Most sterilizer bags come with instructions printed on the side of each one, so you can\’t go wrong. And most of the manufacturers have directions available for their style of bag too. The instructions are there both for your safety and to help you get the best results from the sterilizing bags. For whatever reason if you find that you don\’t have any instructions on how to use them, then you can follow these simple steps.

1) First wash all the items well before sterilizing. The sterilizing process is designed to kill bacteria, not to remove dirt, grime or food deposits. Bacteria will be in any food residue so that is why it is important to clean it thoroughly first. Sterilizing a dirty baby bottle is ineffective because the bacteria are protected by any food or liquid residue.

I hear you asking \”If I clean it thoroughly, won\’t that remove the germs? So why sterilize?\” Washing does remove a significant amount of bacteria found in those food deposits, however as you are generally washing in warm-hot water, those bacteria are not killed and are still present in the water and remain even on clean surfaces after they dry. By cleaning the babies bottle first you remove all the bacterial \’hiding places\’ and now they are all out in the open ready to be killed off in the sterilization process.

2) Add the right amount of water. Place any items like feeding bottles into the sterilizer bags and add 100ml of water into the bottom. Adding water is a critical part of the sterilization process. Microwave bag sterilizers will not work with out water. The reason for this is that the sterilization is done by steam at greater than 100 degrees Celsius. As the bag is heated in the microwave, the water boils, creating steam which in turn kills the bacteria and sterilizes the bottle. The amount of water that you put into bag may very depending on its size and specifications of the manufacturer. Somewhere between 60 and 100 ml water is sufficient, but never use less than 60 ml. If you have insufficient water all the water may boil off and cause damage to the bag and the feeding equipment.

3) Sterilize the right items. You can put any item like baby bottles, nipples and teats, a breast pump or other feeding equipment into the bags. But do not over load it, as the bag must shut correctly. You can also sterilize other items to help your family\’s health. Toothbrushes for example are a common item that can be sterilized in a microwave bag. Many diabetics use syringes to inject themselves with insulin, and syringes can be sterilized with a microwave bag. Or if you are caring for sick or elderly family members then they too would benefit by sterilizing their catheters or any other medical equipment.

Remember – never place metal items into the microwave.

4) Seal the bag properly. This is an important step to ensure that the sterilization occurs correctly. The seal must be tight in order to keep the steam in the bag. If the bag is over filled the seal might pop open or if you have not sealed it properly then steam will unnecessarily escape out of the bag and the sterilization process compromised. If steam escapes in an uncontrolled manner out of the microwave bag then the temperature inside the bag is likely to be less than 100 degrees Celsius and you will not achieve the high temperatures for the length of time required to achieve good sterilization. And an open bag cannot sterilize anything, so before you press \’start\’ on the microwave make sure the bag is sealed properly.

5) Have the microwave on for the right amount of time. Each microwave has a different amount of power so it is important that the microwave is on the correct power setting for the right amount of time to achieve the best results. Read the manufacturers instructions as to how long to put the bag in the microwave for that particular type of bag.

For example microwave ovens over 1100W need may only be on high for 1.5 minutes (90 seconds), 800W – 1100W microwaves on high for 3 minutes, and 500W – 800W microwaves on high for 5 minutes. Read your bag carefully to make sure you know how long you need to sterilise for.

Sterilization is done by a combination of temperature and time. You don\’t achieve good sterilization by raising the temperature to 100 degrees Celsius for a moment and then letting it cool down. These high temperatures must be maintained for at least 60 seconds. The powerful microwaves boil the water faster and superheat the steam, and so require less time, whereas the less powerful microwaves take more time to bring the water in the bag to boiling point and do not superheat the steam significantly.

6) Let the bag cool down before opening. You are trying to do the right thing by your babies health, and you also need to do the right thing by your own health – so be smart and let the bag cool down in the microwave for 60 seconds before taking it out. Then take care opening the bag as there will still be hot water inside.

On some bags there is a small notch in the side to allow steam to escape in an orderly manner and also to pour out the remaining hot water. They may also have a safe grip tab on the other end so you can confidently grab the bag, take it out of the microwave, and put the bag in the sink to pour out the hot water.

Your items are sterilized and ready for use. Open the bag and use them immediately or keep them in the bag for use later on. Items will remain sterile inside the bag for a couple of days.

I hope this guide helps you get the best results for using microwave sterilizer bags and your baby stays healthy and happy.

Jess Embling runs Easy Bubs Baby Care. She promotes baby products that are healthy for baby and cost effective & convenient for parents, like BPA-free Microwave Sterilizer Bags. They are the easiest and fastest way for sterilizing baby bottles and are a great to sterilize a babies bottle when you travel.

Jess Embling runs Easy Bubs Baby Care. http://www.easybubs.com.au She promotes baby products that are healthy for baby and cost effective & convenient for parents, like BPA-free Microwave Sterilizer Bags. They are the easiest and fastest way for sterilizing baby bottles and are a great for travel.

Author Bio: Jess Embling runs Easy Bubs Baby Care. She promotes baby products that are healthy for baby and cost effective & convenient for parents, like BPA-free Microwave Sterilizer Bags. They are the easiest and fastest way for sterilizing baby bottles and are a great to sterilize a babies bottle when you travel.

Category: Advice
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