Milk is gross. Well, maybe not when it’s fresh in a latte, but anyone who has ever found a stray baby bottle under the car seat knows that dairy turns into a biohazard remarkably fast. If you’re a parent, your Tommee Tippee steriliser is basically the MVP of your kitchen counter. It’s the thing standing between your infant and some pretty nasty stomach bugs. But here’s the thing: people treat these machines like they’re self-cleaning. They aren't. If you don't know how to clean tommee tippee steriliser units properly, you’re basically just steaming your baby's bottles in a soup of old minerals and calcified milk proteins.
It’s gross. It’s also totally preventable.
I’ve seen sterilisers that look like they’ve been pulled from a shipwreck because the owner lived in a hard water area and never bothered to descale. That white, crusty buildup on the heating element? That’s limescale. It’s not just an eyesore; it’s a performance killer. When that gunk builds up, the heating element has to work twice as hard to reach the temperature required to kill 99.9% of bacteria. Eventually, the thermal fuse will just give up the ghost, and you’ll be stuck boiling pots of water on the stove at 3 AM like it’s 1950.
Why your steriliser gets so disgusting so fast
Limescale is the primary villain here. If you live in a place like London or Indianapolis, your tap water is basically liquid rock. Every time you run a cycle, the water evaporates, leaving behind calcium and magnesium. These minerals bake onto the heat plate. Over time, they form a thick, insulating layer.
But it’s not just the water.
Mistakes happen. Maybe you didn't rinse the bottle well enough, or a tiny droplet of formula dripped onto the plate. That milk protein burns. It turns brown. It smells like a burnt grilled cheese sandwich made of sadness. If you see brown spots on the bottom of your Tommee Tippee, it’s usually not rust—it’s burnt milk or concentrated mineral deposits.
The daily wipe down matters more than you think
Don't just leave the water sitting in there. Seriously.
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When the cycle is done and the machine has cooled down, pour out any leftover water. If you leave it, you're creating a stagnant pond. Take a clean cloth and wipe the base. It takes five seconds. If you do this every single time, you will drastically reduce how often you need to do a deep descale. Most parents just keep topping up the water, which concentrates the minerals. It’s like a salt flat in there. Stop doing that.
How to clean tommee tippee steriliser using white vinegar
This is the classic method. It’s cheap. It’s effective. It smells like a fish and chip shop for twenty minutes, but it works better than almost anything else.
First, unplug the thing. Safety first, honestly. You’d be surprised how many people try to scrub a plugged-in appliance. Mix about 250ml of plain white distilled vinegar with the same amount of cool water. Pour that mixture into the base, covering the heating element completely.
Now, wait.
Don't turn the machine on. Just let it sit. If the buildup is light, 30 minutes is plenty. If it looks like the underside of a pier, leave it for three or four hours. Some people swear by an overnight soak, but honestly, vinegar is acidic enough that a few hours usually does the trick. Once the time is up, pour the vinegar down the sink. You’ll see flakes of white junk coming off—that’s the victory.
The post-vinegar rinse is the most important part
If you don't rinse it well, your baby’s bottles are going to smell like a pickle jar. Nobody wants a salt-and-vinegar flavored nipple.
After you dump the vinegar, rinse the base out with fresh water several times. Then, run a "dummy cycle." Put the racks in, put the lid on, but leave it empty of bottles. Use the standard amount of water (usually 80ml for the Electric Steam model) and let it run. This clears out the internal plumbing and ensures any lingering vinegar scent is steamed away.
The citric acid trick (the pro move)
If you hate the smell of vinegar, citric acid is your best friend. You can buy it in powder form at most grocery stores in the baking aisle or online. It’s basically concentrated lemon power without the sticky sugar.
Mix about 1 to 2 tablespoons of citric acid powder with 200ml of water. Pour it onto the heat plate. The magic here is that you can actually heat this up. Turn the steriliser on for about 2 to 3 minutes—just enough to get the water hot but not enough to run a full cycle. Switch it off at the wall. Let it sit for half an hour.
The heat helps the citric acid dissolve the calcium bonds much faster than cold vinegar. When you pour it out, the stainless steel plate should look brand new. Shiny. Reflective. It’s weirdly satisfying.
Dealing with the "Advanced" Steam Steriliser vs. the Electric Steam model
Tommee Tippee has a few different models, and while the cleaning principle is the same, the geometry is different. The Advanced Steam Steriliser has a slightly different tray configuration. Make sure you’re taking the trays out and washing them in warm, soapy water.
