Baby clothes can be difficult to wash right, but have no fear. In this article, we’ll explain how to wash baby clothes the best way.
When you become a parent, there are many things to worry about, but one of them shouldn’t be how to wash baby clothes. Washing baby clothes necessitates the same level of care as your regular garments and linens. Having said that, the most notable inequality is, of course, clothing size.
You’ll also want to avoid losing tiny baby socks or ruining delicate infant clothing in the washing machine. Because baby clothing tends to accumulate more stains than adult clothing, it’s a good idea to brush up on stain removal techniques before washing baby clothes. With a few must-know skills and some experience, washing baby items will become second nature.
What Will You Require
If you’re like most parents in the country, you might be washing nearly one load of laundry every day, ranging from soiled diapers to spit-up-soaked onesies to baby food-stained clothes and bibs.
Don’t freak out if you’re swamped in baby laundry and don’t know how to wash baby clothes. Choosing the best baby laundry detergent, addressing common baby clothing stains, and establishing a laundry routine will make washing baby clothes less burdensome while adjusting to parenthood. Keep on reading to find out what you’ll require.
Liquid baby detergent
Because a baby’s skin is highly sensitive to cleaning substances, search for detergents free of irritating enzymes, optical brighteners, and dyes. Pick non-bio over bio (which indicates enzyme-free) and use detergent with an allergen-free smell.
While you don’t have to buy a baby-specific detergent, fragrance-free detergents are an excellent choice because perfumes might irritate some newborn’s sensitive skin. In general, we would advise against using detergents that leave deposits on the cloth because they can irritate the skin of a baby or even an adult with delicate skin.
Mesh laundry bag
A garment bag is the laundry gadget you didn’t know you needed. Use a laundry mesh bag for baby clothing items like socks, hats, and mittens. This will save you the effort of looking for misplaced socks! Secure any hooks or loop-fabric fasteners to protect garments from snagging in the machine and ripping.
Optional drying rack
Cotton, which is especially prone to shrinking, is commonly used in baby garments. Consider laying your baby’s onesies to dry on a rack to keep them from shrinking to newborn size.
How To Wash Baby Clothes
Despite their reliance on others, newborns manage to make themselves (and their clothes) dirty regularly. You will undoubtedly deal with difficult stains, such as excrement, early on in your parenting journey. When that happens, keep the following points in mind to remove the stains:
Timing
Speed is your friend in most cases. It’s best to treat a stain as soon as possible once it’s formed. All stained baby garments should be pre-soaked in cool water. If you get it soaking quickly enough, water may be adequate to remove light stains, such as drool or breastmilk.
Don’t stress yourself out trying to remove every small stain on your baby’s belongings, such as washcloths or burp towels! As long as they are clean, these work just as well with a stain or two.
Identify the type of stain
While pre-soaking, gently massage out the stain with a soft-bristled brush and a drop of soak. Scrubbing with abrasive materials might harm the fabric. We recommend soaking in plain, lukewarm water with an enzyme cleanser for protein-based stains (breastmilk, formula, most foods, excrement, etc.). If the stain still remains visible, we recommend using an all-purpose stain remover before washing as usual.
Pre-treat garments with a spoonful of ammonia diluted in one cup of water for urine stains (yes, they will happen!). Before pre-treating, dab a small area with the ammonia-water mixture to ensure it won’t affect the fabric’s color. Then wash as usual with a basic stain remover.
Related: How to Get Baby Oil Out of Clothes
Temperature
We recommend using a prewash stain remover and washing in the hottest water possible for that particular cloth for oil-based stains (baby oil, creams, petroleum jelly). Because oil stains can appear to vanish when a piece of clothing is wet, it’s better to let it air dry because heat drying will set the stain.
You have a few choices for removing stains from fruits and vegetables. Try washing the stain with cool water first. This may be sufficient to loosen and wash off the discoloration. Pre-soak the items in a 1-to-1 solution of rubbing alcohol and water before washing as usual.
Wash baby clothes separately
You will have to get used to doing “baby only” loads of laundry regularly. Keep in mind that their skin is susceptible. When you consider that their immune systems are still developing, washing their clothes separately from yours reduces their exposure to bacteria and dangerous chemicals from another laundry.
Prioritize hygiene
Always wash your clothes after each use. It’s no secret that babies may be filthy as well. Even if drool, snot, and other bodily fluids aren’t visible, it’s preferable to be safe and assumes they are present. Wash your washer regularly. While it may appear absurd, washing machines can serve as breeding grounds for bacteria. We recommend doing an empty cycle once a month with a natural home substance like vinegar.
Buy baby clothes smartly
Try to buy clothes made of organic cotton the next time you go shopping for your little one. There are numerous environmental advantages to choosing organic cotton, but there are also advantages for your child. There are no toxins or chemicals used in the manufacturing process, and organic cotton is much softer for sensitive skin. Organic cotton clothes also last much longer than conventionally grown cotton, saving you money in the long term by reducing the need to replace items.
Another good suggestion is to buy garments that are similar in color and texture to quickly throw everything in the washer together and save a lot of time by reducing the number of different washes you have to do.
Conclusion
If you follow the above methods on how to wash baby clothes, you’ll be handling that heap of garments, baby washcloths, towels, sheets, and even cloth nappies in no time. You’ll have more energy and time to spend (or cuddle) with your baby if you spend less time washing baby garments.
