You never get tired of your baby’s cuteness, but they grow fast and it seems never ending! In a short span, you need to buy a new set of clothes as they have outgrown their pile of clothes. Having your baby wear new clothes is a luxury, but it can expose them to bacterias. Thus, when you buy new clothes for your baby, it is best to wash them.
Even though you are too excited to try the newly bought clothes on your baby, do not skip the washing part.
Always remember, your baby’s immune system is still developing, and it cannot protect them from the bacteria.
Why is it a need to wash newly bought baby clothes?
It might be tempting not to wash newly bought clothes as they look clean and smell good. It seems they are ready to be worn by your baby. However, you should always remember that it is a major responsibility to wash them.
Did you know before those baby clothes were shipped to the stores, they were sprayed with formaldehyde? Formaldehyde helps the new clothes preserve their fresh look and survive a long period of delivery. Not to mention, before they are turned over and displayed at the store, they are stored in large warehouses for a couple of weeks again. It exposes them to different types of rodents or insects.
With the chemicals and exposure to germ carriers, these are enough reasons why you need to wash new clothes. The chemicals and exposure to the pests will irritate your baby’s skin. You need to remember that your baby is still growing and their immune system is still developing. Thus, washing their newly bought clothes is definitely a priority.
Furthermore, the same goes for the clothes you bought from thrift stores. Although some thrift stores wash the clothes before they sell them, it is best to wash them again after buying. Thrift or second-hand clothes are at risk of having contact with bacteria, dust, and pollen. Remember, different people touch those thrift clothes.
How to Wash Newly Bought Clothes for Babies
Washing your baby’s new clothes is not a difficult task as it seems. If you are a first-time mom, do not be overwhelmed with the preparation process, it is best to keep your head up in the game. However, if you are truly overwhelmed with the preparation and other chores at home, take some time to relax and outsource your laundry to dry cleaning experts such as Liox.
But if you are confident that you can do it, follow these simple guidelines on how to safely wash newly bought clothes for your baby.
Prepare the New Baby Clothes
Similar to washing an adult’s clothes, you have to follow the basic guidelines of washing clothes. You have to take time to read the manufacturer’s care label to prevent damaging the newly bought clothes. In this case, sort the baby clothes by color, color bleeding may occur if you wash them all together.
Most baby clothes have buttons, hooks, or snaps attached to the clothing, taking time to close them. If these are unbuttoned or unhooked, it might cause damage to the baby’s clothes. Thus, it is better to button or hook them to preserve the newness of the clothes.
If you bought bibs, baby socks, or other small baby clothes, you can put them inside a small mesh bag. Think of this as washing adult socks. You know what it takes if you do not put them inside a mesh bag, it might tear before your baby has a chance to wear them.
Choose a Safe Detergent
There’s an overwhelming number of laundry detergent on the supermarket’s display shelves. If you are a first-time mom, you might be confused about which is the right detergent for your baby’s clothes. You have to choose the right detergent to protect the soft and smooth skin of your baby.
Several laundry detergents contain perfume and dye to create an appealing liquid look and give your clothes an aromatic smell. However, these ingredients may cause skin irritation for babies. Although some may say that it is not necessary to have a baby-safe detergent, it does help prevent the risk of skin irritation.
Moreover, if you go with safe detergents, it saves you from worry and stops you from washing all the newly bought clothes again as you have found out that your baby is allergic.
Thus, to cut the debate, use a laundry detergent that’s dye-free with natural detergents. You can use the safe detergent for the whole family too.
Wash and Dry
Now that you have sorted the newly bought clothes and safe detergents, it is time to launder your baby’s new clothes. Follow the care label on the wash tag of your baby’s clothes. For the first wash, always use the gentle to normal setting on the washer.
Although your purpose is to clean the new clothes, it does not have dirt buildup or stubborn stains that require a hard wash setting. However, if the wash tag label has specific instructions, you should follow those.
If you do not have time to wash and dry your baby’s new clothes, you can always contact and hire a maid service to assist you in doing the laundry. It might be the helping hand you need as babies can be quite a mess sometimes.
However, if maid services are not available in your neighborhood, you can call laundromats that offer laundry pickup.
Final Thought
By now, you have the answer to the question of whether or not you should wash the newly bought baby clothes. If some parents see pre-washing newly bought clothes unnecessary and a way to help build their child’s immunity by exposing them to bacteria, do not follow it. It is best to skip the possibility of your baby experiencing skin irritation from the chemicals. After all, as a parent, you will take every effort for your baby and pre-washing is a piece of cake.
