Hygiene is of paramount importance when babies are given a bottle, so experts recommend rinsing the bottle and the teat by hand immediately after use.
It's best to make this part of your routine, health care experts advise, and say a small amount of normal washing-up liquid is sufficient.
If you use a brush for cleaning, it should be used exclusively for baby bottles. Dry the teat and bottle thoroughly with a clean cloth after cleaning.
Parents can also routinely boil the bottle's parts in a pot of water for three minutes. It's important to ensure there's enough water in the pot, and that you set an alarm to ensure the baby bottle, teat and other accessories don't melt or go up in smoke. Alternatively, a cycle in the dishwasher - at a minimum of 65 degrees - also works.
If the inside of a bottle is scratched, it should be discarded, otherwise germs could colonise the grooves. If you use shatterproof plastic, you should choose milky-looking bottles made of polypropylene.
It is better not to use older, transparent plastic bottles. They are sometimes made of polycarbonate, a material that can release harmful substances into the milk, and which is now banned in Europe.
Breast milk keeps for a surprisingly long time - three to four hours without refrigeration and 72 hours if kept in the fridge below five degrees.
Parents should always mix powdered milk formula fresh. Tap water is sufficient, as it is often more strictly controlled than bottled water. In the first two months of life, however, experts advise parents to boil the water before mixing it with the infant formula.
If leftover formula milk is stored at room temperature, it should be fed no more than an hour later without reheating. But be careful never to heat milk from the fridge in the microwave. This can create heat pockets and there is a risk of scalding.