Steam sterilisers vs UV sterilisers – what works best? – Cheeky Rascals UK

As parents, we always want to ensure the health and safety of our children. There are a lot of items that go in baby’s mouth during the first year of their lives, such as bottles, dummies, and soothers, and it is important that these items are free from bacteria. This is why it is recommended to regularly sterilise these items before baby gets hold of them as this kills any remaining microscopic bacteria that might have been missed during the cleaning process.

Baby bottles should always be sterilised before using them for the first time. After that, bottles should be sterilised at least once daily if your baby is less than 3 months old, was born prematurely, or has a weakened immune system.

The more traditional approaches to sterilising baby products that your own parents most likely used may have included boiling hot water, or using a microwave steam bag.

However, these methods tend to be time consuming and possibly unsafe. Boling water can take a long time to effectively sterilise as the water first needs to heat, then you also need to make sure that all the floating bottles and accessories stay beneath the surface! Then microwave steam bags have a smaller capacity, and the hot steam can burn hands when the bags is first opened.

More parents are turning towards sterilising machines to help them save time, and more effectively sterilise their baby’s items. These machines have many advantages over traditional methods, as they do all of the work for you, have larger capacity, and take a lot less time and effort. But with so many different sterilisers out there it can become very confusing to choose the best product for keeping your baby safe.

Steam sterilisers vs UV sterilisers – what works best?

1. How do Steam Sterilisers work? 2. How do UV Sterilisers work? 3. Which is Better: Steam or UV Steriliser? 4. Meet the newest and most advanced additions to the UK market

To help you understand the differences between the sterilisers on the market we have broken down all this information to aid you with making a more informed decision about the best sterilising approach for your baby.

How do Steam Sterilisers work?

Steam sterilisers use natural steam to effectively kill 99.99% of bacteria. Plus, they’re fast, taking only 8 minutes to steam sterilise. Since the natural steam spreads quickly throughout the machine, all surfaces of your baby’s bottles or accessories and your pump parts are sterilised regardless of their shape. Steam sterilisers also tend to have a larger capacity, holding up to 8 bottles and multiple pump part sets, so you only need to run them once a day.

Some steam sterilisers also include an integrated dryer, so you can sterilise and dry your baby’s products at the push of 1 button. This prevents the need to dry sterilised products on a unsterilised drying rack.

How do UV Sterilisers work?

UV bottle sterilisers use ultraviolet (UV) light instead of steam to sterilise baby products. UV sterilisers are sometimes considered more convenient as they don’t use water, meaning that parents don’t need to worry about filling the machine. The use of UV also appeals for the more tech-loving parents out there! However, it is important to note that although the UV light effectively kills bacteria like steam, its effectiveness is only determined by where the light shines.

Also, it is recommended to be cautious with UV Light and UVC light as these eventually degrade the plastics used in bottles and pump parts. These plastics include polypropylene (abbreviated as PP) and low-density Polyethylene (abbreviated as LDPE). UV rays can break the bonds within the plastic and cause cracking or discoloration. As it happens, quite a few brands specifically advise against the use of UV sterilisers on their products, as the rays can seriously decrease the durability of the bottles.

Which is Better: Steam or UV Steriliser?

UV light only kills germs if it directly shines on the product surfaces that contain bacteria. This can be problematic for bottle teats and dummies which are likely to miss the up-and-down straight path where the UV light shines. Whereas steam, which is a gas, can easily spread across the entire surface of a bottle or pump part regardless of shape.

In addition, some UV sterilisers can require a very long cleaning time to kill 99.9% of germs – upwards of 60 minutes! UV sterilisers also tend to have a smaller capacity, so you’ll need to use more often.

In light over this, we would recommend using a steam steriliser as they are safer, more time saving and have a larger capacity. Although if you are still set on a UV steriliser, we urge you to please be aware of the outlined concerns.

Meet the newest and most advanced additions to the UK market

Baby Brezza Bottle Washer Pro

Say goodbye to the endless hours spent at the sink and hello to more quality time with your little one, with the Bottle Washer Pro. The only machine that washes, sterilises and dries baby bottles and accessories, all-in-one.

Not only does the Bottle Washer Pro save time, but it also saves you money by reducing energy and water consumption compared to less sustainable traditional cleaning methods.

Baby Brezza Steriliser Dryer Advanced

The Baby Brezza Steriliser and Dryer Advanced is the most advanced way to sterilise and dry baby products. Killing 99.9% of germs with steam, then automatically drying 33% faster.

It also has the largest capacity of any other steriliser, holding 8 bottles and 2 full pump part sets. This revolutionary appliance also includes a HEPA filter, so it dries with clean air that’s 99.99% free of germs. Plus, it’s modular so you can use it 4 different ways.