On the machine or by hand? Do you use softener or not? Can you dry in the sun? Despite being a simple task, the moment of washing the baby’s clothes leaves the parents full of doubts.
And it’s no wonder, after all, all care for the newborn baby is important.
So we separate a complete step by step below for you to learn how to wash baby clothes properly. Come and see:
How to wash baby clothes: where to start
It is neither freshness nor over-care. Baby’s clothes need to be washed and sanitized in a different way than the rest of the household. This is essential to ensure the health of your little one.
The newborn baby still does not have the developed immune system and the simple contact with any type of bacteria, germ and even dust and mites can trigger allergies, dermatitis and respiratory problems.
By this, all caution are little!
And this care starts with washing the clothes and the baby’s bed and bath trousseau.
So write down all the tips and don’t miss any details:
Start the washing process of the clothes by separating the pieces by color and fabric. So you don’t risk damaging any clothes.
Then remove the labels from all parts, as they often cause irritation and itching of the baby’s skin. But be careful not to cut the seam. It is also recommended to keep the labels for future reference on washing and drying recommendations.
Then comes the time to wash, properly said. It is also at this time that another common question always arises: do you need to wash your clothes even if they are new and have never been used? The answer is yes.
This is because until the piece arrives in your hands, it has gone through several places, from clothing to the store, and this whole process can contribute to the contamination of the clothes with bacteria and other dirt.
That is, wash everything!
What you can use / do
It is not legend, nor grandmother’s conversation. In fact, some things should be avoided when washing baby clothes, starting with the choice of products.
Always use neutral products. The most used is coconut soap, which can be either liquid or bar.
You can also opt for soaps suitable for washing baby clothes, they already exist on the market.
Use little soap, only the one recommended on the product packaging. This prevents soap remnants from remaining in the clothes and end up causing allergies on the baby’s sensitive skin.
It is also important to wash the clothes on hot and sunny days to facilitate and speed up the drying process, preventing the pieces from spending too much time on the clothesline.
One more tip: it is not necessary to wash all the clothes at once, even because the baby will not use everything so quickly. Prefer to wash clothes with RN and P numbers first. Larger clothes can wait a little longer, just be careful not to mix the washed and the unwashed pieces.
Also, prioritize washing the season’s clothes first. If the baby is going to be born in the winter, the summer clothes can wait to be washed later.
Don’t forget to wash blankets, blankets, sheets, diapers, towels, washcloths and other layette items. Everything that will be in direct contact with the baby’s skin should be washed.
What also goes for mommy’s clothes, after all, the baby will be a large part of the baby being breastfed and in direct contact with its mother. Therefore, her clothes must also receive special care.
What you can’t use / do
Do not mix the baby’s clothes with the clothes of the other residents of the house. The pieces can carry many bacteria that would easily contaminate the baby’s clothes, so wash everything separately until the baby acquires immunity.
Do not use fabric softener on your baby’s clothing. The smell of coconut soap is enough. Remember that your child’s health is at stake here.
The same recommendation is for the use of bleach, washing powder, stain remover and bleach. Forget it all.
Avoid leaving baby clothes hanging on the clothesline for too long or overnight. This is because it is common for small insects, such as spiders, for example, to pass through clothes and end up contaminating the pieces.
When to start washing baby clothes
Many first-time moms have doubts about when to start washing baby’s clothes.
The ideal is to wait at least until the eighth month of pregnancy or between 32 and 34 weeks.
This is because if you wash your clothes well in advance, it is possible that they will get dirty again.
But also do not leave to wash at the last minute. Imagine if the baby decides to arrive earlier than expected? He won’t have clean clothes to wear.
One more tip: if your pregnancy is not at risk and you can perform normal activities, there is no problem taking care of baby’s clothes on your own, but if you feel unwell or the doctor recommends rest, count on the help of another person to do this task for you, okay?
In hand or machine
Baby clothes can be hand washed or machine washed. Yes, on the machine! You can choose what is easiest for you. We tell you the tricks for each type of washing, follow:
How to wash baby clothes by hand
Start by doing the usual: separate everything by color and type of fabric. Then soak the pieces in a bucket of coconut soap and water for approximately 15 minutes.
The next step is to lather and scrub the parts gently with your hands. Place them in a bucket with clean water and rinse.
Make sure there is not a bit of soap left in the baby’s clothes. Twist the pieces and put them to dry.
How to wash baby clothes in the machine
The washing machine is another option for washing baby clothes. But before placing the pieces in there, it is important to clean the basket to make sure that no dirt remains from the last wash.
Once this is done, program the necessary amount of water to wash the clothes and add the soap in the dispenser.
Set the machine to wash in the gentle cycle. Let her finish the whole process and that’s it, the clothes can now be put to dry.
Dry in the shade, in the sun or in the dryer
After everything is clean, there is one more question: what is the best way to dry baby’s clothes? In the shade, in the sun or in the dryer?
If you have a dryer, you can use it without any problem, just take care to sanitize it the same way you did with the washing machine.
But if you prefer you can dry the clothes outdoors. The sun is great for eliminating fungi and mites.
However, some items of clothing must be dried in the shade. When in doubt, consult the label.
Need to iron baby clothes
Do you think it’s over? Nothing like that! You still have to iron all the clothes. Some say it is not necessary, but experts recommend ironing the baby’s clothes.
This is because the high temperature of the iron is able to eliminate any bacteria or other microorganisms that, perhaps, still remain in the pieces.
Just be careful not to leave the iron on your clothes too long and burn them.
Time to store: care when storing baby clothes
There is still one more detail before saying that the clothes are clean and ready for the baby’s arrival.
And that detail is called storage.
Well, there’s no use washing, drying and ironing everything if you don’t know how to store your clothes properly.
The golden tip, in this case, is to store the pieces inside a closed cabinet or dresser to keep out dust.
If the baby still takes a while to arrive, it is worth keeping everything in a bag of TNT. Avoid plastics, as the material does not allow the pieces to “breathe”.
After completing all these important steps you can now relax and enjoy the baby.
