Cleaning Baby Clothes

As newborns tend to have sensitive skin (and because you don’t know who has handled the clothing and with what before it made its way into your possession), it’s generally a good idea to wash all clothes prior to using them. 

An exception might be outerwear such as coats and jackets that don’t have much contact with the skin (and tend not to wash and dry easily). As a helpful hint, consider putting small items such as socks in a mesh bag for washing and drying and remember to fasten any Velcro tabs (such as on bibs) before tossing them into the fray to avoid snagging other clothes.

Baby clothes should be washed separately, using special “baby” detergents that supposedly leave fewer residues and are therefore less likely to cause skin irritation. In reality, many if not most parents simply toss their baby’s clothes in with the rest of the family’s laundry without causing any problems.

That said, it is worth paying attention to the fact that detergents, in general, don’t strip away the flame-retardant properties of sleepwear, but soap flakes can. Some experts also recommend choosing liquid over powder, since it may dissolve and rinse out more easily.

You should probably skip the fabric softener and dryer sheets entirely, since they, too, can contain harsh chemicals.

Given that information, you can choose your detergent — buy one that smells good and gets the dirt out, and only feel compelled to invest in a milder “baby” detergent (or hypoallergenic/fragrance-free “adult” detergent) if your baby develops any signs of skin irritation.

Make photos of your baby clothes, upload to the App. Write how you clean the baby clothing, linens, cloth diapers, and blankets.