Do I need to sterilize the baby spoons to feed my 5 month old solids?

What the evidence says

You do not need to sterilize baby spoons or bowls just to feed your 5-month-old solid food. Sterilizing means killing every germ, usually by boiling or using a steam or chemical sterilizer. That extra step is mainly recommended for things used to prepare milk, like bottles and teats, because milk is a good place for germs to grow.

For solid food equipment, washing well is considered enough. One health service guide explains that once a baby reaches around 6 months, their digestive and immune systems are more mature, so bowls and spoons just need a good wash in hot, soapy water and a rinse, or a run through the dishwasher.

At 5 months you're a touch earlier than the usual 6-month starting point most guidelines use, so it's reasonable to be a bit extra careful with washing in these early weeks, especially if your baby was born premature or has a weakened immune system. In those situations, more thorough cleaning or occasional sterilizing is more often suggested.

A review of the research on cleaning and sterilizing baby feeding equipment found the studies behind these recommendations are old and not very strong, and that recommendations vary between countries. This means the advice is sensible caution rather than something proven by strong trials.

The most important habits are simple ones: wash your hands before preparing food, wash utensils and bowls thoroughly after each use, and let them dry properly. Continuing to sterilize bottles used for milk is still commonly recommended separately, and that's a different question from spoons used for solids.