When you have a little one, you are responsible for every aspect of his or her life. And that includes selecting each and everything that touches him starting from his soap, shampoo to the detergent you use to wash his clothes in. It is advisable to always use liquid detergent for washing your baby’s clothes because even if the smallest part of powdered detergent is left on the baby’s clothes, it will affect him. But with liquid detergent, there is no chance of residue remaining.
That said; let us now focus on how to wash your baby’s clothes using liquid detergent.
First, separate your clothes. If you are using clothes diaper, then separate the ones with poop from those with urine. Anything with solid waste should be immediately removed using strong water pressure and then soaked in lukewarm water. Those with pee can be accumulated before washing in a batch.
Next, you need to separate them by color. The whites should be washed separately as you do for normal clothes.
Third, as said before choose your detergent well. Liquid detergent is always best when it comes to baby clothes, and unless your child is proven to be allergic to a certain type of detergent, you can use your favorite brand like Safed Detergent that you use for other clothes, to wash your baby’s clothes. If you are using it for the first time, do tests run with some nappies to make sure you don’t see any adverse reaction.
Machine wash is a good idea when it comes to washing your baby’s clothes. However, small items like booties and socks tend to get lost in a washing machine. So, invest in some washing mesh bags and put such small items in them.
Don’t wash clothes in hot water in a machine. The perfect temperature should be around 60 degrees.
Before you add the clothes to the machine, make sure you have removed all stains especially hard stains like poop or food. If not removed properly, those can spoil the other clothes.
The benefit of washing baby clothes in a machine is that the detergent is washed off without leaving any residues. If you are hand washing, make sure you wash them multiple times to make sure it is soap-free.
As said before, choosing a good detergent is a must. Don’t go for those with high fragrance or full of chemicals. Read the label well before selecting a good one.
Fabric softener is not good for baby clothes especially cotton diapers. They tend to lower the absorption capacity of the clothes when used.
To remove smell especially urine smell from the clothes, soak the clothes in ammonia (1 tablespoon for 1 cup) before washing them.
Next is how frequently you should wash your baby’s clothes. For dresses and other outer garments, every three days or so is ok unless they are very dirty. Bibs, diapers, and towels should be washed daily or every alternate day depending on how many you have and use.