-water solution | At least 30 minutes; new solution every 24 hours; no trapped air; floating cover | Tank or bucket plus tablets or liquid | Ongoing tablet / liquid cost | No heat; must keep items under the solution |
An electric unit wins on how many bottles you can cycle before the next feed, and on not holding a pan of boiling water. It does not create a stricter NHS standard. NCT: follow the steriliser maker for how long kit can sit inside before you run it again; many say 24 hours with the lid on.
When is a pan enough, and when is the worktop unit the better fit?
A pan is enough when you already have a hob, you can keep children away from it, and you are not cycling six bottles between night feeds. NCT says boiling is particularly useful if you only sterilise occasionally and do not want specialised equipment.
A worktop steam unit fits a small kitchen only if you have a socket and a square of sideboard. If the sell is 'you cannot boil', NHS still lists cold-water solution — no heat, 30 minutes, new mix every 24 hours.
Self-sterilising bottles are a separate product. NCT says there is currently no independent research that they match the methods above. Stick to a listed NHS method.
Do I have to buy the electric unit?
In shortNo. NHS already wrote boiling down as a full method: 10 minutes under the water, timer on, check teats for wear. An electric steriliser at about £50–£56 (10 September 2026) is speed and capacity. Wash first either way; a dishwasher is not the sterilising step.
Questions parents ask
- How many bottles do I need if I only boil?
- NCT: if you are exclusively bottle-feeding, four to six bottles is a starting point; one bottle may do if you only bottle-feed once a day. Boiling time is 10 minutes plus cooling, so the constraint is the gap between feeds, not the method.
- Can I boil pump parts as well?
- NCT: wash anything that touched milk, then sterilise pump parts the same way you sterilise bottles, if the maker says those parts can be boiled. Tubing is different — NCT says do not rely on sterilising milk-soaked tubing; replace it.
- Does boiling replace making formula at 70°C?
- No. Sterilising kit and making a powdered feed are two NHS jobs. Fresh tap water for formula is boiled in the kettle and used while still hot enough (NHS / Start4Life). Do not mix those steps up with a 10-minute sterilising boil.
- When can I stop sterilising?
- NHS and NCT: until the baby is at least 12 months. After that, washing is still required; the extra sterilising step is the bit that ends.
Sources
Official pages first. If this page and the official page disagree, the official page wins.
- NHS — Sterilising baby bottles — checked 10 September 2026
- NHS Best Start in Life — How to sterilise equipment — checked 10 September 2026
- NCT — Baby bottles and teats: choosing and sterilising — checked 10 September 2026
- John Lewis — Tommee Tippee Super-Steam Advanced Electric Steriliser (£50.24) — checked 10 September 2026
- Argos — Tommee Tippee Advanced Electric Baby Bottle Steriliser (£56) — checked 10 September 2026
This is information, not a guarantee of any payment, and not medical, legal or product-safety advice for your home. Prices and rules change; figures carry the date they were checked. Recall status comes from official records only — a product we cannot find is not a safety all-clear. Tell us if we got a fact wrong.