Feeling Hot Hot Hot (Lindam Universal Steam Steriliser)

Member Name: carebare

Product:	Lindam Universal Steam Steriliser
Date:	27/11/03 (213 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: fast, Very effective

Disadvantages: not suitable for all baby items

As my little boy will be 1 next week (how time flies!) I no longer use my sterliser but over the last 12 months it has served me well and I have had no significant problems with it.

The steriliser I am talking about is the Lindam Universal Steam Steriliser. I bought it from my local Argos for £19.99 last September but it is now £24.99 (I always thought they lowered prices but anyhow).

When sterilisng babies bottles and other items that need to be kept clean there are a number of options. These are

1) Steam sterilising. These units are very simple to use, they do get very hot though and they are not always suitable for all baby items - read on for more information

2)Cold water sterilising. This is basically a large container that you fill with cold water, add a chemical tablet or liquid and then put your items in and leave for a while. I find these okay if you are sterilising overnight but if you need something done quickly this is not for you. Also over time, teats and dummies can become sticky and discoloured by the bleach, it will also stain your clothes if splashed.

3)Microwave sterilisers. These are a great idea, however if like me you have a small microwave you may find it hard to get one that fits. Basically with these you just add a small amount of water, fill it with your items and blast it in the microwave for a few minutes. Job done. I have never used one of these but my sister-in-law says they are excellent.

4)The old fashioned and really cheap way of sterilising is to submerge your items into boiling water for a minute or two. This is ok if you only have a few items to do but if you need to sterilise 8 bottles and all the accessories everyday it can be a real pain!

5)I received with my sterilser a free microwave sterlising bag. You add water and your item, seal it up and blast in the microwave for 3 minutes. This was a real lifesaver if we were out and the baby demanded another drink and we h
adn't got a clean bottle with us and also for his dummies but I imagine for everyday use they would be rather time consuming and costly on the electricity. Each bag can be used a maximum of 10 times so they could also be rather expensive to replace every few days!

The steriliser
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This steriliser is large enought to fit 8 standard bottles and all the accessories or 5 wide neck bottles which I found more that adequate for a days worth of bottles.
After washing the bottles all you need to do is use the measuring cup provided, empty 70ml of water into the bottom of the sterilser and load it up with all your items. The bottles fit into the main compartment of the steriliser and there is a tray for all the other things like teats, dummies, bottle caps and spoons etc. When it is full, put on the lid and press the switch at the front of the unit. The whole sterilisng process takes around 10 minutes which I think is excellent. Once the unit has switched itself off I recommend that you leave it for a few minutes to cool down before removing your items as they do get rather hot. Once sterilised the items can be stored in the unit for 24 hours before they will need to be sterilised again.
You may want to place the unit near an extraction fan or a window that can be opened when it is in use as the steam escapes out of the top of it which can sometimes make the area a little moist and could cause problems.

There are a couple of items that are not really suitable for regular sterilising in this unit and I have found these to be; dummies, they can become a little sticky after a while, beakers - if sterilised with bottles they can become a bit misshapen as they can get squashed, but other than it is pretty well suited for everything.

Ease of use and maintainence
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This unit is one of the most simple I have ever used and I have had no problem with it at all in all the time that I have used
it. The only thing that I would say is a downside (not a major one though) it that we live in a very hard water area and it needs to be descaled often as it can get rather mucky on the element after a week or two of use. You can buy specially designed descaling tablets for steam sterilsers from boots and other such places but normal kettle descaler works just as well. My mum also told me to try using lemon juice and vinegar, this works great but can be a rather smelly experience.

On the whole I recommend this unit to all new parents as it is so easy to use, great value for money and more importantly its very fast!

Summary: