
Originally Posted by
Hazard
I'm just going to throw this out there.....
I've got a background in sterilization..... about 8-9 years. Attempting to self sterilize is definately not a good idea. Most of these types of product go through a gamma irradiation process. The radiation penetrates the package and can sterilize the contents on the inside. Thats why the item is no longer considered "sterile" once it's opened.
Now boiling a bottle and boiling a syringe are two different ball games. When you boil a baby bottle - you're attempting to kill the bacteria inside the bottle. Once you're done and fill the bottle back up again - the contents on the inside will enter the baby's mouth. If all the bacteria in that bottle isn't killed.... it's not the end of the world for the baby - it's not going to die. HOWEVER..... If you don't kill all the bacteria inside a syringe..... you will be injecting that bacteria into your muscle - causing an infection and a shit ton of hassle.
Lastly..... Plastics are all different - they have different melting points. There are some plastics in the medical field that can go into an autoclave for sterilization at 270 degrees. Other plastics need a low temperature gas plasma sterilization or even a liquid chemical sterilization. While a baby bottle may be able to be boiled..... a syringe may very well warp in boiling water. It all depends on the plastics used.....
~Haz~