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A complete guide to washing your baby's clothes

Team AckoFeb 8, 2024

Washing newborn baby clothes is one of those early challenges, a new mother faces. With the arrival of a newborn baby in your home, there comes a list of responsibilities and caretaking tips. You never want that your little bundle of joy catches any infection from anywhere. That is why you do every possible thing to keep your house tidy and germ-free but you will be disappointed if your baby gets in contact with any infection just because her clothes were improperly washed and infected.

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Your little one creates a lot of laundry for you, but she also has delicate skin that can be irritated and infected by rough or untidy clothes. So, what you should do? Don’t worry – Parentlane has put together the ultimate guide to washing baby clothes here. Continue reading to learn some of the best ways to maintain your little one’s clothes.

Tips for washing baby clothes

1. Read the label:

Read the label on your child’s clothes carefully since it is likely to have a set of wash care instructions. The instructions given on the label, like required water temperature, hand or machine wash, and more, are a must-follow while washing your delicate baby's clothes. Apart from washing instructions, check if there are any drying instructions to follow to keep your baby’s clothes looking and feeling good at all times.

2. Check the temperature:

Heat has negative impact on textures of all types of clothes. Make sure you have checked the instructions that the specific baby cloth requires warm water before using it. Washing baby clothes in cold water maintains their sheen and colour. Maintain the temperature to minimum while drying your baby's clothes as well.

3. Separate the baby clothes:

Wash your baby clothes separately, either through hands or washing machine. This is to prevent the dirt from other clothes to settle on your baby’s clothes, thus minimizing the chances of allergy. Keep your laundry simple by sorting your baby’s clothes into piles depending on colour, washing instructions, and the stubbornness of stains. This also helps in maintaining the fabric of the cloth.

4. Wash baby nappies separately:

Wash your baby’s wet and soiled nappies separately. Do not mix them with other clothes in order to prevent the germs' fest. Baby’s cloth diapers or nappies should be washed immediately after being soiled. Leaving them for hours leads to germination and foul smell.

5. Colour codes:

While segregating your baby’s clothes make sure you keep same colour family clothes together and wash them accordingly. Dark clothes should never be washed with light clothes and white clothes should not be mixed with coloured clothes. This protects your baby’s clothes from colour damage.

6. Turn it over:

Make sure you always hang your baby’s clothes in the sun inside out to prevent fading and to extend their lifespans.

7. Dry it out:

Drying baby clothes’ in the sun is always the best option than drying with the help of a room fan. Sunlight fights bacteria build-up, removes any smell, and adds a dose of freshness to the clothes.

8. Choose the right detergent:

If your baby does not have any allergies then there is nothing wrong in using the regular detergent. But make sure you are using a regular detergent with no added colours, fragrances or conditioning chemicals. You may also choose the mild detergents that are specially formulated for baby clothes. It is important that the detergent is capable of removing the stains and is also friendly to the clothes.

9. Dry with caution:

Do not dry your baby’s clothes at extreme. Also, if you’re not sure if a stain came out, fight the temptation to toss the outfit into the dryer. That will set the stain and make it substantially much hard to remove later on.

10. Stain removal:

Do not rub your baby’s clothes with brush at extreme. For effective stain removal, apply detergent on the spot and rub gently with your hands before throwing them into the washing machine.

Disinfecting baby clothes

Though regular washing of baby clothes with detergent and exposure to sunlight removes the germs from them, it is still necessary to disinfect cloth diapers or other undergarments through baby disinfectant or with a household material such as vinegar.

Babies do puke and poop often and thus, their clothes should get disinfected properly in order to keep them safe from an allergy.

Here are the ways you can disinfect your baby’s clothes:

1. Disinfect with vinegar

Remove the stains from dry clothes by scraping them. Soak them in a bucket of the disinfectant solution made through water and vinegar. Add 2-3 spoons of edible vinegar to a bucket of water to make a disinfectant solution. After soaking, wash your baby's clothes the usual way. Washing baby clothes with detergent and water will remove the vinegar and any residual smell. This process is done before washing the clothes.

2. Disinfecting after washing

Add regular disinfectant liquid to a bucket of water and soak the washed clothes for a few minutes. Read the instructions given on the disinfectant bottle before using it for your baby’s clothes.

3. Hot water rinse and drying

Rinse your baby’s clothes in hot water or soak them in a hot water bucket for 10 minutes before washing. Dry the clothes in direct sunlight after turning them inside out. Leave them for some extra time for disinfection.

Important tip for washing baby's clothes

It is always necessary to wash new clothes before your newborn wears them. Baby clothes easily pick up dirt from hands while packing and transferring from warehouse to stores and your home. If you have purchased new clothes before your baby is born, then keep them washed and disinfected before the arrival of your newborn.

Washing baby clothes timely keeps them germ-free. Your baby’s skin is very sensitive and prone to allergies, if not taken care of, properly. Maintain the hygiene around the little one and make them wear comfortable and germ-free clothes.

Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only, based on industry experience and secondary sources. It is not a substitute for professional advice. Please consult a qualified expert for health or insurance-related decisions. Content is subject to change, refer to current policy wordings for specific ACKO details.

 

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