Milton Mini Portable Soother Steriliser review

Milton’s latest product, the Milton Mini Portable Soother Steriliser is both effective and easy to use, and offers a simple solution to a dropped dummy when out and about.

The size of a small orange, the Mini Portable Soother Steriliser works by using a tiny sterilising tablet dissolved in to water, water that is soaked up into two sponges that fit neatly inside the device. One of the sponges has a hole in the middle and this is where the teat of the dummy sits snug. After 15 minutes, the dummy is completely sterile and ready to use.

The steriliser works for up to 24 hours and is effective against tough bacteria including E coli, listeria, salmonella, campylobacter, MRSA and clostridium difficile; fungi such as candida albicans; viruses such as rotavirus, and is active on the H1N1 virus that causes influenza, including swine flu.

The product is attractive, although to my mind it looks more like a gadget from outer space. It’s available in three colours - blue, green and purple – and is priced £6.99. The sterilising tablets that work with the Mini come in packs of 50, and are priced at £2.99.

I wonder how many parents would confess to putting a dropped dummy into their mouth and then back into their baby’s mouth! I also wonder if some parents realise this action doesn’t clean the dummy at all but actually enhances a breeding ground for harmful bacteria. Clearly, this where the Milton Mini comes in to its own.

What we love

When my second baby, Sofia, spits her dummy out, I swap the dropped one for a clean one out of the portable steriliser and stick the dirty one back in its place (after rinsing it with a bit of bottled water). In 15 minutes I’ve another clean one. As long as Sofia doesn’t drop the new one in that time, we’re okay. Although, I could get around this potential problem by carrying a third dummy.

One of the great things about this little ball is it’s so compact and no trouble to transport. I hang it from the buggy as it is something bright for Sofia to look at.

There have been absolutely no spillages and it is completely watertight when both halves are screwed together. Also, it is durable - Sofia’s big sister dropped it onto the tiled floor and it was fine. Lastly, a big plus, it appears to accommodate dummies of all shapes and sizes.

All in all, I love the peace of mind the Milton Mini Soother Steriliser brings me. It is such a simple solution to dummy hygiene when out of the home.

What to watch out for

The dummy soon smells of that familiar Milton smell. You may wonder if it tastes okay and having sampled it myself I can tell you initially it does leave a bad taste. Sofia spat it out first of all but her need for comfort soon overtook that issue.

Meeting the demands of a new baby and her challenging 3-year-old sister (all on very little sleep) means by the end of each day I literally put the girls to bed and fall in after them. I have to admit to forgetting the steriliser on more than one occasion, leaving it in my bag for up to three days. Over time this could mean the sponges perish faster than usual. To stay on top of this I’ve had to make emptying the mini steriliser part of my routine, washing the sponges out at the end of each day. It is not a big deal at all, but it is something to pop into your routine.

I always carry a bottle of water, so rinsing the dropped dummy prior to popping it in the steriliser is never a problem. It could become one though if you were somewhere without water.

I shop in Tesco as it is my local grocery store, and it doesn’t sell the Mini sterilising tablets. However, you will find it at larger Boots stores, Sainsbury’s and online at thehealthcounter.com

Who is the Milton Mini Portable Soother Steriliser best for?

Babies in need of a safe clean dummy when out.

MadeForMums verdict

The Milton Mini Portable Soother Steriliser is a good cheap solution to the age-old problem of a dropped dummy. It looks nifty, is effective and easy to use, even if it is a little bit tangy on the taste-buds at first.