How to Wash Baby Clothes?

Are you buried in baby laundry and frustratingly trying to figure out how to wash baby clothes? Babies may be small, but they sure can go through a ton of clothing in a short period of time. Being practical is key when buying your baby’s clothes.

The immune system of an infant is one that’s still evolving. Babies can easily catch infections and diseases coming from all around. Washing baby clothing properly will help keep your child stay healthy.

The first step is realizing how important it is to wash your baby’s clothes for the first time. It takes some preparation.

Preparations

Before you wrap your little one into all of those lovely duds for the first time, throw those clothes, sleepers, onesies into the washing machine. Every piece of your child’s clothing needs to be washed first.

Infants, especially newborns, typically have quite sensitive skin. Running the clothes through the wash removes residue and other materials that could cause irritation. It is essential to check the labels before washing a piece of clothing.

Children’s pajamas have to be fire-resistant. You should avoid using bleach on fire-resistant garments. It can ruin the item and reduce the effectiveness of the treatment chemicals.

 

Washing Infant Clothes

Once you master the sleeping and feeding infant care routine, the next thing in line would be to learn how to wash their clothing. Basically, everything that applies to regular laundry care – reading the label, appropriate stain treatments, separating colors, goes for washing baby clothes. However, there are a couple of tricks that make it all easier.

Before starting the process, place socks and other, smaller pieces of clothes in a mesh bag. Grown-ups socks get lost often. One can infer what happens to baby socks then.

Putting them all together in a mesh bag ensures they’ll stay together. To prevent possible damage, fasten all touch fasteners – that way they won’t get caught.

When you are about to fold and put the clothes away, check if any embellishments, snaps or buttons came loose. While you are at it, check for fraying seams or edges. They are known to cause skin irritation and can catch on their little fingers and toes.

Choosing a Baby Laundry Detergent

You might feel the urge to roam around the city in search for the best laundry detergent that’s made for infant clothing. According to health experts, there’s no need for it, really, provided that your child does not have an allergy or particularly sensitive skin.

The best thing is always to consult your pediatrician. Don’t worry, if there is such a thing as stupid questions, asking your family doctor about the best baby laundry detergent isn’t one of them.

Generally, washing your child’s clothing in standard liquid detergent shouldn’t pose a problem. Such detergents are preferred because they usually rinse out better than powdered detergents. Powders may leave scales that are irritating to baby skin.

If you are worried that the regular detergent might be too harsh, try it out on a couple of items before you start using it regularly. After your child is done wearing it, check their skin for marks of irritations or try to see if your baby is feeling itchy. If it is so, it’s best to use laundry detergent for sensitive skin that doesn’t have any perfumes or dyes.

If that doesn’t prove to work, you can double rinse the items or use baby laundry soup until your child turns one year old. It might help.

Treating Stains

It’s always best to treat stains as soon as they occur. Try to wipe off as much as you can of the stain before throwing the garment into the washing machine.

For Proteins:

Such as the majority of food stains, breastmilk, spit-ups, formula, and yes, poop as well. Soak the stain in cold water and use a substance that contains enzymes.

It that doesn’t do the trick don’t give up just yet. You can try and use a stain remover (one that’s manufactured for all purposes) and wash it regularly.

For Urine:

There are two steps in this process. Take a three teaspoons of ammonia, put them in a glass of water, let it sit a while, and, using the mixture, clean the affected surface. To make sure the item is colorfast, dab the mix in a small part first.

Utilize a stain remover and wash the item normally. Don’t forget – don’t mix bleach with vinegar or ammonia. It’s a dangerous combo as it generates toxic fumes that are hazardous.

For Baby Oil:

Utilize a pre-wash stain-removal product. After taking a look at the label, wash the item in the hottest water (highest temperature allowed according to the instructions on the label). To make sure the stain has been removed, let the piece air dry. Oil stains may not be visible when the clothes are soaked with water, and heat drying could set the stain.

Pro Tip

You might be wondering what to do with those poor pieces of cloth that are beyond rescue. Don’t fuss.

Yes, it’s a bit infuriating, having a stain you can’t deal with, especially when it is on a cute dress you were planning to show off to family and friends. To make the most out of a bad situation – burp cloths, washcloths, and plain cotton make great cleaning rags. For other garments, check out clothing recycling programs.

washing baby clothes

Washing Cloth Diapers

You should wash and keep such diapers separate from other clothing items. Instantaneously cleanse the soiled diapers in the toilet.

Getting yourself a diaper spray might be a good idea. Basically, you just hook it onto the toilet and spray them off. Until it’s time to throw them in the washing machine, store them in diaper pails.

If you don’t have one, you can use a large bucket or a plastic trash can. Another great idea would be using washable or disposable liners in the diaper pail.

You ought to wash them every two to three days. When starting, do a cold pre-wash or soak them overnight. Avoid using detergents with perfumes or dyes. The diapers should be washed in hot water, and each load ought to be rinsed twice.

Fabric softeners can irritate the baby’s skin, so avoid using them as well. You can either line dry the diapers or use a dryer.

Conclusion

You have probably heard the old maxim, “being a parent is a full-time job.” Parenting comes with many duties and many new tasks, so if you didn’t consider it to be true at first, your firstborn would change your mind. However, preparing yourself in advance and learning the necessary skills will make that job much easier.

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