When you buy baby clothes, read the instructions on the label and follow washing instructions. The fabric chosen and the embellishments on it decide whether you can put the clothes in the washing machine or dry-clean them. When the first-born child arrives, parents are extra careful about hygiene, infections etc. When they have more children, they slowly adapt to the fact that babies adapt to environments much faster than humans in a similar situation.
Materials used for washing
Manufacturers use a finish called “sizing” to brand new clothes for a nice look and this can cause an allergic reaction. Therefore, preferably wash new clothes before use. Use very little gentle detergent to wash baby clothes and put them through a double rinse cycle to make sure no soap lingers on the garments, as baby skin is very delicate and prone to itchiness, redness and allergies. It is advisable to invert the clothes and shake them out to loosen loops etc., before putting them in the machine. Tumble or line dry rather than run the clothes in the dryer. Use soap that has no dyes or scent. New baby Dreft, Ivory Snow and Carezyme are some of the recommended products, which are gentle on clothes.
White versus colored baby clothes
Wash colored clothes separately to ensure that colors do not run into the whites. Use cold water for colored clothes and do not bleach as this can ruin the clothes. Baby clothes include towels, blankets, bedding linen and cloth diapers. Each one requires careful handling and pre-treating of stains etc. before washing in the machine.
Baby sheets and linens
Organic cotton clothing is ideal for babies as they can withstand high temperatures and allows the skin to breathe. Organic cotton has ultra-thin fibers and is grown naturally with no harmful toxins or resins and dyes and therefore safe for baby. Sheets washed in warm water will retain that nice soft feeling if it is removed immediately from the dryer and smoothed out by hand when still warm. Use gentle fabric softener on baby towels and make sure to open up all loops and shake it out. To remove spit stains, soak the garment for about 30 minutes in an enzyme detergent after quickly sponging the affected areas with cold water. Then machine wash as usual. Rinse organic cotton diapers separately in cold water and then soak in a solution of warm water, detergent and chlorine bleach. It is a safe practice to rinse the baby clothes twice in warm water to remove all traces of bleach before use.
To remove stubborn stains
Make a paste of Oxi-clean available in all supply stores with a little gentle detergent and soak the stained clothes for a while. Several stain removers like Zout work well on white clothes. Avoid using harsh chemicals and disinfectants on baby clothes. Make sure that you change baby clothes regularly and try not to keep dirty clothes piled for too long.