Every first-time mom would agree to this: there’s a lot to do and learn in the busy weeks before your first child is born. One of those early challenges is washing their clothes.
When I was pregnant with my first child, I was constantly reminded by well-meaning relatives, particularly my mom, how important it is to wash all my baby’s clothes before giving birth.
I remember how when we learned that my baby is a girl, I was so excited that I added to cart everything that’s pink and white from this baby clothes online store in Singapore that I always check out even before I got pregnant.
Sure enough, my mom didn’t stop reminding me to wash them. But I didn’t until we are a week away from my due date. Before I get into detail about how I washed the baby clothes—newborn sets, onesies, rompers, and all, allow me to remind you of how important it is to wash baby clothes for the first time, before they wear them.
Clothes—whether yours or your baby’s—are potentially exposed to harmful bacteria throughout the manufacturing process to their journey to your home. While you may not be affected by these bacteria, your baby will most likely be, given that they are so young and that their immune system is not yet strong enough to fight them off. What’s more, their skin is still so delicate that they are sensitive to irritants, resulting in itching or rashes when in contact with dirt and dust.
Your baby’s clothes could just be a nest of germs that washing them is a must to help keep your child healthy. But, unlike your clothes, you don’t just let your washing machine do the job.
Can You Put Your Baby’s Clothes into the Washing Machine?
There is really no reason why you can't wash your baby’s clothes in the washing machine. It’s just that they may require a gentler process than how you would wash your clothes. As long as you are using a mild detergent and selecting a gentle spin cycle on your machine, you can rest assured that your baby’s clothes would be perfectly fine. It doesn’t make you a bad parent either!
Remember, babies, especially newborns, have some specific needs and that applies to the way you would do your laundry. In general, the machine itself will not do any harm to your baby’s clothes, it’s what you put in the machine and how you use it are the things that you should take into consideration, particularly when it comes to detergents.
With all these things settled, let’s move on to the step-by-step guide on how to wash your baby’s clothes.
Step 1: Pre-Wash
As earlier said, it’s necessary that you pre-wash anything that you would use on your baby for the first time—clothing, cloth diapers, linens, or anything that would come in contact with their skin. This is to get rid of dust and other accumulated grime that could irritate their sensitive skin.
Step 2: Check the Washing Instructions
Make sure to read and follow the instructions on each clothing label when washing your baby’s clothes. This is important for flame-retardant fabrics such as wool or cashmere. If there isn’t any special guideline, you can wash your baby’s clothes in warm water of 30-40°C to get rid of stains, dirt, and bacteria.
Step 3: Separate Your Clothing
There are at least two reasons why you should separate your baby’s clothes from the rest of the household’s. One, you should use baby-safe detergent for your baby’s clothes and second, you use or prefer using harsh heavily-scented detergent to wash the rest of the clothes. In such instances, it’s better to err on the safe side than potentially exposing your baby to irritants.
Step 4: Use Baby-Safe Detergent
In line with the above point, it’s advisable that you use a detergent that is safe for your baby and is dermatologically-accredited. These are milder detergents that often use natural ingredients or are free of aggravating chemicals that can trigger allergies, irritations, or rashes.
Step 5: Use a Baby-Safe Fabric Softener
You can skip the fabric softener for your baby’s clothes. But, if you prefer them soft and mildly scented, you can likewise choose a fabric softener that is formulated and dermatologically-tested to be suitable for baby skin.
Washing your baby’s clothes isn't always a walk in the park. There will be stains—a.k.a milk, baby products, vomit, even poop. You can remove them by pre-soaking the fabric as soon as the staining occurs.
Being a mother is fulfilling but it comes with a lot of hard work, too. Aside from my baby, the greatest rewards I’m enjoying right now is the liberty to shop for baby clothes from my favourite online store in Singapore and all the trinkets I can find for her!
Have you checked out OETEO? It’s the online store I mentioned earlier and I love all their baby onesies and baby rompers you can order from their website!
Let me know when you’ve visited their page!
