New mums and dads are often worried about whether they are cleaning and sterilising baby bottles well enough to protect their infants from illness.

Sleep-deprived parents also struggle with how long the process of preparing bottles for formula and expressed breastmilk takes.

Long-time friends Ricky Hee and Alex Djojoutomo, from Perth, experienced similar concerns and frustrations when they first became parents themselves, so they decided to join forces to find a solution.

Neither of them had any experience in product development, but what they did have was firsthand experience as dads.

“We both thought that there had to be a better way to clean baby bottles and, after speaking with other families, we realised that many parents felt the same way,” Alex said.

Ricky added: “We wanted to find a way to take the hassle and worry out of bottle cleaning and give parents peace of mind.”

After four years Ricky and Alex have created a device that tackles the challenges faced by bottle feeding families.

They have worked with leading engineers and award-winning industrial designers in Singapore to develop an electronic device, called Bottle Bath – an all-in-one bottle washer, steriliser and dryer.

It hasn’t been easy.

 “We juggled full-time jobs, families and young children. We often devoted two or three hours discussing and working on the project after we put the kids to bed, and more time on weekends,” Ricky said. “However, the sacrifices have been worth it.”

Their dream now is to get Bottle Bath into the homes of other families, but they need help from others.

“We need a strong and passionate network of supporters around the world who are willing to help us make a difference to the lives of young families,” Alex said.

“We know that becoming a parent is a magical experience, but it can be stressful as well, and the one thing that all mums and dads worry about most is the health and safety of their little ones.”

“The aim of Bottle Bath is to reduce that stress and worry and ensure that parents who bottle feed their babies can do so with confidence and ease.”

To find out more about the Bottle Bath Kickstarter campaign
Click here

by Anastasia Salamastrakis