Getting Milk Through Airport Security 101

You used to be able to pack as much or as little as you wanted for your little one in your hand luggage back in the day. All you had to worry about was the strain that carrying it all might create on your back!

Today, with many new rules around liquids, things are slightly more complex. But rest assured, they're not as complicated as people make them out to be.

Follow our simple guide, and you should sail through security.

Milk over 100ml IS allowed in hand luggage

Contrary to what you may hear on the parenting grapevine, you can carry baby milk in containers over 100 ml (the usual threshold for liquids in hand luggage). However, you may be asked to open and taste the liquid before security staff to verify it.

That means two things– your holiday might be the first time you sample your child's warm milk. It also means that it's worth de-canting cartons of ready-made formula into bottles at home; otherwise, you might face a lot of waste with opened cartons that you can't use.

If all this sounds like too much hassle, it's worth checking ahead, as in some airports like Gatwick, you can buy ready to drink infant formula from Boots after security, and you can even order it in advance! Check with customer services at the airport you're travelling from to see if this service is offered.

If your little one is on a prescription-only formula, it's worth checking with your carrier in advance that it's ok to take the powder in large quantities in your hand luggage if your luggage is lost at the other end! A doctor's note is worth having in case questions get awkward.

Baby Wipes Are Also Allowed... Hurray!

In terms of other baby paraphernalia, wet wipes are fine to carry in hand luggage (and our advice is you can never have enough on a flight). But all other baby creams and lotions are included in the usual 100 ml regulation, so they need to be in small travel size containers and stored in a clear plastic bag (like a sandwich bag).

Are you cleaning on the go? 

As you may know, most commercial planes hold between 150 and 350 passengers, and schedules are very tight, so do they have time to clean the airplane inside out between journeys? 

We always recommend parents bring along some cleaning essentials with them. When you go out for a day or a weekend away or a more extended trip with your little one, do you find yourself thinking about how you'd wash your baby's bottles? Or when little ones keep touching the seat-back tray and putting their fingers into their mouth, do you find yourself wanting to clean up the whole airplane? 

We know the struggles; that's why we developed the travel sizes for any of you that want to clean even on the go! Our travel collection includes a baby bottle cleaner, an antibacterial cleaner, and a baby detergent. They are all under 100ml, so you can bring them anywhere and everywhere. 

Our main advice? Try not to stress. Security is just a 10-minute window in your holiday, and even if you have a tricky time getting through, it's still the gateway to a wealth of happy family memories. Here's to stress-free, happy holidays!