How to wash baby clothes – do’s and don’ts
For something so tiny, babies sure make a lot of mess. And that’s especially true with clothes. Many new parents will be shocked how much washing they end up doing – and what kinds of stains they have to deal with!
Here's a quick guide to the most important things to remember when washing your baby’s clothes.
Do… Pre-wash newborn clothes
This is a step some people think can be skipped, but considering where commercial baby clothes have been manufactured and how they’re stored and transported, the risks of contaminants and chemicals on new clothes is quite high.When your bub comes back from the hospital they’ll be brand new with few defenses against skin irritation, so best to wash your newborn’s clothes before their first wear.
Choose a specific, baby-friendly laundry liquid such as Euky Bear’s Baby Laundry Liquid. It’s formula has been designed with little ones in mind, and dermatologically tested kind to sensitive skin. Plus, it's free from nasties and eco friendly too.
Don’t… treat baby’s clothes like yours
Baby clothes need to be treated with care. If you throw them in with your regular wash you can risk damaging their delicate fibres and contaminating them with nasties from your clothes (especially if you don’t wash in hot water).
Buy a special baby laundry liquid like Euky Bear and do a separate wash, making sure you:
- Check the care label and wash accordingly
- Turn clothes inside out, to protect delicate patterns and fastenings
- Separate lights and darks where possible
- Use a gentle cycle with warm or cold water
- Dry naturally if you can
If you use MCN's (material cloth nappies) a separate load just for these is recommended, to prevent contaminating the rest of the wash. Same goes for sheets, bedding or clothes if baby has been ill, or had a poo-splotion!
Do… Treat stains, quick
When you’re busy with a new baby time it can be hard to drop everything to treat stains, but if you don’t, they can really be hard to remove later. Try these quick temporary solutions before you can do a proper wash.
(note: please read the care directions on the garment and wash accordingly)
Poop – Remove any excess and thoroughly flush the item with lots of cold water. Enzyme detergents and bleach are the usual go-to poop stain remedies but if you want to go natural, try a paste of water and bicarb soda. Scrub in gently, then soak in warm water with a capful of Euky Bear’s Baby Laundry Liquid until wash time. After washing, dry in the sun to naturally bleach stains.
Urine - make a vinegar solution with two parts water and one part vinegar. Next, apply the solution to your stain and let it sit for 10 minutes. Then add a generous sprinkle of baking soda and let sit again for 10 minutes – then wash as directed in warm or hot water with Euky Bear’s Baby Laundry Liquid.
Greasy stains - Pure eucalyptus oil is great on these stains, or try a paste with eucalyptus and bicarb soda. Leave for 10 minutes then wash as normal.
Spit-up stains & breastmilk stains – Leave items to soak in warm water with a capful of Euky Bear Baby Laundry Liquid, for a few hours or overnight max before washing as normal.
Formula stains – Treat with a baking soda & water paste, then soak as for breastmilk stains.
Fruit & veggie stains – Turn garment inside out and run under COLD water immediately to flush out as much of the stain as possible. Apply Euky Bear’s Baby Laundry Liquid directly to the stain, leave for 10 minutes then wash as normal. Dry in the sun to naturally bleach.
Don’t… bother with fabric softener
These add unnecessary synthetic fragrances and chemicals to your wash. They can also reduce the absorbency of cloth nappies (and nobody wants that!).
Instead, you can substitute white vinegar and a capful or two of Lavender oil or Solution (if you really want a scent). Alternatively, there are lots of great DIY recipes out there for natural fabric softeners – this is one of our favourites.
SHOP EUKY BEAR BABY LAUNDRY LIQUID
SHOP EUKY BEAR HOUSEHOLD RANGE
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