Switching baby-care brands: what official guidance actually covers

A homegrown baby-care brand is closing. On 7 October 2026, TheSmartLocal reported that Tollyjoy, supplying Singapore families since 1971, would be shuttering after 55 years, and listed nine homegrown baby-care and kids' brands parents could shop from instead. If that is the shelf your family buys from, the useful question is not which replacement looks most familiar, but which parts of your baby's cleaning and milk-handling routine are already written down in official guidance. ^[1]

More is specified than many parents expect. HealthHub pages set out handwashing before expressing, storage durations by temperature, thawing rules, nappy-changing hygiene and the water to use on a newborn's eyes and nose. They do not set out sterilisation temperatures or cycles, a window during which sterilised items stay sterile, wipe ingredients or 'free from' formulas. Those belong with a pharmacist, a doctor or the manufacturer's own data. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

Milk gear and expressed milk: the checks with conditions attached

HealthHub's expressing steps are short: wash hands thoroughly before expressing, ensure all equipment is clean and sterilised, start the pump at low pressure and increase to a comfortable level, switch breasts after about 20 minutes, and express every three hours, storing milk in the refrigerator or freezer. Notice what sits around 'sterilised'. It is a condition on the equipment, not a method — no temperature, cycle length or drying instruction comes with it. ^[2]

Storage is given by temperature: 4 hours at 25°C; 24 hours in an ice-pack cooler at 15°C; 48 hours in a 4°C fridge; 3–6 months at -5°C to -15°C; 6–12 months at -20°C; 24 hours for thawed milk in the fridge. Thaw in the fridge or a cup of warm water, use within an hour, never boil or microwave. HealthHub's returning-to-work page gives 72 hours for the 4°C fridge instead, with leftovers discarded and no re-freezing or re-warming. Hypothetically, milk expressed on Friday for Monday's feeds fits the longer page, not the shorter one. Plan around the shorter figure and ask a doctor or lactation consultant about your baby. ^{[3] [5]}

Everyday hygiene rules that come with stated conditions

HealthHub's newborn-care page, last reviewed in November 2022, frames nappy care as conditions rather than preferences: diaper changing should not be done in the kitchen or any food-preparation area; clean the changing mat with disinfectant wipes after each use; dispose of used diapers immediately in the rubbish or diaper bin and empty it regularly; wash hands with soap and water after each change; and wash cloth diapers with a fragrance-free detergent. ^[4]

The same page uses boiled water that has cooled: wash each eye gently with a wet cotton ball, and clean dried mucus around the nose with a cotton ball dampened with warm boiled water, never inserting anything into the ear canal or nose. The 0–6 months guide adds always wiping from the front towards the baby's bottom, and, for diaper rash, rinsing with warm water and letting the area air dry for longer, with an 'approved' rash cream as an option. On handwashing generally, HealthHub says alcohol sanitisers can be used when there is no soap and water, and lists washing before and after meals, before handling food, after using the toilet, after blowing the nose and after touching common surfaces. ^{[4] [6] [7]}

Things your baby mouths: selection and safety, not sterilising

HealthHub's 7–12 months guide treats teething as comfort and selection, not cleaning. To soothe sore gums, you can use a clean finger or wet gauze — the pressure helps ease the discomfort. Something chilled, such as a teething ring or a spoon, can be placed on the gums, but the object must not be frozen, as it can hurt the infant's gums. Nothing on the page tells you to wash, soak or sterilise a teething ring. ^[8]

For an infant starting to pick things up, the same page frames safety by size and integrity: offer only larger toys with smooth curved handles, such as teething rings; avoid small objects that may be swallowed accidentally; and choose toys that are intact, without small pieces that could break off. That is a buying rule, not a washing schedule — guidance here sets no interval for cleaning or sterilising mouthing toys. ^[8]

What you can check before switching brands, and what you cannot

Formula is the one category you can check. HealthHub states that all infant formula sold in Singapore is safe and adequate for a baby to consume because of Singapore Food Agency regulations and nutritional requirements, that nutrient composition is similar among major brands, and that the evidence for added benefits such as higher omega-3 levels is inconclusive. On switching, there is no fixed rule: gradually increase the number of feeds of the new brand, and do not mix two or more brands of milk powder when preparing a feed. Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative hospitals provide education on safe and hygienic preparation and handling of formula milk when breastfeeding is not feasible or a mother chooses not to breastfeed. ^{[3] [9]}

What these pages do not verify is product performance. TheSmartLocal described one homegrown bottle as built to withstand repeated sterilisation; that is the report's account of a brand feature, not a specification in official health guidance, and the page gives no test data. Keep the specified steps — sterilised expressing equipment, hands washed before expressing and after each nappy change, changes kept away from food preparation, cooled boiled water for eyes and nose — and take bottle, steriliser and wipe features to a pharmacist, a doctor or the manufacturer's own information. ^[1]

Sources

EduNanny Editorial · AI-assisted research and writing, reviewed by our automated editorial team. Sources checked 2026-10-10. Featured image: AI-generated editorial illustration.