The trays get slimy.
Steam is great for killing bacteria, but it’s not a degreaser. If there is residual milk fat on the bottles, it can end up on the trays. If you don't wash the trays, that fat just gets heated up over and over again, eventually creating a film. Just toss the trays in the dishwasher on the top rack or wash them by hand with some Dawn.
What about the Microwave Steriliser?
Cleaning the microwave version is a different beast because there’s no heating element to scale up. However, the plastic can develop a "cloudy" look. This is usually just hard water film. A quick soak in a sink full of warm water and a cup of vinegar will clear that right up.
The biggest risk with the microwave version is mold. Since it’s a sealed plastic box, if you leave it damp, it becomes a petri dish. Always, always dry it completely before snapping the lid back on for storage.
Mistakes that will void your warranty
I’ve seen some "hacks" on TikTok that make me cringe.
- Don't use bleach. Just don't. It’s too harsh for the plastic, it’s hard to rinse off completely, and it can degrade the heating element over time.
- Don't use abrasive scrubbers. No steel wool. No green scratchy pads. You’ll create tiny micro-scratches in the stainless steel and the plastic. Bacteria love to hide in scratches. Use a soft cloth or a sponge.
- Don't submerge the base. The base contains the motor and the electrical components. If you dunk it in a sink of water to "give it a good soak," you’ve just bought yourself a very expensive paperweight.
Frequency: How often is "enough"?
If you have soft water, you can get away with a deep clean once a month. If you have hard water, you’re looking at every 14 days. Tommee Tippee officially recommends every 4 weeks, but they don't know your tap water.
Look at the plate. If it’s not silver and shiny, clean it.
Why you should use pre-boiled or filtered water
A lot of people ask if they should use distilled water. In an ideal world? Yes. It would mean you almost never have to descale. But distilled water is expensive and a pain to carry home from the shop.
A middle ground is using water from a Brita filter or using water that has been boiled in the kettle and allowed to cool. Boiling the water causes some of the minerals to drop out (that’s why your kettle gets scale), meaning fewer minerals end up in your steriliser. It’s an extra step, sure, but it saves you scrubbing time later.
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Troubleshooting the "Brown Gunk"
If you see brown residue that won't come off with a simple wipe, it’s likely burnt-on milk protein. This happens when a bottle hasn't been rinsed properly before being put into the machine.
To fix this, make a paste of baking soda and a tiny bit of water. Rub it onto the brown spot with your finger or a soft cloth. Baking soda is a very mild abrasive—just enough to lift the protein without scratching the metal. Rinse it thoroughly afterward. If the brown spot is actually pitting in the metal, that’s a sign that the scale was left too long and has actually started to corrode the plate. At that point, the machine is still safe to use, but its lifespan is definitely shortened.
The psychological win of a clean machine
There is something deeply stressful about a kitchen full of dirty baby gear. When the steriliser is crusty and smells weird, it just adds to the mental load of parenting. Keeping it clean isn't just about hygiene; it’s about making sure the one piece of gear you rely on several times a day actually works when you need it.
Your Actionable Maintenance Checklist
- After every use: Pour out the dead water and wipe the base with a clean, dry cloth.
- Every week: Wash the bottle racks/trays in hot soapy water or the dishwasher.
- Every 2-4 weeks: Perform a descale using the white vinegar or citric acid method.
- Once a month: Check the power cord for any signs of wear or milk spills that might have dried near the plug.
By staying on top of the mineral buildup, you ensure the steam temperature stays high enough to actually do its job. A clean machine is a fast machine. If your steriliser is taking longer than the usual 5 minutes to complete a cycle, that's your final warning: descale it now before the heating element burns out.
Keep it simple. Use the vinegar. Wipe it down. Your future self—the one trying to prep a bottle at 4 AM—will thank you for having a machine that actually works.
Next Steps for Long-Term Care
If you have noticed your steriliser is still underperforming after a descale, check the seal on the lid. A warped lid can allow steam to escape, preventing the unit from reaching the internal pressure needed for a complete cycle. If the lid doesn't sit flush, it may be time to contact Tommee Tippee support for a replacement part rather than a whole new unit. For those in extremely hard water areas, switching to 100% distilled water is the only way to completely eliminate the need for monthly descaling.