When did you stop sterilising?

[Jemsybabes]

Our LO has just turned one and Im still sterlising her cup, spoons, bowls, bottles etc. Just wondered when it's ok to stop? Im figuring that now she's crawling (and eating things off the floor from time to time lol) it seems a little silly to be sterilising everything rather than just giving the stuff a good hot wash?! (When I say sterilising, Im using milton).
Help appreciated! x

 

[Jemma_x]

Just before he turned one, with him being on the floor and on the odd occasion eating off it i stopped. I just made sure i washed them really well

 

[AlwaysPraying]

They advise that you can stop sterilizing once they are beginning to be weaned. So around 6 months. I kept sterilizing his bottles and nipples for a couple months after that but never did the forks, dishes or anything.

 

[MissTanya]

I only ever sterilised the bottles and I stopped doing that as soon as he turned 6 months.

 

[MrsT&Ben]

I only ever sterilised Bens bottles and kept doing that until he was around 14 months (more out of habit rather than anything else)

 

[KiansMummy]

I stopped around 13/14 months X

 

[MiissMuffet]

I still do sometimes! Just because it is habit, i use the microwave sterilizer to hold her bottles once i have cleaned them and occasionally i will just pop them in the microwave every now and then, i know they dont need it, but it's not preventing her from immunities or anything- a super clean bottle is going to do no harm. and sometimes i lose them and find them under the couch etc (madam likes to hide them), so i have to then give them a good clean then so i might sterilize them too.

 

[bigbetty]

I'm going to continue sterilising bottles until she stops using them but I've never done cups, bowls, spoons etc. Bottles are the most important - especially if you ff - because the bacteria that can build up in the teat and ring is far more dangerous than anything LO can catch from picking something up off the floor and putting it in their mouth.

If you don't use bottles or formula then I'd say it's safe to stop xxx

 

[fluffyblue]

I asked exactly the same question the other day as I use MAM bottles (I only sterilise bottles) the MAM are so fiddly but after Ollie having a dodgy tum im going to carry on for a while ! x

 

[mum2b2009]

i stoped at 6 months.

 

[dizzyisacow]

i barely ever did. he breastfed until 6 months after that i sterilised for a while and then gave up. he never gets sick.

 

[Rah]

I only ever sterilised the bottles and I stopped doing that as soon as he turned 6 months.

Snap
Never did anything with spoons plates other than fairy liquid lol

 

[mrsraggle]

I still do the bottles because it's a steam steriliser and gives the bottles somewhere to "live" rather than just sitting on the side.

I've never sterilised plates, bowls, cutlery etc though.

 

[Tiff]

We stopped sterlizing when she started crawling (around 8.5 months or so). It seemed kind of pointless with her hands on the floor and then putting them in her mouth. The floor is far dirtier than the sippy cups that are cleaned with soap, iykwim?



We had weaned her off bottles just before her first birthday.

 

[DanielleM]

Stopped around 8 months when he began crawling! x

 

[Jemsybabes]

Thanks ladies.... the (a little OCD) health visitor told us to keep sterilising everything until she was 1 but my mum and DH said to stop at around 6 months to allow her some natural immunity! Think Ive been a bit OTT with the whole thing, gonna save a fortune on milton (its flippin expensive!). My cousin sterlised until her LOs were 2 and they caught every bug going, no natural resistence!
Thanks again, I am now brave enough to ditch the milton

 

[OmarsMum]

I sterilized bottle until he was weaned off the bottle at 23 months. He was on toddlers milk. I never bothered to sterilize plates or spoons as we weaned at almost 7 months.

 

[oliviarose]

I have never sterilized spoons, bowls, cups, etc. I sterilized bottles though and I stopped when he stopped having a bottle at 12 months.

I would sterilize the bottles for as long as LO uses them.

 

[kiwi]

I also never sterilised spoons, cups or bowls. For milk bottles I sterilised until he stopped having bottles at around 12 months.

As others have said, I am sure one of the main risks is milk getting trapped in bottles and teats and then going off can make LO sick.

 

[pinklizzy]

I still sterilise everything.