Making up baby bottles

I've had a baby start and told mum to bring sterilised bottles and milk powder and I'll make the bottles up as and when needed.

I followed the instructions on the tin but was horrified at the waste of water when you run the bottle under the cold tap to cool it down. I must have had the tap on for a good 5 minutes and was gutted at the amount of water disappearing down the plughole. What a waste of water. I'm just glad we're not on a water meter!

Does everyone make up bottles this way - make fresh with boiling water then run it under the cold tap to cool it down? Or is there an alternative way of cooling it?

Gosh I can't remember how I used to make them up - can't believe I have forgotten!

It does seem like a waste of water. Could you make them slightly earlier so that they have time to cool down naturally? Do they have to be made with boiling water? I seem to remember taking water around with me to make them up when out and about, so that wouldn't have been boiling water (boiled, yes). You could place the bottle in really cold water and then keep the water for the plants? Or keep the water to cool down later feeds?

I tend to do what the modern machines do which is have a ready cooled supply of boiled water, then with hot boiled water melt/kill off germs milk with a small amount of boiling water then top up with pre-cooled water, shake and use.

I store pre boiled in a sterile spare bottle and of course test it first, the old fashioned way on my inside wrist.

Goodness. I have a vision of my husband standing with his back to me, one bottle of milk in each hand, and just shaking and shaking them and this is 21 years ago. We use to sterilise the bottles in a microwave thingy and then store the boiled water in the sterilised bottles at room temperature then add the powered milk when required, shake and the baby drank the bottle at room temperature. This was between 15 and 21 years ago. Three healthy boys later. Sorry this doesn't help your post but how things have moved on.

The safer food booklet for childminders recommend that you don't leave to cool for more than half an hour and using hot water will kill any harmful bacteria in the powder. So you could boil in advance and leave for half an hour to cool a bit.

Having said this, my last baby had a milk allergy and his dietician, who I visited with mum, suggested that mum made the water up in the morning and used this measured container to store the powder's exact amount, he was on a special blend with medicine at first. I/ granny would then just add powder when needed. I discussed and showed her the advice we have to follow for food hygiene inspections.
Big discussions...but we decided that mum - only ( one person) being the one measuring and in charge of his milk to ensure no mistakes which would have caused severe pain outweighed the food agency advice. She had never heard about issues if powder not put in hot water....she was a specialist baby expert who just worked around milk formula's for babies who were sick or had allergies.
He drank it cold, no issues.
I discussed with inspector and showed her follow up letter from our meeting, she was happy with this. I got a level5.

Like you I am careful with water...we are on a meter. But if I do anything in running water I save it in a bowl and use for the garden / down the loo and recycle it.

I boil the kettle and wait half an hour make bottle and put in a jug of cold water.