After having a baby, washing their clothes is the last thing on your mind. With so much to do and after so many months preparing for your little one, you may not give washing their clothes a second thought.
However, babies have extremely sensitive skin. Thus, washing baby clothes correctly proves highly important for their health.
Unfortunately, this means that their clothes need special products and treatment to avoid giving your child a pesky rash. Your child may also have allergies that detergents can set off.
The Dutchman’s Laundry offers some helpful tips on how to save time and protect your child from allergies or irritation while doing the laundry.
Buy Clothes That Will Last All Day
Your child will likely make a mess more than once per day. They spit upon themselves, spill food, and get dirty. Our first tip recommends buying enough sets of clothes so that you can change your child’s outfit two to three times a day without scrambling to do laundry every afternoon.
Make sure the fabric you buy does not irritate the skin. Fabrics with embellishments like sequins or raised seams may rub against your baby’s delicate skin and cause unnecessary rashes. Certain fabrics like wool can also be very scratchy.
Buying clothes that are 100% cotton remains the best option for a baby’s skin. You may use these clothes as a bottom layer and put other fabrics on top, but always make sure you place non-irritating and breathable fabric closest to your baby’s skin.
Remember that you should air dry cotton, so it does not shrink. Check out these extra tips on how to make the air-drying process go a little faster.
The Best Products To Use for Baby Clothes
Sensitive detergents formulated for a baby’s skin are readily available. You can easily find these products at your regular grocery store. The best detergents for your baby’s skin should be hypoallergenic and fragrance-free.
Puracy laundry detergent makes a great plant-based option for baby detergent. It is concentrated, and one bottle lasts for 96 loads of laundry. If you’re looking for something cheaper, All Free Clear detergent also offers a hypoallergenic solution, widely available in supermarkets.
Do not use any extra products when washing baby clothes. Bleach, softener, and certain stain removers can irritate due to harsh chemicals. Avoiding these products helps prevent rashes and childhood eczema.
If your baby still shows signs of skin irritation after following all these steps, remember that you must wash their clothes immediately after buying them. Brand-new baby clothes can have contaminants and chemical residue on them. So always wash them before their first wear.
Removing Difficult Stains
We know that getting out tough stains is part of being a parent. You can either attempt to scrub out the stain yourself or find a stain remover suitable for young children.
If you plan to scrub out the stain yourself, first apply some water and detergent to the stain while still wet. Next, take a toothbrush or soft bristle brush and scrub the affected fabric. Rinse and repeat until you can no longer see the stain, then put the garment in the wash.
If you decide to get a stain-removing spray, you should either consult with your pediatrician about the ingredients or ask an employee at any store that specializes in baby products. Otherwise, we do not recommend using stain removers.
Washing Fabric Toys
Your baby’s fabric toys also tend to get grubby from everyday use, so we recommend hand washing them. Depending on how fragile they are, you can use a toothbrush or soft cloth to scrub the toy. Simply submerge it in warm or hot water mixed with hypoallergenic detergent and scrub.
You can leave the toy to soak or simply rinse and dry. If the toy is more durable and doesn’t have sequins or other detachable pieces, you can put it in a delicates bag or zippered pillowcase and add it to the washing machine. Wash on cold, so no glue melts off.
Save Time and Money With a Visit to the Laundromat
If the thought of constantly washing your and your child’s clothes every week seems daunting, save time by using the laundromat. At The Dutchman’s Laundry, we have commercial-sized washers and dryers so that you can easily do a large load of laundry in only 23 minutes.
We also provide a drop-off service where you leave your clothes with us to wash, dry, and fold! If you’re interested in our Clarksville, TN services, give us a call at (931) 340-5433 or stop by today.
