Magic Years Nursery

With ever more emphasis on how delicate and sensitive a baby’s skin is its little wonder that new parents worry how best to care for their baby clothes. What is the best detergent to use? Is it okay to wash the baby clothes and bedding with the rest of the family’s laundry?

One solution is to use a purpose-formulated detergent specifically for baby clothes, but this adds yet another item to the list of expenses that parents take on when they start a family – as if it is not daunting enough already. Preparing the nursery, buying a crib and stroller plus baby clothes, diapers and so on is followed by additions to the weekly budget including food, medical costs and other expenses. Is it really necessary to use some special laundry detergent for baby clothes alone?

There are lots of detergents on the market that claim to be specifically for baby clothes but often they are little different than regular detergents. Although you need to be aware that some detergents may cause irritation to a baby’s skin the same can actually be true for adults. Generally if you use a gentle detergent without added perfume or colors you should find that these are suitable and can be used for the family laundry as well.

One approach that is recommended is to make sure you have removed any special finishes that the manufacturer has used on baby clothes and bedding fabrics by thoroughly washing them before first use. And don’t forget to do the same with any second hand clothes you are given by your friends and family. This should eliminate the chance of your child picking up a rash – but if he does, make sure a medical professional takes a look quickly.

Many new parents worry about whether it is safe to wash baby clothes with the rest of the family’s laundry. I think this must be a fairly recent worry as it was something I never even thought about when I had my own children in the 1970s. Providing you use a mild detergent for the wash loads there should be no problems. After all you are cuddling and caring for your baby in the same clothes as you will be washing with theirs without causing any irritation!

There is one exception to bear in mind, though. If you are using cloth diapers, separate washing is required. Use the toilet bowl to rinse away any solid waste, keep them in a bucket of water until you have collected enough to form a washer load and add a tiny amount of tea tree oil to the bucket to deodorize and disinfect them in the meantime.

If you use fabric conditioner in your laundry routine make sure that you use one that is specifically for sensitive skin to avoid any irritation to your baby’s skin. Some washing detergents contain fabric softeners but if you are in doubt it is better not use them.

When drying your baby clothes in a tumble dryer it is worth paying attention to the heat setting you use. To minimize shrinkage it is better to use a gentle or low heat option. Babies grow out of their clothes fast enough without shrinking them in a too hot drying cycle!

Ultimately, the main message to take away from these notes is that modern babies are just as hardy and well-adapted as they have been for hundreds of years – so the immersion of their clothes into the family laundry load is unlikely to cause too much harm any time soon!

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